Motivation profiles of Chinese language teachers of non-Chinese speaking students and the associations with teacher well-being in Hong Kong

Abstract

The growing population of non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students in Hong Kong has presented substantial challenges for Chinese language teachers. Work motivation to teach NCS students has not gained much attention in previous studies but it is important for these teachers’ well-being. This study aimed to identify the motivation profiles of Chinese language teachers of NCS students and examine the relationships between motivation profiles and teacher well-being (i.e., work engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment), as well as the influence of demographic factors (i.e., gender, in-service training, and types of educational setting) on the motivation profiles. A total of 290 Chinese language teachers working with NCS students in Hong Kong primary schools participated in this study. Results showed that three motivation profiles were identified: de-motivated, mixed-motivated, and autonomous-motivated. Mixed-motivated teachers exhibited the highest levels of well-being, followed by autonomous-motivated teachers and demotivated teachers. Female teachers and teachers who had received in-service training related to teaching NCS students were more likely to belong to the mixed-motivated and autonomous-motivated profiles. Contributions and implications are discussed.