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The purpose of this article is to report the development and implementation of a STEM teacher attraction intervention based on person-environment (and person-vocation) fit theory. Study 1 reports the administration of a 'realistic job preview' (RJP) intervention requiring participant responses, followed by experienced teacher feedback and a tailored fit message to 111 university students in STEM-related fields. Results showed a significant relationship between RJP performance and interest in a teaching career, even after controlling for prior career intentions. Study 2 reports the results from individual interviews with 14 university students studying STEM-related subjects on the factors contributing to career-decision making, especially regarding teaching as a career. The 16 codes were distilled into three themes: the role of personal reflection, critical influences on career decisions, and patterns of change. We conclude with suggestions for implementation of RJPs as a supplement to current attraction and recruitment approaches.

This integrative review aims to render a systematic account of the role that teachers' psychological characteristics, such as their motivation and personality, play for critical outcomes in terms of teacher effectiveness, teachers' well-being, retention, and positive interpersonal relations with multiple stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, principals, colleagues). We first summarize and evaluate the available evidence on relations between psychological characteristics and these outcomes derived in existing research syntheses (meta-analyses, systematic reviews). We then discuss implications of the findings regarding the eight identified psychological characteristics--self-efficacy, causal attributions, expectations, personality, enthusiasm, emotional intelligence, emotional labor, and mindfulness--for research and educational practice. In terms of practical recommendations, we focus on teacher selection and the design of future professional development activities as areas that particularly profit from a profound understanding of the relative importance of different psychological teacher characteristics in facilitating adaptive outcomes.

While personal performance-approach goals (PAp goals) have already been successfully bifurcated into normative and appearance PAp goals, the same distinction has not yet been applied to performance-approach goal structures (PAp goal structures). The present study therefore aimed to (a) test the factorial two-level structure of PAp goal structures to establish whether a distinction between normative and appearance components is empirically supported, and (b) explore relations to achievement and approach-oriented achievement goals (mastery-approach goals, normative and appearance personal PAp goals). This study relied on a sample of 1,004 secondary school students (53.38% females, 49 classes). Results from multilevel confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a model with two separate normative and appearance PAp goal structure factors on the individual student level, and one overall PAp goal structure factor on the classroom level fit the data best. On the individual student level, normative PAp goal structures positively predicted achievement, whereas appearance PAp goal structures negatively predicted achievement. Each PAp goal structure type showed the strongest relation to the matching personal PAp goal, but no relations to mastery-approach goals were found. On the classroom level, the high associations between the overall PAp goal structure and personal PAp goals raised concerns on their empirical distinctiveness.

Background: Situational judgement tests (SJTs) measure non-cognitive attributes and have recently drawn attention as a selection method for initial teacher education programmes. To date, very little is known about adverse impact in teacher selection SJT performance. Aims: This study aimed to shed light on adverse effects of gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status (SES) on SJT scores, by exploring both main effects and interactions, and considering both overall SJT performance and separate SJT domain scores (mindset, emotion regulation, and conscientiousness). Sample: A total of 2,808 prospective teachers from the United Kingdom completed the SJTs as part of the initial stage of selection into a teacher education programme. Methods: In addition to SJT scores, the variables gender (female vs. male), ethnicity (majority group vs. minority group), and home SES background (higher SES status vs. lower SES status) were used in the analyses. Regression models and moderated regression models were employed. Results and conclusions: Results from the regression models revealed that gender effects (females scoring higher than males) were restricted to emotion regulation, while ethnicity effects (ethnic majority group members scoring higher than ethnic minority group members) emerged for SJT overall scores and all three domains. Moderated regression modelling results furthermore showed significant interactions (gender and ethnicity) for SJT overall scores and two domains. Considering the importance of reducing subgroup differences in selection test scores to ensure equal access to teacher education, this study's findings are a critical contribution. The partially differentiated results for overall vs. domain-specific scores point towards the promise of applying a domain-level perspective in research on teacher selection SJTs.

Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning interest in the study of teacher motivation. Although links between teacher motivation and teacher well-being, commitment to the profession, and other teacher-related outcomes are well-documented, prior research on associations between teacher motivation and student outcomes has been less consistent. This article focuses on teacher motivation as situated within two prominent frameworks: self-determination theory and achievement goal theory. First, two systematic reviews of research on self-determination theory and achievement goal theory are conducted to examine whether, when, how, and why teachers' motivation may influence--or at least relate to--which student outcomes. The processes by which teacher motivation is associated with student outcomes, such as via specific instructional strategies, are also taken into account. Second, the question of why research on teacher motivation often fails to find consistent effects on student outcomes is considered, including where in the complex chain of events from teacher motivation to student outcomes the signal gets lost. Third, the need to study the reverse ordering of effects, reciprocal effects, and the dynamic interplay between teacher motivation and student outcome variables is discussed.

For national education systems, the goal of an effective teacher recruitment strategy is not simply to attract more applicants, but to attract high-quality applicants who are well suited to teaching and are likely to remain in the profession. The goal of this article is to examine teacher recruitment strategies in England and to propose new models to understand and improve these strategies. We began by reviewing personnel recruitment theories and research from education and related fields. Next, we analysed publicly available teacher recruitment strategies and messages from two key education organisations in England: the Department for Education (DfE) and Teach First. We then compared teacher recruitment strategies with strategies and models developed in health professions (as presented by the National Health Service). The findings highlight that recruitment strategy documents for DfE and Teach First emphasise administrative/system changes and personal utility messages, whereas the public-facing advertisements focus on personal utility, social utility, and to a lesser extent, the personal attributes deemed to be important for teaching. We conclude by proposing how teacher recruitment strategies in England could be more strongly grounded in relevant theoretical and empirical work.

ABSTRACT The recruitment of undergraduate students in England into teacher education is a recognised challenge with recruitment targets having been missed in nine of the last 10 years. The recruitment shortfalls are most acute within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. This qualitative study explores which aspects of teaching attract and deter undergraduate STEM students from entering the profession, and which aspects of the vocation are unknown to undergraduates. Participants consisted of 267 STEM undergraduate students (73% White British; 57% female) from a broad range of UK universities. The sample reflected the sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background [SEB]) of undergraduate students in British universities. Data for this study consisted of responses to open‐ended questions about interest in teaching generated after exposure to an experimental vignette intervention consisting of 12 teaching‐related vignettes, each exhibiting a different motivation for entering teaching. Data were coded using reflexive thematic analysis and multiple indexing. Findings from this study suggested that participants were primarily attracted to teaching by the perceived emotional rewards of supporting young people, and the tangible benefits (e.g., holidays) made the career desirable. However, participants also felt an imbalance between the pull and push factors of teaching. Workload and negative treatment of teachers were seen as the central deterrents to entering teaching; however, we also found that there was a significant knowledge deficit about what teaching entails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the concept of scenario-based learning (SBL) in clinical education, emphasizing its role in providing authentic learning experiences that bridge factual knowledge with practical application. SBL involves brief, low-fidelity scenarios that require learner interaction and feedback, often delivered through digital media. While SBL offers benefits such as scalability and convenience, it may lack realism compared to traditional simulation methods. Research is needed to determine the effectiveness of SBL in enhancing communication skills and other outcomes in health professions education. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the longitudinal association between students' anxiety and procrastination and the relation of self-efficacy for self-regulation to these constructs. Latent Growth Curve Modeling was used to analyze data gathered from 182 undergraduate students (134 female, 48 male) at 4 times during a semester. Our results showed that procrastination significantly increased over the semester, while academic anxiety decreased. Students' procrastination and anxiety were positively correlated at the beginning of the semester; however, the trajectories of procrastination and anxiety were not predicted from initial levels of these variables. Moreover, at the initial measurement period, high levels of anxiety and procrastination were significantly related to low levels of self-efficacy for self-regulation, whereas the rate of change in anxiety and procrastination over time were not predicted by students' initial levels of self-efficacy for self-regulation.

