Teacher belief systems: the complex and novel interactions between teachers’ pedagogical and motivational beliefs

It is understood that teachers’ beliefs exist within complex systems, yet there is limited empirical research on such systems. This study investigated systems of teachers’ pedagogical beliefs (e.g., teaching, curriculum, learning), motivational beliefs (e.g., self-efficacy, personal responsibility, goal orientation), and beliefs about students. Integrated clusters of teacher beliefs were identified within five higher-order factors. One cluster included motivations to teach based on social contribution, mastery goals, and focus on deep learning and relational teaching. Another cluster connected fixed attitudes about self and learners, personal utility motivations, and pedagogical beliefs focused on surface-level knowledge and transmission-type approaches to teaching, in addition to lower expectations for learners. Other clusters of beliefs related to intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, assessment beliefs, and teacher sense of personal responsibility. Findings provide new insights into the structure of teacher belief systems and illustrate opportunities to strengthen empirically supported understandings of the complex constructs of teacher belief systems.