European Journal of Education Studies ISSN: 2501 - 1111 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1111 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu doi: 10.5281/zenodo.805996 Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat1, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu2i, Esra Karabağ Köse3 1Professor Dr., Gazi University, Educational Administration Department, Ankara, Turkey 2,3Assistant Professor Dr., Kırıkkale University, Educational Administration Department, Kırıkkale, Turkey Abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the power of the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers in prediction of teacher effectiveness. Having adopted the relational screening model, the study utilized data collected by the “Organisational Commitment Scale” and the “Teacher Performance Assessment Scale” as administered to a total of 311 teachers in 5 neighbourhoods within Ankara province. Relations between the variables were calculated by parametric tests of t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, and multiple regression analysis. According to the t-test results, unlike the affective commitment, which indicated significant difference by sex, the teachers’ continuance and normative commitment, total commitment, and levels of effectiveness did not indicate significant difference by sex. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) results suggested that the teachers’ organisational commitment levels did not indicate significant difference by seniority in continuance commitment and effectiveness domains while there were significant differences in affective commitment, normative commitment, and total commitment domains. Results of the correlation analysis suggested positive and significant relationships between the teachers’ affective, normative, and continuance commitment and teacher effectiveness. According to the multiple regression analysis, the teachers’ affective and normative commitment was a significant precursor of teacher Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 38 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS effectiveness unlike the continuance commitment. The affective and normative commitment of teachers was the determinants of their level of effectiveness. Recommendations as regards improving the level of effectiveness presented in the end of the study. Keywords: teacher, affective commitment, normative commitment, continuance commitment, teacher effectiveness 1. Introduction Teachers possess an important power in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the educational institutions. Each act of the schools towards the target and change are performed directly or indirectly by the teachers. Therefore each positive attitude and behaviour as developed by the teachers towards the school is important in the process of attaining the targeted outcomes and for survival of the school. Projection of positive attitudes and behaviours onto the process is substantially associated with the organisational commitment of the teachers. The more the teachers feel committed to the school, the more eager they will act as regards using their skills and knowledge and attaining the goals. Otherwise, their contribution will prove to be limited and superficial. Many definitions of organisational commitment have been suggested, including the power of the individual engagement’ with the organisation (Grusky, 1966); level of adoption and internalisation of organisational objectives (Hall, Schneider & Nygren, 1970); process of identification with organisational identity (Sheldon, 1971); level of integration to organisation, adoption of organisational values (Blau & Boal, 1987); decision to stay in the organisation (Meyer & Allen, 1991); willingness for contributing in the development and success of the organisation (Yüksel, 2000,); propensity to act in compliance with the formal and normative expectations of the organisation (Celep, 2000); demonstrating an effective commitment to the objectives and goals of the (Balay, 2000); and identification with the organisation and feeling oneself as belonging to the organisation (Chughtai & Zafar, 2006). The reason of different definitions provided for organisational commitment is associated with the fact that the organisational commitment has so far been examined under different classifications involving different dimensions since the 1950s. The organisational commitment was classified as commitment towards continuance, association commitment, and control commitment by Kanter (1968), alienative commitment, commitment, and positive moral commitment by Etzioni (1975), instrumental motivation and organisational commitment by Wiener European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 39 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS (1982), compliance commitment, identification commitment, and internalisation commitment by O’Reilly & Chatman (1986), moral commitment, calculative commitment, and alienative commitment by Penley ve Gould (1988), affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment by Allen & Meyer (1990). The present study utilized the classification by Allen & Meyer (1990). Allen & Meyer (1990) examined the organisational commitment under three domains of affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Affective commitment denotes an individual’s emotional attachment and sense of belonging to the organisation, identification and integration with the organisation, and active involvement in the processes (Allen & Meyer, 1990). Individuals with higher affective commitment internalise the organisational objectives and values, and show efforts to the benefit of the organisation (Gül, 2002). Thus, the purpose of the individuals’ involvement in the organisation is associated with their will to remain in the organisation rather than their needs (Balay, 2000). Normative commitment reflects a sense of obligation, which allows that they remain in the organization. The source of such type of commitment is not