Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions of Instrumentality, Boredom Coping Strategies, and Four Aspects of Engagement

Source: Teaching Education, Volume 24, Issue 3, 2013, pages 302-326

This study examined the mediating roles of prospective teachers’ boredom coping strategies (i.e. cognitive-approach, behavioral-approach, cognitive-avoidance, and behavioral-avoidance strategies) in the relationships between their perceptions of instrumentality and four aspects of engagement (i.e. agentic engagement, behavioral, engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement).

The participants were 521 prospective teachers.

The results demonstrated that perceived instrumentality, boredom coping strategies with the exception of cognitive-avoidance orientation, and four aspects of engagement were significantly related to each other.

The results also showed that the relationships between perceived instrumentality and agentic engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement were slightly, but significantly mediated by cognitive-approach orientation.