Teachers’ motivational styles as inclusive practices

Abstract

Teachers are a critical factor in the implementation of educational policies, particularly in the use of strategies that respond to the diversity of students’ needs and motivations in the classroom. The literature identifies four motivational styles of teachers, two that are motivating (autonomy support and structure) and two demotivating (control and chaos). Research has shown that strategies aimed at fostering autonomy and, simultaneously, providing structure have positive effects on students’ engagement, achievement, and well-being. This study aimed to analyze the motivational styles of Portuguese teachers in a sample of 625 teachers (76% female) from schools in various regions of the country, teaching in different educational levels. The Portuguese version of the Situations-in-School (SIS) questionnaire and a personal data questionnaire were used. In the results, it was found that the most commonly used motivational strategies by Portuguese teachers are structure and autonomy support, and these two styles are highly correlated (r = .80). Significant differences were also observed among teachers based on gender, type of school, educational level, and pedagogical method. The data provide clues for the development of interventions aimed at promoting more inclusive and motivational educational practices for learning and the development of different competencies, as expected in the Student’s Profile by the End of Compulsory Schooling.