Vocational teachers’ classroom management style: the role of motivation to teach and sense of responsibility

This study aimed to examine the links between motivation to become a teacher, sense of responsibility, and classroom management style. An adapted version of the Factors Influencing Teaching (FIT)-Choice scale, a translated version of the Teacher Responsibility scale, and a vignette instrument inspired by the Problems in School Questionnaire were administered to 154 in-service vocational teachers. Consistent with prior research, path analysis of the data indicated that social utility value for teaching was the most consistent predictor of teachers’ sense of responsibility. However, the key motivation predicting responsibility for teaching was intrinsic value, which in turn predicted teachers’ endorsement of classroom management styles. The more vocational teachers felt responsible for the quality of their teaching, the more they tended to endorse adaptive or beneficial classroom management styles (autonomy support and structure). Implications for research and teaching are discussed.