Examining Differences Among K-12 Teachers’ Motivation for Online Teaching

This quantitative study aimed to determine K-12 teachers’ level of motivation for online teaching and investigate possible differences in motivation according to group demographics. The Online Teaching Motivation Scale (OTMS) (Wiles et al., 2023) was used to collect data from K-12 teachers (N = 62) in the Southeastern United States between October 2023 and July 2024. Participants reported a mean motivation for online teaching of 2.66 (SD = 0.52) on a 4-point Likert-like scale. Significant differences in overall motivation and self-efficacy for online teaching were found when examining content areas (STEM versus non-STEM) and grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary). Additionally, significant differences in perceptions of administrative support for online teaching were found among grade bands. Finally, teachers’ perceptions of online teaching and learning showed significant differences between grade bands, content areas, and gender. Implications for school and district leaders are discussed based on these differences among demographic groups. Results also imply the need to develop and implement differentiated systems of support to meet the diverse needs of teachers using online tools in their classrooms.