The Association Between Iranian EFL Teachers’ Work Engagement and Their Teaching Styles
الموضوعات : نشریه تخصصی زبان، فرهنگ، و ترجمه (دوفصلنامه)
1 - Department of English, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: Work engagement, Teaching styles, Iranian EFL teachers, Grasha Teaching Style Inventory,
ملخص المقالة :
This study aimed to examine the relationship between work engagement and teaching styles among Iranian EFL teachers. The research sought to determine the level of work engagement, identify key dimensions, explore correlations between engagement and teaching approaches, and predict teaching styles based on engagement dimensions. The sample consisted of 79 teachers from public and private schools in Semirom and Isfahan, selected through purposive sampling. Participants’ ages ranged from 21 to 54, with an average of 14 years of teaching experience. A correlational design was employed, utilizing quantitative data collected via the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and Grasha’s Teaching Style Inventory (GTSI). Data was gathered through self-administered questionnaires, both online and in person. Results indicated that teachers displayed varying engagement levels, with dedication being the most prominent dimension. Significant correlations were found between engagement levels and teaching styles, especially higher engagement associated with Expert and Formal Authority approaches. Moreover, vigor and dedication emerged as strong predictors of teaching styles. The findings have important implications; theoretically, they support the relevance of Self-Determination and Sociocultural Theories in the EFL context. Practically, the results emphasize the need for initiatives that boost teachers’ engagement, fostering an environment that supports their psychological needs to improve their commitment and teaching effectiveness.
Bakker, A. B., & Bal, P. M. (2010). Weekly work engagement and performance: A study among starting teachers. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(1), 189–206.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285.
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Verbeke, W. (2008). Using the Job Demands–Resources model to predict burnout and performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20124
Bakker, A. B., Hakanen, J. J., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2007). Job resources boost work engagement, particularly when job demands are high. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 274–284.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Chen, J., & Cheng, T. (2013). Review of research on teacher enthusiasm. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1(1), 176–182.
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). Pearson.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self determination in human behavior. Plenum.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
Fathi, J., Greenier, V., & Derakhshan, A. (2023). Self-efficacy, reflection, and burnout among Iranian EFL teachers: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 11(1), 1–19.
Ghanizadeh, A., & Jahedizadeh, S. (2015). Teacher burnout: A review of sources and ramifications. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(3), 567–577.
Grasha, A. F. (1994). A matter of style: The teacher as expert, formal authority, personal model, facilitator, and delegator. College Teaching, 42(4), 142–149.
Grasha, A. F. (1996). Teaching with style: A practical guide to enhancing learning by understanding teaching and learning styles. Alliance Publishers.
Guskey, T. R. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teachers and Teaching, 8(3), 381–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/135406002100000512
Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513.
Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513.
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724.
Kendall, M. G. (1938). A new measure of rank correlation. Biometrika, 30(1–2), 81–93.
Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2011). The occupational commitment and intention to quit of practicing and pre service teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(5), 820–830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.01.005
Kolmogorov, A. N. (1933). Sulla determinazione empirica di una legge di distribuzione. Giornale dell’Istituto Italiano degli Attuari, 4, 83–91.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2008). Early predictors of job burnout and engagement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(3), 498–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021 9010.93.3.498
Nunan, D. (2003). The impact of English as a global language on educational policies and practices in the Asia-Pacific region. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 589–613.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). Sage.
Pishghadam, R., Adamson, B., & Kan, F. L. F. (2015). Contextual differences in Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching. REL C Journal, 46(2), 165–180.
Richards, J. C. (2017). Teaching English through English: Proficiency, pedagogy and performance. RELC Journal, 48(1), 7–30.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293–315.
Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross‐national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716.
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92.
Shapiro, S. S., & Wilk, M. B. (1965). An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples). Biometrika, 52(3–4), 591–611.
Stevens, J. P. (2012). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences (5th ed.). Routledge.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Wilcoxon, F. (1945). Individual comparisons by ranking methods. Biometrics Bulletin, 1(6), 80–83.
Zhang, L. F. (2009). Teaching styles and conceptions of effective teachers: Tibetan and Han Chinese academics. Educational Psychology, 29(4), 451–464.
