Teacher motivation and student outcomes: Searching for the signal

Abstract Interdisciplinary research into the interplay between emotions, cognition, and translation is still in its infancy. This is certainly true for research focused on teachers, teachers’ motivation, and related emotions. Unlike in translation studies, however, the situation in teacher motivation theory and research has changed significantly over the last decade. This article draws on teacher motivation theory to adopt an interpretive framework for the study of teacher socioemotional dimensions, as associated with students’ positive perceptions of effective teaching and learning. A self-case study involving the reflexive analysis of a teaching portfolio in translation suggests that teacher motivation and emotions significantly influence students’ perceptions of effective teaching and learning, and that research on teachers matters for reasons such as student outcomes and teacher professional development.

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Do Accountability Policy Sanctions Influence Teacher Motivation? Lessons From Chicago’s Low-Performing Schools

American Educational Research Journal ◽

10.3102/0002831207306767 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 594-630 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Kara S. Finnigan ◽

Betheny Gross

Keyword(s):

No Child Left Behind ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Teacher Motivation ◽

Professional Status ◽

Theoretical Assumption ◽

Low Performing Schools ◽

Left Behind ◽

Accountability Policy ◽

Using Data ◽

Policy Mechanisms

The federal No Child Left Behind Act and previous performance-based accountability policies are based on a theoretical assumption that sanctions will motivate school staff to perform at higher levels and focus attention on student outcomes. Using data from Chicago, this article draws on expectancy and incentive theories to examine whether motivation levels changed as a result of accountability policies and the policy mechanisms that affected teacher motivation. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, the authors found that the value teachers placed on their professional status and their goals for students focused and increased their effort, but low morale had the potential to undercut the sustainability of teachers’ responses.

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