How Do Teachers’ Motivation and Emotion Influence Their Instructional Behaviour? A Synthesis of Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Findings

Teacher motivation and emotion are central prerequisites for the instructional process, as well as for students’ motivational, socio-emotional, and cognitive development. Research findings indicate that teacher motivational and affective characteristics are linked to teaching behaviours, and through these links relate to student educational outcomes. However, the processes through which teachers’ motivation and emotion are linked to their teaching behaviour are still not sufficiently understood. In this synthesis, we review the literature on teacher motivation and emotion and their relations to teaching behaviours and student outcomes. We place a particular focus on the processes that might explain their effects oninstructional behaviours. To identify such processes, we review motivational theories and educational research and deduce research gaps and future research questions. Based on the synthesis of existing research gaps, we propose a heuristic model that conceptualizes the processes that might link teacher motivation and teaching behaviours. Our integrative view should extend our knowledge about how different components of teacher motivation and emotion relate to teaching behaviours.