In Oman, applicants are selected for initial teacher education programs (ITEPs) based mainly on their academic achievements. Applicants' non-cognitive attributes (NCAs) (e.g., resilience and motivation) receive less attention. Situational judgment tests (SJTs) are a type of simulation test that are used in the candidate selection process for different professions. We aim to (a) develop an SJT for selecting ITEP applicants in Oman, (b) explore its psychometric properties, and (c) explore applicants' reactions to the test. There were four study phases. Phase 1 used a multi-step design to explore the NCAs' underlying teacher effectiveness. Phase 2 used these NCAs to develop an SJT with working teachers (N = 116). The developed SJT was initially piloted in Phase 3 with new ITEP candidates (N = 171) and was then piloted with other criterion measures in Phase 4 (N = 142). Results demonstrated good SJT internal consistency (alpha = 0.75). SJT scores correlated significantly with scores on two facets of the Big Five personality measure (i.e., conscientiousness and agreeableness). Additionally, SJT scores were positively correlated with participants' GPA, but not with their interview scores. Participants' reactions to the SJT were positive. With further research, SJTs could prove helpful for selecting teachers in Oman.

We considered applicants' perceptions of the use of a pilot situational judgment test (SJT) designed for selection into primary and secondary teacher training programs in the UK. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 304 applicants (73% female) to two postgraduate (PGCE) training programs in the 2013-2014 application cycle. Participants were asked to provide feedback on the content of the SJTs and on the appropriateness of the tests for selection into teacher training. Results from the rating scales showed that most of the applicants (76.7%) found the content and format of the pilot selection tool favourable. Results from open-ended questions suggested that applicants were aware of issues of procedural justice and fairness in selection for teacher training, with a recommendation that separate selection tests should be created for primary and secondary applicants.

The question of what makes a good teacher has been asked by practitioners, policymakers, and researchers for decades. However, there is no guiding framework about which qualities are important for teachers. Thus, it is necessary to examine these qualities using a recognized framework and to summarize the previous literature on this topic. We conducted a meta-analysis on the 25 studies (total N = 6294) reporting the relationships between teacher Big Five personality domains (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability) and two teacher job-related outcomes (i.e., teacher effectiveness and burnout). Furthermore, the influence of three moderators was assessed, namely, the type of teacher effectiveness measure (i.e., evaluations of teaching, student performance self-efficacy, classroom observation, and academic achievement), source of personality report (i.e., self-report vs other-report), and the instructed educational level (i.e., elementary, secondary, and tertiary). Overall, teacher Big Five domains (except for agreeableness) were positively associated with teacher effectiveness, especially for evaluations of teaching. Furthermore, teacher emotional stability, extraversion, and conscientiousness were negatively associated with burnout. Other-reports of teacher personality were more strongly associated with outcomes than self-reports. There were no differences in the strength of the associations between the educational levels. The need for using common descriptors in teacher research as well as practical implications of the findings for teacher personality measurement is discussed.

We investigated the specificity of reading self-efficacy among second- to fifth-grade children in Finland (N = 1,327). Bandura (1997) theorized that efficacy beliefs can be assessed at different levels of specificity; however, empirical support for this view is scarce among young children. Efficacy beliefs targeting reading-related activities were assessed at three specificity levels (general, intermediate, and specific). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that these specificity levels are separable, but correlated, and the structure was invariant across gender and grade level. Self-efficacy factors were positively associated with reading fluency, but the strength of these associations varied according to specificity level. Findings suggest that reading self-efficacy in primary grades can and should be assessed at different specificity levels according to research aims.

The goal of this study was to create and validate a brief multidimensional scale of teacher engagement--the Engaged Teachers Scale (ETS)--that reflects the particular characteristics of teachers' work in classrooms and schools. We collected data from three separate samples of teachers (total N = 810), and followed five steps in developing and validating the ETS. The result of our scale development was a 16-item, 4-factor scale of teacher engagement that shows evidence of reliability, validity, and practical usability for further research. The four factors of the ETS consist of: cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, social engagement: students, and social engagement: colleagues. The ETS was found to correlate positively with a frequently used work engagement measure (the UWES) and to be positively related to, but empirically distinct from, a measure of teachers' self-efficacy (the TSES). Our key contribution to the measurement of teacher engagement is the novel inclusion of social engagement with students as a key component of overall engagement at work for teachers. We propose that social engagement should be considered in future iterations of work engagement measures in a range of settings.

