Developing a Structural Model to Predict the Teaching Quality of Faculty Members Based on their Philosophical Mentality and their Job Motivation

Introduction Universities are social systems which are thought of as insightful driving forces and leaders of thought in societies. Due to the intense transformations which affect our world, universities are at the heart of social and international debates focusing on ideals and goals of universities and their leadership. One of the major functions of universities is their educational mission. High quality teaching is thought of as the outcome of high quality learning and is defined as promoting effective learning opportunities for students at higher education centers. The goal of education is to facilitate students’ learning. Therefore, quality of teaching is a process which provides students with the most constructive and useful learning experience. Qualified teaching is a type of teaching which leads to learning by which student learns what the professor teaches. Teaching process has a complex nature and various components which must be completely understood and implemented for a qualified teaching. Philosophical mentality and job motivation are among the factors which seem to affect professors’ ability to present qualified teaching. Quality in education is an evaluation of the process of educating which enhances the need to achieve and develop the talents of the customers of the process, and at the same time meets the accountability standards set by the clients who pay for the process or the outputs from the process of educating and quality in education is clearly linked to the purpose. The main purpose of this study was to causally explain the relations among the quality of teaching, philosophical mentality and job motivation. In this regard, it is predicted that philosophical mentality and job motivation have a direct, positive and significant relation with quality of teaching and that philosophical mentality has a direct, positive and significant relation with job motivation. Based on the existing theoretical views, philosophical mentality and job motivation affect professors’ quality of teaching. In addition, philosophical mentality affects their job motivation. Accordingly, the present research sought to test this conceptual model by structural equation modeling and to examine the relationships among philosophical mentality and job motivation and quality of teaching.
Method The present research was a descriptive study and causal correlation in type. It is classified as causal correlation and employed “causal modeling” techniques. Structural equation model is used to determine the contributions made by philosophical mentality and job motivation to quality of teaching. Questionnaires used in this study included a researcher-made quality of teaching questionnaire; it consisted of 24 items with a five-point Likert scale scoring method and Cronbach’s Alpha at 0.881. Its validity was verified by using experts’ opinions and confirmatory factor analysis. Indices of confirmatory factor analysis are GFI=0.89, AGFI=0.86, RSMEA=0.046, NFI=0.93, NNFI=0.97, and CFI=0.97. This questionnaire measures planning and preparedness, teaching process, class management, human relation and evaluation, and professional participation. Philosophical mentality questionnaire consists of 42 items with a four-point Likert scale scoring method and Cronbach’s Alpha at 0.85 and measures comprehensiveness, contemplation, and flexibility. Job motivation questionnaire consists of 20 items with a four-point Likert scale scoring method and Cronbach’s Alpha at 0.855 and measures interest in job, importance of job, job satisfaction, responsibility, self-belief, and self-control.
Results Results showed that quality of teaching was significantly related to philosophical mentality and job motivation. Philosophical mentality had a direct, positive and significant impact on quality of teaching (β=0.5). Job motivation also had a direct, positive and significant impact on quality of teaching (β=0.3). Philosophical mentality had a direct significant relationship with job motivation (β=0.25). It is important to evaluate and stimulate these factors in academic environments in order to enhance quality of teaching.
Discussion The findings showed that professors’ philosophical mentality had a direct, positive and significant relationship with their quality of teaching. As their philosophical mentality increases, the quality of teaching improves. Therefore, philosophical mentality is considered as a factor which influences quality of teaching. Professors with a philosophical way of thinking pay much attention to teaching techniques and consider educational issues in relation to goals of education and direct their activities accordingly while trying to realize these goals. Such professors are affected during teaching process by their philosophical mind and use active and creative teaching methods which are effective in students’ learning. Moreover, it was revealed that professors’ job motivation had a direct, positive and significant relation with their quality of teaching. As their job motivation increases, the quality of teaching improves. Job motivation is therefore considered as a factor which influences quality of teaching. Consequently, it seems that higher job motivation leads to proper performance of assigned activities which in turn enhances students’ learning and university outputs. In this regard, professors with successful teaching have reached sublime beliefs of job motivation which will lead to continuous successful teaching. This makes them active in class so that professors might review the lessons in different methods which improves learning and effectiveness of the teaching. In this way, professors pay attention to both success and values. They are also modest during teaching process and treat students delicately and carefully. Also the results indicated that professors’ philosophical mentality had a direct, positive and significant relation with job motivation. As their philosophical mentality increases, their quality of teaching enhances. Therefore, one’s motivation depends less on his or her will and is remarkably affected by his or her attitude and way of thinking. Professors with high philosophical thinking never limit their minds to specific matters and look at educational issues with an open mind and implement various solutions for a problem. They are highly creative and this makes them very interested in their job which in turn makes them try more in their job. This will lead to students’ improved learning.