Teacher Motivation Scale: development and validation

ABSTRACT This study’s main objective was to analyze psychometric evidence of validity and reliability of a Teachers Motivation Scale (EMD, Escala de Motivação Docente), in order to explore self-determined motivation exhibited by teachers. This scale was constructed in advance by the research group, and was developed based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which approaches self-determined motivation as an intrinsic process, influenced by social context, taking into account basic psychological needs such as autonomy, competence and sense of belonging. After semantic and content analysis of all scale’s items and once a pilot test was performed, a preliminary version of the EMD scale was applied to 398 Brazilian faculty members. These exploratory results led to the refinement of the scale. The prototype version of this EMD is now composed of twenty-four Likert items and embraces five dimensions: Performance, Personal Development, Teaching Practice, Continued Education and Institutional Insertion. The factorial analysis showed good internal consistency, confirming the proposed structural model. Although preliminary, the current results provide consistent evidence for the validity of the EMD construct and seem promising for studies related to teachers’ motivational evaluation. It is recommended, however, that other validity studies which corroborate and amplify current findings be pursued.