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.