emotionality or individual benefits but the individuals’ perceived indebtedness due to the investments on their person (Meyer & Allen, 1991). Individuals with higher normative commitment feel an obligation for remaining in the organisation since they believe they are responsible and liable to the organisation (Yalçın & İplik, 2005). The continuance commitment is the type of commitment that is rationally created by the individual in case the cost of leaving the organisation is high (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001). Individuals with higher continuance commitment remain a member of the organisation only due to their needs (Meyer & Allen, 1991). Organisational commitment is an important variable for educational institutions, as they are for all the organisations. Relevant studies investigated the relationship between a number of organisational behaviour variables such as teachers’ organisational commitment levels and demographical variables (Durna & Eren, 2005; Kurşunoğlu, Bakay & Tanrıöğen, 2010); school culture (Sezgin, 2010; Zhu, Devos & Li, 2011); job satisfaction (Burrows, Munday & Tunnel, 1996; Demirtaş, 2010; Güçlü & Zaman, 2011; Karataş & Güleş, 2010; Yılmaz, 2009); organisational trust (Çubukçu & Tarakçıoğlu, 2010); organisational justice perception (Selvitopu & Şahin, 2013); organisational climate (Korkmaz, 2011; Riehl & Sipple, 1996); psychological intimidation (Sezgin, 2009a; Şener, 2013); organisational creativity (Yılmaz, 2009); organisational citizenship (Bogler & Somech, 2004; Karacaoğlu & Güney, 2010); quality of business life (Erdem, 2010), and school health (Sezgin,2009b). There are certain studies such as those on banking sector (İraz & Akgün, 2011; Uygur, 2007), European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 40 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS headquarters of public institutions (Özdemir & Yaylı, 2014), and Turkish Armed Forces (Öztutku, 2008), which examined organisational commitment in association with effectiveness, but there are only a limited number of studies that examined the said relationship in the educational institutions. Therefore the present study aimed to examine the relationship between the teachers’ organisational commitment and their level of effectiveness. Level of teacher effectiveness has direct effect on school effectiveness (Purkey & Smith, 1983) and student performance (Brophy & Good, 1986). Therefore teacher effectiveness plays an important role in school and student development. Effective teachers are those who consistently attain the desired goals directly or indirectly during the teaching and learning process. Effective teachers create a positive classroom climate and meet the academic and social expectations of the students (Demirbolat, 2011). Furthermore, effective teachers have basic competencies on their subject, make new contributions to their field, transfer her or his knowledge effectively to person with different comprehension levels, knows the educational principles of psychology and incorporate them into the teaching process (Anderson, 2004). On the grounds of all the aforementioned qualities, teacher effectiveness has positive impact on the student success (Aaronson, Barrow & Sander, 2007; Ashton & Webb, 1986; Kannapel & Clements, 2005). An investigation of the levels of teachers’ organisational commitment and its relationship with the levels of effectiveness may provide significant data for both improving the student and school performance, and indirectly determining the professional expectations of the teachers. In that context, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers and their level of effectiveness. Accordingly, answers were sought for the below questions: 1. What are the affective, normative, and continuance commitment levels of teachers? 2. What are the levels of effectiveness of teachers? 3. Does the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers, significantly differ by sex and seniority? 4. Does the level of effectiveness of teachers significantly differ by sex and seniority? 5. Is there a significant relationship between the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers and their level of effectiveness? 6. Are the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers a significant precursor of their level of effectiveness? European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 41 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS 2. The study 2.1 Model that was used in the study Relational screening model was adopted in the present study, which sought to investigate the predictive levels of the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers on teacher effectiveness. The relational screening model has been deemed appropriate for these kinds of studies due to the fact that they have been used to determine if and to what extent there is a simultaneous change between two or more variables (Karasar, 2006). 2.2. Population and Sample The study population is comprised of 16,100 teachers serving at the secondary education institutions in 5 neighbourhoods (Altındağ, Çankaya, Etimesgut, Sincan, and Yenimahalle) in Ankara based on the 2105-2016 Educational year data. The study sample included 311 teachers enrolled upon convenience sampling method from the secondary schools in the above neighbourhoods. The demographic information as regards the participant teachers are as follows: Table 1: Demographic information of the participant teachers Variables n % Sex Female 176 57 Male 135 43 22-31 47 15 Age 32-41 127 41 42-51 118 38 51 and above 19 6 1-10 years 68 22 Seniority 11-20 years 152 49 21-30 years 72 23 31-40 years 19 6 2.3. Data Collection Tools Two measurement instruments were used for the purpose of collecting data from the teachers as required for the study: the Organisational Commitment Scale developed by Allen & Meyer (1990) and adapted to Turkish by Baysal & Paksoy (1999) and the Teacher Effectiveness Assessment Scale developed by Raza (2010). European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 