Mapping the deterministic path from teaching passion to instructional effectiveness: a soft determinism framework for teacher behaviour

Teacher education programmes, particularly in developing contexts, often emphasise cognitive competencies while giving limited attention to teaching passion (TP), an important affective driver of instructional effectiveness. Although previous studies have established the individual importance of TP, professional knowledge (PK), and self-efficacy, the mechanisms through which TP contributes to instructional effectiveness remain underexplored, and its integration into teacher education frameworks lacks adequate theoretical attention. This study examines how TP functions within a structured yet adaptable system to influence instructional effectiveness skills (IES) among preservice business teachers (N = 210). Using an explanatory correlational design, data were collected through validated instruments and analysed using mediation models. The findings reveal that TP does not directly enhance IES but instead operates through indirect pathways. Specifically, TP positively influences IES through PK (TP → PK → IES), while its strongest effect occurs through a sequential mediation pathway where PK and student engagement efficacy (SEE) jointly mediate the relationship (TP → PK → SEE → IES), explaining 89.72% of the variance in instructional effectiveness (R² = 89.72%). Furthermore, SEE serves as the critical mechanism through which professional knowledge translates into effective instructional practice, demonstrating that knowledge alone is insufficient without confidence in engaging students. These findings extend teacher education research by revealing the conditional influence of TP and illustrating how affective and cognitive resources interact to strengthen teaching effectiveness. Grounded in a soft determinism framework, the study highlights the importance of integrating TP, PK, and SEE within teacher education programmes to enhance future teachers' instructional effectiveness.