Relationship between occupational commitment and teaching practices among healthcare teachers

Background: A central aspect of professional identity is occupational commitment, which has a significant relationship with motivation and positive mental states in healthcare environments. However, it is not clear how occupational commitment is related to teaching practices in universities. Aim: To apply the Occupational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) to university teachers and relate its results with the Teaching Practices Questionnaire. Material and Methods: OCQ and Teaching Practices Questionnaire were answered by 319 university teachers from 13 Chilean regions, who were selected through a non-probabilistic volunteer sampling. Data collection was done after informed consent. An exploratory factor analysis was performed for OCQ. The internal consistency of each factor was calculated with Cronbach's Alpha. Spearman correlations were used to explore the relationship between the two questionnaires. Results: Two factors were identified in OCQ, namely Teacher Commitment and Ethical-Professional Commitment. Cronbach's Alpha was 0.85 for both factors. A moderate direct relationship between teacher commitment, ethical-professional commitment, and the Teaching Practices Questionnaire was found. Conclusions: OCQ showed an adequate internal consistency, and it was directly related with teaching practices. Committed teachers had better teaching practices. This confirms the importance of teachers' values and perceptions on their professional performance.