Individual Differences in Teacher Research Involvement? Factoring in Language Teachers’ Big Five Personality Traits and Motivation to Conduct Research

Abstract

The important role of individual differences in affecting teachers’ involvement in and professional development through research has received little systematic attention in theoretical discussions and empirical studies on teacher research. Therefore, relying on the available literature and our proposed theoretical models, we investigated the possible links among language teachers’ Big Five personality traits, motivation to conduct research (through self-determination theory’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivations alongside the avoidance motivation construct), and teacher research involvement (TRI). Using a survey method, data were gathered from 253 Iranian school English teachers (SETs) and subjected to correlational and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses. Notably, SEM results demonstrated that Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism significantly predicted the motivational constructs which themselves predicted TRI. Moreover, the effects of these four traits on TRI were fully mediated through the motivational constructs. Implications for theory, policymaking, and professional development in the teacher research field are proposed.

Leaning Into Difficult Topics: Inquiry Communities as Teacher Professional Learning for Turbulent Times

“…A second limitation, informed by Bahrami and Hosseini (2023), was that teachers’ underlying personality traits may have affected their motivation to participate but were not explored. The motivation to engage in practitioner inquiry focused on the instruction of difficult topics could vary by individual, with already-motivated individuals most likely to participate.…”

Language teacher professional curiosity: Understanding the drive for professional development

“…This means that the effects of PD, whether formal or informal, hinge not only on its form, quality, frequency, and availability but also on language educators' readiness to avail themselves of such opportunities and their response to them. Thus, whether different forms of PD will have a bearing on instructional practices depends on an interplay of cognitive, affective, and motivational processes as well as a range of ID characteristics (Bahrami & Hosseini, 2023;Korthagen, 2017;Schutz & Zembylas, 2009;Zhang et al, 2021). One attribute that may be a pivotal ingredient of PD processes and mitigate their outcomes is language teacher professional curiosity.…”

“…Kashdan and Silvia (2009, p. 370) note that "there are important social and institutional moderating variables" which require consideration in order to "understand the conditions leading to favorable and unfavorable" contexts for curiosity-driven behaviors. Ashcroft et al (2020) point to the importance of a culture characterized by "psychological safety" as being key to fostering curiosity. In other words, people need to feel safe and confident in their contexts to explore and be curious.…”

Highest order moderation of extraversion and neuroticism into the relationship between job stress and flourishing: Mediated by readiness to change among Chinese medical teachers

“…Research has reported significant relationships between extroversion and neuroticism, on the one hand, and job stress [ 40 ] or wellbeing, on the other [ 41 ], as well as the moderating role of extraversion and neuroticism on work-related outcomes [ 42 ]. Recent studies continue applying personality traits as relevant individual differences associated to motivation to teach [ 43 ], research involvement [ 44 ]or academic performance among Chinese teachers [ 45 ].…”