Research topic: Teachers’ relational approach and teacher efficacy can greatly affect students’ motivation, achievement and commitment in school. To help teachers develop and strengthen their relational competence and sense of efficacy, interest in applying motivational interviewing (MI) in schools has increased. MI is a collaborative communication style used to enhance behaviour change, and there is an increased support for using MI in schools. However, there is a lack of interventions where teachers have specifically been trained in MI in order to be more autonomy-supportive and to strengthen their teacher efficacy (i.e. teacher’s own belief in his or her capability to organize and implement specific teaching tasks required to achieve desired outcomes of student engagement and learning; Bandura, 1997). Understanding what effects such an MI-based intervention may have on teachers’ motivating style and sense of efficacy could provide valuable information for future school development and teacher education.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore whether an intervention based on MI could help teachers to become more autonomy-supportive and strengthen their teacher efficacy. 

Theoretical framework: Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a motivational theory about human behaviour and personality. Autonomy is central in SDT, and autonomy support means that the teacher creates a social environment that promotes students’ sense of freedom of choice and self-determination.

Methods: Using a pretest-posttest design, we designed and implemented a MI-based intervention to help teachers become more autonomy-supportive and to strengthen their teacher efficacy. Sixteen primary school teachers participated in the intervention and data were collected through a survey measuring teachers’ perceptions of their autonomy support in the classroom and their sense of efficacy.

Preliminary findings: Findings in the current study indicate that an MI-based intervention may help teachers to become more autonomy-supportive towards their students. Preliminary results also show that the intervention increased teachers’ sense of efficacy and perceived ability to motivate their students. This study can be a valuable contribution to the field of Nordic educational research, as this research has a strong connection to the pedagogical practice. Findings in the present study reflect that an MI-based intervention may help teachers to become more autonomy-supportive, which can promote students’ motivation for learning, as previous research has shown that students who receive autonomy support from their teacher have reported increased intrinsic motivation and greater engagement in school. The results also show that the intervention increased the teachers’ sense of efficacy, which previous research has shown influences teachers’ commitment and teaching behaviours.