The impact of work concerns on teaching effectiveness: evidence from Chinese private universities

Abstract

Understanding how young teachers cope with work concerns is crucial for improving teaching quality in Chinese private higher education. This study investigates the relationship between different stages of such concerns and teacher effectiveness of young lecturers in private universities. These lecturers often face workload pressure andlack of career supports, which may influence their effectiveness and professional development. This research involved 416 full-time lecturers under the age of 40 from Shandong Province. The sample was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula and selected through a multi-stage sampling method. Private universities were stratified into four categories, one university from each category was purposively selected, and participants were randomly sampled. Data were gatheredthrough a structured questionnaire adapted from the stages of concern (SoC) and the school teacher effectiveness questionnaire (STEQ). Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted for analysis. The results show that task concerns and impact concerns significantly influenced teacher effectiveness across instructional planning and strategies, assessment, and learning environment. In contrast, self-concerns showed weaker influence. These findings suggest that work concerns reflect not only stress but also deeper professional motivation, pointing to the need for more purposeful supports to increase teacher effectiveness and career growth.