A defining feature of teaching work is that it involves novelty, change, and uncertainty on a daily basis. Being able to respond effectively to this change is known as adaptability. In this article, we discuss the importance of adaptability for teachers and their healthy and effective functioning in the workplace. We discuss approaches for assessing adaptability and describe several important implications for practice and research that are relevant to the development of teachers' adaptability and furthering knowledge in this important area.

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CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

Collie, R.J., & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important capacity for effective teachers.

Educational Practice and Theory, 38, 27-39. DOI: 10.7459/ept/38.1.03.

This article may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the journal. It is

not the copy of record. The exact copy of record can be accessed via the DOI:

10.7459/ept/38.1.03.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

Adaptability: An Important Capacity for Effective Teachers

Rebecca J. Collie & Andrew J. Martin

University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Abstract

A defining feature of teaching work is that it involves novelty, change, and uncertainty on a daily

basis. Being able to respond effectively to this change is known as adaptability. In this article, we

discuss the importance of adaptability for teachers and their healthy and effective functioning in

the workplace. We discuss approaches for assessing adaptability and describe several important

implications for practice and research that are relevant to the development of teachers'

adaptability and furthering knowledge in this important area.

Keywords: adaptability, teachers, workplace outcomes, effe ctive teaching

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

Adaptability: An Important Capacity for Effective Teachers

What is Adaptability?

People's lives are characterized by change, novelty , and uncertainty as they develop

physically, cognitively, and emotionally across the lifespan (Martin, Nejad, Colmar, & Liem,

2012, 2013). This constant flux can involve major life events such as starting school, getting

married, or having children (Martin et al., 2012, 2013). It can also involve more "everyday"

events such as illness, a change in job role, or a car breaking down (Collie & Martin, 2015;

Ployhart & Bliese, 2006). The ability to effectively react and respond in constructive ways to

these situations is known as adaptability. More precisely, Martin, Nejad, Colmar, and Liem

(2012) define adaptability as an individual's capacity to "constructively regulate psycho -

behavioral functions in response to new, changing, and/or uncertain circumstances, conditions

and situations" (p. 66). Importantly, Martin et al.'s (2012) model of adaptability is a tripartite one

involving cognitive, behavioral and emotional adaptability, and refers to modifying one's

thinking, behavior, or emotions (respectively) to deal with changing, new, or uncertain

situations.

In conceptualizing adaptability, Martin and colleagues (2012, 2013) refer to the lifespan

theory of control (Heckhausen, 1999; Heckhausen & Shulz, 1995; Heckhausen, Wrosch, &

Schulz, 2010). This theory proposes that lifespan development is impacted by an individual's

capacity to play an active and effective role in adapting to the environmental opportunities and

constraints (Heckhausen et al., 2010). Control also plays a key factor in this development and the

concept of compensatory control is especially relevant to adaptability. Compensatory control

refers to adjusting one's actions or thoughts in order to respond to circumstances or events in an

effective manner (Tomasik, Silbereisen, & Heckhausen, 2010). However, there are some key

differences between the lifespan theory of control and the tripartite model of adaptability (Martin

et al., 2012, 2013). In particular, the lifespan theory of control largely focuses on goal

disengagement (such as abandoning effort or striving towards a new goal), whereas adaptability

is relevant to situations where individuals cannot disengage and must adapt to meet the demands

of the task (Martin et al., 2012, 2013). In addition, whereas compensatory control focus es only

on cognitive and behavioral adjustment, the tripartite model of adaptability also considers

emotional adjustment (Martin et al., 2012, 2013). Notwithstanding these two differences, the

lifespan theory of control provides an important theoretical basis for understanding the

adaptability construct and how it functions.

