Title: University teachers' goal orientation and self-efficacy: associations with knowledge and use of teaching methods

Authors: Emil Lucian Crișan; Cristian Dragoș

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babes-Bolyai University, Teodor Mihali Street 58-60, Cluj 400028, Romania ' Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babes-Bolyai University, Teodor Mihali Street 58-60, Cluj 400028, Romania

Abstract: Traditionally, teaching practices of university teachers have been investigated in the context of academic disciplines and teaching approaches. Alternatively, our research analyses teachers' motivational beliefs and self-confidence in their teaching practices measured by using ten teaching methods. This study investigates the role of goal orientation and self-efficacy as predictors of knowledge and use of teaching methods of 447 university teachers. The findings demonstrate that mastery goal orientation has a positive effect on both student and teacher-centred methods. Additionally, performance goal orientation is a negative predictor of role-playing knowledge and use, being positively associated with lecturing and demonstration. Self-efficacy has a positive effect on the use and knowledge of almost all ten teaching methods. These results can be employed to improve efforts in increasing teaching quality by developing varied mechanisms which can positively impact teachers' motivational beliefs and self-confidence.

Keywords: self-efficacy; goal orientation; teaching methods; teaching practices; university teachers; teaching quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2020.109694

International Journal of Management in Education, 2020 Vol.14 No.5, pp.494 - 515

Received: 15 Apr 2019
Accepted: 12 Sep 2019
Published online: 21 Sep 2020 *

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