42 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS 2.3.1. Organisational Commitment Scale Organisational Commitment Scale is comprised of three domains, namely affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment, each having 6 items. Items 3, 4, 5, and 13 of the scale were reverse-coded on the grounds that they contained negative meaning. Although 7-point Likert-type Scale was originally used in the scale, 5-point Likert-type scale was preferred for the purposes of the present study. The Organisational Commitment Scale have been in widespread use in Turkey as suggested by relevant literature (Boylu, Pelit & Güçer, 2007; Gören & Yengin Sarpkaya, 2014; Kurşunoğlu, Bakay & Tanrıöğen, 2010; Küçüközkan, 2015; Recepoğlu, Şahin, Kılınç & Er, 2013; Sevinç & Şahin, 2012) and its internal consistency coefficients vary between .66 and .81 (Baysal & Paksoy, 1999). In the present study the internal consistency coefficients as calculated for the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitments domains of the scale were .87, .79, and .73, respectively. 2.3.2. Teacher Performance Assessment Scale Comprised of a single domain and 32 items, the Teacher Performance Assessment Scale is a 5-point Likert–type scale. Relevant research suggested that the Cronbach’s Alpha value of the scale was .87, adjusted item total correlation coefficients varied between .37 and .76. In the present study it was found that the Kaiser-Meyer Olkin (KMO) coefficient was .83. Accordingly, it may be concluded that the data construct was “perfectly” sufficient for conducting a factor analysis (Şencan, 2005). Furthermore, the data was considered to have a multi-variable normal distribution on the basis of the Bartlett's test of sphericality, which provided that the chi-square value (X² = 4175.91; (944) p< .01) was significant. 2.4. Analysis of Data The parametric tests, namely the t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, and regression analysis as applied on the data collected by administration of the scales were tested through the SPSS 20 software package. In the present study the relationship between the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment and the teacher effectiveness levels by sex and seniority was determined by t-test and one-way analysis of variance. The correlation analysis was used to ascertain the degree and direction of the relationship between the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment and the teacher effectiveness. Moreover, the regression analysis was used to determine the level the European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 43 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment predicted the teacher effectiveness. 3. Findings The findings of the study are provided in this section under subtitles parallel to the study questions. The first section presents the findings regarding the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment and the teacher effectiveness, and regarding the relationship between the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment and the teacher effectiveness and the sex and seniority factors. The second section provided the findings as regards the relationships between the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment of the teachers and the teacher effectiveness levels, followed by the findings as regards the prediction of the teacher effectiveness by the levels of affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment of the teachers. 3.1. Mean and standard deviation values of the variables and findings regarding the relationship between the variables and the sex and seniority factors Table 2 provides the mean and standard deviation values of the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of the teachers by sex, and the t-test results indicating the relationship between these variables and the sex factor: Table 2: Mean and standard deviation values of the variables and t-test results regarding sex Domains Sex N X s.s sd t p Affective Commitment Female 176 3.36 .85 483.723 1.19 .000 Male 135 2.85 .79 480.718 Normative Commitment Female 176 2.95 .65 470.46 1.27 .567 Male 135 2.97 .69 469.78 Continuance Commitment Female 176 2.89 .71 485 1.8 .283 Male 135 3.01 .69 497.56 Total Commitment Female 176 3.06 .49 484,067 1.93 .065 Male 135 2.94 .54 485 Teacher Effectiveness Female 176 3.42 .83 512.46 2.79 .121 Male 135 3.17 .74 517 A review of Table 2 provides that the teachers’ affective commitment (X=3.11) is higher compared to their normative commitment (Χ=2.96), continuance commitment (Χ=2.95), and total commitment (X=2.95) levels. The teacher effectiveness (X=3.30) is the variable European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 44 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS with the highest mean value. The continuance and normative commitment, total commitment, and effectiveness levels of the teachers did not differ significantly by sex. In contrast, the affective commitment of teachers differed significantly by sex. The affective commitment levels of the female teacher (X=3.36) are higher than that of the male teachers (X=2.85). Table 3 provides the ANOVA results as regards the relation between the affective, normative and continuance commitment of teachers and effectiveness levels and the seniority factor: Table 3: ANOVA Results as regards the relation between Variables and the Seniority Factor Domains Source Sum of Degree of Squares F p Significant Squares freedom (sd) Difference Affective GA 29,863 3 9.954 Commitment Gİ 298.328 463 .644 7.549 .001 1-3, 2-3 Total 328.191 464 Normative GA 23.489 3 7.830 Commitment Gİ 227.765 462 .493 5.643 .041 3-4 Total 251.254 465 Continuance GA 27.528 3 9.176 Commitment Gİ 198.279 461 .430 6.872 .247 Total 225.807 464 Total Commitment GA 21.208 3 7.609 Gİ 237.571 460 .516 9.536 .000 1-3,2-3 Total 258.779 463 Teacher GA 28.618 3 9.539 Effectiveness Gİ 189.173 471 .402 17.984 .538 Total 217.791 474 1= 1-10 years, 2= 11-20 years, 3= 21-30 years, 4= 31-40 years A review of