At this point, it is important to note that although related, adaptability is different from

cognate processes such as coping and resilience (Martin et al., 2012, 2013). Coping refers to

cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage difficult or challenging demands (Lazarus &

Folkman, 1984) and resilience involves successful adaptation in the face of adversity (Howard

&Johnson, 2000). Thus, whereas coping and resilience involve responses to adversity,

adaptability concerns responses to change, novelty, and uncertainty that may be positive or

negative in nature (Martin et al., 2012, 2013). Indeed, Martin et al. (2013) examined adaptability

among students alongside academic buoyancy, which has been called "everyday resilience" and

refers to students' ability to effectively navigate typical academic setbacks and challenges (e.g., a

poor grade, competing deadlines; Martin, 2013). The results showed that adaptability explained

unique variance in educational and personal well-being outcomes beyond the effects of academic

buoyancy. It is also worth mentioning that in addition to being defined as an outcome (as

described above), resilience can also be defined as a profile involving risk and protective factors

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

(Mansfield, Beltman, & Price, 2014). Protective factors include constructs such as self-efficacy

and optimism (Mansfield et al., 2014). Much like these factors, we suggest that adaptability may

also be considered a protective factor that is relevant to resilience as a profile. In the next section,

we further demonstrate the importance of adaptability by describing additional empirical

research in the area. Following that, we make the case for why adaptability is a particularly

salient capacity for teachers given the inherent change that is a natural part of teaching work.

Why is Adaptability an Important Capacity for Individuals?

A person's capacity to be adaptable is important because it enables successful adjustment

to life's inherent changing circumstances. Indeed, emerging research has shown that adaptability

is associated with important academic and non-academic outcomes among adolescents and

employees. Martin et al. (2012) examined adaptability among high school students and showed

that it was positively associated with academic achievement, school enjoyment , satisfaction with

life, meaning and purpose in life, and academic buoyancy. They also found that more adaptable

students tended to hold greater incremental beliefs about intelligence (i.e., the belief that

intelligence is malleable; Dweck, 2006) and lower entity beliefs (i.e., the belief that intelligence

is fixed; Dweck, 2006). In a related longitudinal study, Martin et al. (2013) used data collected at

two time points one year apart to show that incremental beliefs (positively), and the personality

traits of conscientiousness (positively) and neuroticism (negatively) predicted adaptability. In

turn, adaptability positively predicted academic and non -academic outcomes (i.e., class

participation, school enjoyment, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and meaning and purpose in life).

In another study that looked at adaptability among students, Martin, Nejad, Colmar,

Liem, and Collie (2015) examined whether adaptability plays a role in promoting perceived

control among students, and whether this, in turn, reduces the experience of constructs that are

known to be detrimental to students' academic and non-academic development: academic

anxiety, disengagement, performance avoidance (i.e., where students are motivated by the desire

to avoid disappointing others), and self-handicapping (i.e., sabotaging one's chance of success to

have an excuse in case of failure). The results showed that when students were more adaptable,

they also tended to perceive that they had greater control over their academic outcomes. In turn,

greater perceived control was associated with reduced levels of the four detrimental outcomes.

Turning to the workplace, O'Connell, McNeely, and Hall (2008) examined adaptability

among government employees and demonstrated that females and workers with higher

educational qualifications reported greater adaptability. In addition, employees who perceived

greater support from their managers also reported higher adaptability. In related research, Cullen,

Edwards, Casper, & Gue (2014) examined adaptability among pharmaceutical company

employees and found that adaptability was positively associated with job satisfaction and job

performance (as assessed by supervisors). Taken together, therefore, the emerging research base

has shown that adaptability is an important capacity for students and general employees . Indeed,

the range of outcomes examined in the prior research suggests that adaptability has broad

relevance to positive functioning at school and work. Of note, work is also beginning to consider

the role of adaptability among teachers.

Why is Adaptability Important for Teachers ?

We contend that adaptability is also highly relevant to teachers given that teaching work

involves responding to and managing constant change (Collie & Martin, 2015). The capacity to

adapt in order to effectively manage these changes is crucial for teachers' work in the classroom,

staff room, and beyond. We have listed a few examples of this below.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

• Teachers must respond to the different and changing needs of students by adjusting the

lesson pace, adapting activit ies for different students, or seeking out different resources to

better explain or illustrate key points.

• Teachers must adapt in order to cope with unexpected situations in classroom

management by regulating emotions that might arise such as frustration, anger or mirth

and conveying patience, or thinking of alternative ways to solve problems.

• Teachers must also effectively interact with colleagues under shifting conditions, such as

when there is a change in job role, they require resources to teach a new part of the

curriculum, or they require help to deal with a new or challenging student.

• As they move into new roles or new schools, teachers must also interact effectively with

new colleagues, adjust to the different priorities of a new principal or colleague, or

calibrate to the style of a new teaching aide in the classroom.

