Conflicting or compatible? Evaluating teachers’ self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values from a multilevel perspective

Abstract

Research on values has posited that self-transcendence and self-enhancement values are conflicting value types and that an increased focus on one will diminish the emphasis on the other. However, studies in the teaching profession have suggested that these two values may also be compatible, as they can both contribute to better teacher commitment and achievement outcomes. This paradox is a critical knowledge gap that warrants an empirical investigation. Another important gap in value research concerns the role of school values, as past studies have mostly focused on individual values. The current study aimed to resolve the question of whether teachers’ self-transcendence and self-enhancement values are conflicting or compatible by examining how these values are associated with each other and how they predict teacher commitment and persistence. The study also took a multilevel perspective by investigating how individual-level and school-level values predict key outcomes. The study involved 1,110 teachers from 40 schools and multilevel structural equation modeling analyses were conducted. The results suggested that teachers’ self-enhancement and self-transcendence values can be compatible. These values are positively related to each other and they are also positively associated with higher teacher commitment to school.