How are Lao teachers’ goals for teaching associated with their instructional practices?

Achievement goal theory (AGT) has become increasingly prominent for exploring the interplay between teachers’ goals and their instructional practices. Prior research has suggested that relational goals significantly impact mastery-oriented instruction, surpassing the influence of mastery goals. Nonetheless, much of this evidence is derived from studies conducted in Western contexts. The current work investigates the relationships between teachers’ goals and their instructional practices in the Lao context, aiming at providing a more nuanced understanding of these relationships and examining their applicability in collectivist cultural settings. A total of 207 teachers participated in this study by completing an online questionnaire that assessed their teaching goals, instructional approaches, and specific practices. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze two models. Model 1 revealed positive correlations between relational and mastery goals with mastery-oriented instructional approaches and between ability-approach and ability-avoidance goals with performance-oriented strategies. Additionally, Model 2 demonstrated that relational goals were associated with recognition, grouping, and mutual respect, whereas mastery goals were linked to task and recognition. The findings underscore the central role of relational goals in fostering effective instructional practices, even in a collectivist cultural setting. This study also offers a more detailed understanding of the interconnection between the goals of teachers and their instructional practices, contributing to the cross-cultural AGT literature and providing insights for enhancing teaching practices globally.