Assessment of Psychological Contract Among Teacher Educators in Myanmar

Psychological contract is an important concept in understanding the reciprocal expectations and perceived obligations between individuals and organizations. In educational institutions, teacher educators develop expectations concerning institutional support, professional recognition, employment conditions, and mutual responsibilities. The present study aimed to investigate psychological contract among teacher educators in Myanmar, focusing on transactional and relational dimensions and examining differences according to selected demographic and professional characteristics. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed. The participants consisted of 1,076 teacher educators from Universities of Education (UOEs) and Education Degree Colleges (EDCs), including 279 participants from UOEs and 797 participants from EDCs. The Psychological Contract Scale developed by Millward and Hopkins (1998), consisting of 13 items, was used to collect data. The instrument measured transactional contract (6 items) and relational contract (7 items) using a five-point Likert scale. The reliability coefficient of the overall scale was .758. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Least Significant Difference (LSD) post-hoc comparisons. The findings revealed that the overall psychological contract among teacher educators was at a moderate level (M = 40.91, SD = 4.65). Relational contract (M = 24.17, SD = 2.90) was relatively higher than transactional contract (M = 16.74, SD = 2.97). Significant differences were found in transactional and relational contract across age groups and in transactional contract across qualification groups. However, no significant differences in overall psychological contract were found according to educational institution, age, qualification, teaching experience, or designation. The findings provide insights into the reciprocal expectations between teacher educators and educational institutions in Myanmar.