Education authorities in Australia are calling for valid tools to help assess prospective teachers' non-academic attributes, with a particular need for identifying those attributes necessary for effective teaching in specific contexts. With the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education, we aimed to develop a scenario-based tool to help assess the non-academic attributes necessary for beginning teachers working in rural and remote settings. Using a situational judgement test (SJT) methodology, we worked with experienced teachers (n = 19) to develop scenario-based items, which were then reviewed by school principals (n = 13). The teachers also adapted items previously developed and piloted in the UK. Next, prospective NSW teachers (n = 99) tried 32 new and adapted items targeting four clusters of attributes: empathy and communication, resilience and adaptability, organisation and planning, and culture and context. Item quality analyses revealed 22 acceptable items. We conclude by suggesting SJTs for promoting non-academic growth of prospective and beginning teachers.

The purpose of this study was to test and validate the Engaged Teacher Scale (ETS) in a Turkish context (ETS-TR). In order to test the construct validity of the ETS, data were collected from 388 teachers in two northeast cities of Turkey. First-order confirmatory factor analysis results supported the 16-item and four-factor model of ETS while second-order confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a single factor was also appropriate for representing teacher engagement. Additionally, four multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to provide further validation evidence. Results showed that subscales of the ETS-TR were found to be positively correlated with teacher self-efficacy. Given our evidence of validity and reliability, we recommend researchers interested in measuring the engagement of Turkish teachers to consider using the ETS-TR. The adaptation of ETS into Turkish also provides a measure for use when conducting research examining cultural comparisons between English-speaking and Turkish teachers.

The present study extends the literature by investigating the relative salience of self- and collective efficacy in predicting group performance among early adolescents in Indonesia. A total of 435 early adolescents (mean age 11.70 years, 53% female) were randomly assigned to groups of three to four and completed three group tasks (task 1: puzzles; task 2: math; task 3: puzzles). Results indicated that collective efficacy was a more salient predictor of group performance than self-efficacy. Examination of the interaction effects suggested that the positive effects of collective efficacy on task performance were moderated by the levels of individual members' self-efficacy, that is, when group members' self-efficacy was high, task performance was lower. However, the debilitating effect disappears in the last task, where self-efficacy no longer undermines task performance when group members' collective efficacy is high. Interestingly, heterogeneity of the group in terms of gender and ethnicity composition significantly predicted task performance of the group: groups comprising more boys and groups comprising members of different ethnic backgrounds had lower task performance. Findings are discussed in relation to their theoretical contributions and applied implications for classroom teaching and learning.

The current study provided evidence for the factor structure of the Academic Expectation Stress Inventory (AESI) in a sample of 213 Mainland Chinese and 184 South Korean high school students. We examined cross-national invariance of the AESI using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis across two Asian cultural samples. Results suggested a unidimension rather than two-factor structure (self and teachers/parents) in both settings. Results also showed evidence of reliability, convergent validity (significant correlations with depression, emotional exhaustion, and cynicism), and divergent validity (nonsignificant correlations with amotivation and efficacy reduction). ANCOVA results indicated that perceived overall academic expectation stress was significantly higher among Mainland Chinese students than for their South Korean counterparts. Furthermore, there were no differences between males and females for the Korean adolescents while females reported higher expectation scores than males in the Chinese adolescent sample.

The experience of academic boredom among students may be universal; in fact, almost all students complain at least occasionally about being bored in class or while studying. Despite the perceived negative influence of boredom on learning, there has been no synthesis of empirical findings underscoring how boredom relates to academic outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to meta-analyze the research exploring the relationship between students' academic boredom and their motivation, study strategies and behaviors, and performance. A total of 29 studies, involving 19,052 students, met the inclusion criteria. The overall effect size, r[image omitted] =?-0.24, was significant, p?