Development of a questionnaire for the assessment of teacher goals from a content perspective

• A questionnaire for the assessment of teacher goals is presented.
• The measuring instrument is based on a goal-content approach.
• The questionnaire covers 13 dimensions of teacher goals with four items each.
• Exploratory factor analyses revealed three factors of higher order.
• The questionnaire turned out to be an objective, reliable, and valid instrument.

On the basis of a content perspective, we developed a questionnaire for the assessment of teacher goals covering 13 dimensions with four items each. Study 1, with a sample of 85 pre-service teachers and 217 professional teachers, provided evidence for the psychometric quality of the instrument. Exploratory factor analyses revealed three factors of higher order, which can be interpreted as socio-emotional, task-related, and self-related goal factors. Teacher goals correlated positively with teacher self-efficacy, self-esteem, and life satisfaction and negatively with emotional exhaustion. In Study 2, which included 34 eight grade classes, teachers’ goals correlated positively with observer-assessed classroom management and learning-conducive climate. We discuss the possibilities of the newly developed instrument for the assessment of teacher goals.