Teacher autonomous motivation for continuous professional development: the relationship with perceived workplace conditions

Abstract

The school context has the potential to hinder or stimulate teachers’ motivation to attend Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs. The present study investigated the relationship between workplace conditions in schools and teachers’autonomous motivation to participate in CPD. A questionnaire was completed by 472 teachers in 13 schools in China. The results show that four school condition variables are related to teachers’autonomous motivation for CPD. The more support teachers report to receive from their school principals and the more work pressure they experience, the more they are motivated for CPD. In contrast, the more teachers report to be supported by their colleagues and the more emotional pressure they receive, the less they are motivated for CPD. In addition, support from colleagues and levels of perceived task autonomy moderate the relationship between teachers’personal factors and their motivation for CPD. Implications are presented for school leaders and policymakers.