Teachers' control beliefs and perceptions of their profession and of teaching. A study of teachers at business schools in the new Laender

The present analysis is focused on the question how teacher's subjective locus of control affects their instructional perceptions and actions, their perceived work load and their professional satisfaction. Findings from a multivariate analysis of correlations suggest two distinct patterns of how teachers perceive their profession and their instructional practices: Teachers who emphasise internal locus of control perceive their profession as demanding, but not as an overload; they are more satisfied professionally, have a more positive perception of their own instruction and exert less control in their instructional practices, Teachers who emphasise external locus of control have a stronger sense of aversion in their instruction, are more likely to feel overburdened by the duties of teaching, are less satisfied with their profession and feel more heavily dependent on their environment.