Table 3 provides that the organisational commitment levels of the teachers did not significantly differ by seniority in the continuance commitment and effectiveness domains, where there were significant differences as regards the affective commitment, normative commitment, and total commitment domains. It was found that the said difference was 1-10 years and between 11-20 years and 21-30 years as regards the affective commitment domain. The results of the Scheffe test suggested that the affective commitment levels of the 1-10 years (X=2.97) and 11-20 years (X=3.21) groups were lower than the 21-30 years (X=3.29) group. These results confirm that the affective commitment levels of the teachers increased in direct proportion to their seniority. In the normative commitment domain, the difference was between 21-30 years and 31-40 years. The results of the Scheffe test suggested that the normative commitment level of the 21-30 years group (X=2.57) was lower than the 31-40 years European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 45 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS group (X=2.86). The difference in the total commitment domain was 1-10 years and between 11-20 years and 21-30 years. The results of the Scheffe test provided that the total commitment levels of the 1-10 years (X=2.99) and 11-20 years (X=3.19) groups were lower than the 21-30 years group (X=3.26). The total commitment levels of the teachers increased in direct proportion to their seniority levels similar to their affective commitment levels. Furthermore it was striking yet natural to see that the group with the highest normative commitment was the above 31 years group. 3.2. Relationships between the Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitment Levels and Effectiveness Levels The findings as a result of the correlation analysis aimed to determine the relationships between the affective, normative, and continuance commitment levels and effectiveness levels of the teachers are provided in Table 4. Table 4: Relationships between the Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitment Levels and Effectiveness Levels Variables 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 2 1. Organisational Commitment Total Score 1 1.1. Affective Commitment 1 1.2. Normative Commitment 32(*) 1 1.3. Continuance Commitment 9(*) 17(*) 1 2. Teacher Effectiveness 51(**) 57(**) 37(*) 11(*) 1 ** p< .01; * p< .05 A review of Table 4 provides that all the relations between the variables are positively significant. The organisational commitment (r = .51; p< .01) and affective commitment (r= .57; p< .01) variables has the highest association with the teacher effectiveness. Furthermore there is also a positive significant relation between the teacher effectiveness and normative commitment (r = .37; p<.05) and continuance commitment (r = .11; p< .05) variables. 3.3. Findings as regards Prediction of Teacher Effectiveness by Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitment Results of the multiple regression analyses as regards prediction of teacher effectiveness by affective, normative, and continuance commitment are provided in Table 5 in line with the study sub-question, namely “Are the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers a significant precursor of their level of effectiveness?” European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 46 Ayşe Ottekin Demirbolat, Neslin Ihtiyaroğlu, Esra Karabağ Köse AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFFECTIVE, NORMATIVE, AND CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS AND LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS Table 5: Results of the Multiple Regression Analyses as regards Prediction of Teacher Effectiveness by Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitment Variables B SE β t p Constant 1,78 ,28 10,34 .00 Affective Commitment ,43 ,07 ,48 9.72 .00 Normative Commitment ,28 ,05 ,34 4.46 .01 Continuance Commitment ,31 ,06 ,24 8.35 .23 R = .63 R2 = .56 F = 128.54 p<.01 A review of Table 5 provides that the affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment jointly have a high level and significant relation with the teacher effectiveness (R =.63; R2 =.56; p<. 01). The aforementioned three variables account for 56% of the total variance of teacher effectiveness. According to the standardized regression coefficient (β) the order of importance of the precursor variables regarding the teacher effectiveness is as follows: affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment. It is seen upon a review of the t-test results as regards the significance of the regression coefficients that affective commitment and normative commitment variables are significant precursors of the teacher effectiveness. Continuance commitment variable has no important effect on the teacher effectiveness. 4. Conclusion and Discussion The present study investigated the relations between the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of teachers and levels of effectiveness based on teacher opinions. Findings of the study were interpreted in this section and discussed upon referrals to the other research results available in the literature. The present study found, similar to Sezgin (2010), that the affective commitment levels of the teachers were higher than their normative commitment, continuance commitment, and total commitment levels. Furthermore it was also found in the present study that the teacher effectiveness variable had the highest mean values. The present study demonstrated that the continuance and normative commitment, total commitment, and effectiveness levels did not significantly differ by sex, where the affective commitment of the teachers significantly differed by sex. Gören and Yengin Sarpkaya (2014) found that continuance and normative commitment of administrators and teachers did not significantly differ by sex unlike the commitment. The findings of the two studies verify each other. European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 7 │ 2017 47