Investigating the role of teachers’ goal orientation in work engagement and professional agency : a mixed-methods approach

Abstract

The present study aimed to probe the role of goal orientation in work engagement and professional agency and to explore influential factors in professional functioning among English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. To this aim, 90 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers were chosen from different English language institutes in Mashhad, Iran. In order to obtain these aims, the present study used a mixed-methods approach: first, in quantitative part, the data was collected via distributing three questionnaires: Achievement Goals for Teaching, Work & Well-being Survey, and Teacher Agency. Second, in qualitative part, the data was collected via conducting semi-structured interviews. Interviews were carried out for exploring influential factors in professional functioning. The conducted interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The quantitative findings obtained via Correlation formula revealed that among goal orientation subscales, mastery goal orientation correlated significantly with all the subscales of both work engagement and professional agency. Moreover, results from semi-structured interviews documented that cultural norms, learner's ability, and institutional regulations were influential factors in EFL teachers’ functioning. Finally, the results were discussed in details and implications were provided.