• Common change in most schools is experienced with the changes in timetabling that

occur on a regular basis and sometimes at the last minute.

• Teachers must also be prepared to stop a lesson midway, reschedule their teaching, or

condense content into less time when time is pressing .

• Finally, teachers are regularly involved in professional learning and are expected to

continually integrate new knowledge into their teaching practice. In addition, curriculum

or policy changes may require further adaptability from teachers .

Thus, being able to effectively respond to the inherent novelty, change, and uncertainty

that characterizes teaching work is a highly important capacity for teachers. We can consider

potentially adaptable responses by way of Martin et al.'s (2012) tripartite model of adaptability

(as relevant to the adjustment of thoughts, behavior, and emotions). For example, if a teacher is

asked to teach a new subject that is unfamiliar to them, effectively dealing with this change

requires regulating thoughts to find connections between the new material and familiar topics

(cognitive adaptability), regulating behavior to seek out a helpful person who has more

knowledge and relevant resources in the new subject (behavioral adaptability), and regulating

emotions such as anxiety or excitement to focus on finding a solution in a focused and timely

manner (emotional adaptability).

A related concept that sheds further light on the importance of this topic is innovative

teacher behavior. Thurlings, Evers, and Vermeulen (2015) explain that this is "a process in

which new ideas are generated, created, developed, applied, promoted, realized, and modified by

employees in order to benefit role performance" (p. 1). As this definition suggests, innovative

behavior is used by teachers to improve their teaching practice. Of note, there is some overlap

between innovative behavior and adaptability in that they both involve adjusting or modifying

thoughts, behaviors, or actions. However, a key difference in the concepts is that adaptability

occurs in response to a new, changing, or uncertain situation, whereas innovative behavior

involves a planned process with a central aim of improving performance. Notwithstanding this,

the literature on innovative teacher behavior can help to inform understanding of adaptability.

Thurlings et al. (2015) suggest that innovative teacher behavior is important given rapid changes

in technology, pedagogical knowledge, and society more broadly. They also indicate that

innovative teacher behavior is central for promoting innovation among schools and students, and

for ensuring society remains competitive. Importantly, these reasons can also be applied to

adaptability given that teachers are regularly faced with novel situations due to these changes.

Research on Teachers' Adaptability

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

The literature has regularly discussed teachers' adaptability or flexibility as a central

factor in effective teaching and learning (e.g., Corno, 2008; Bransford, Derry, Berliner,

Hammerness, & Beckett, 2005; Kunter et al., 2013; Mansfield, Beltman, Price, & McConney,

2012; Parsons, Williams, Burrowbridge, & Mauk, 2012). Much of this work has considered

teachers' adaptability in instructional practices (e.g., Corno, 2008, Parsons et al., 2012; Vaughn

& Parsons, 2013). For example, Corno (2008) highlights the importance of adaptive teaching

practices to meet the needs of students who may have diverse developmental levels, cognitive

abilities, language and cultural backgrounds, social-emotional competencies, and socio-

economic backgrounds. Similarly, Parsons, Williams, Burrowbridge, and Mauk (2012; see also

Parsons, 2012) discuss the importance of innovation and "in-the-moment adaptation" in the

classroom in order to respond to students' needs and interests. More precisely, Parsons and

colleagues (2012) observed teachers' use of adaptations in their instruction such as spontaneous

modeling or scaffolding, adjusting instructions, or working one-on-one with different students.

Researchers have also considered the role of adaptability more broadly—that is, beyond

instructional adaptation and with respect to teachers' functioning at work (e.g., Hargreaves,

2005; Mansfield et al., 2012). For instance, Mansfield, Beltman, Price, and McConney (2012)

examined descriptions from early career teachers of what it means to be a resilient teacher and

demonstrated that being adaptable and flexible was a central theme in participants' responses.

Moreover, the participants indicated that adaptability involves actions such as adjusting to new

roles, accepting changes, and having a "plan b." As noted above, we suggest that adaptability is a

protective factor that is supportive of resilience.

More recently, Collie and Martin (2015) sought to develop understanding of teachers'

adaptability and its association with other factors that are salient to teachers' healthy and

effective functioning at work, as well as students' positive outcomes. They used Martin et al.'s

(2012) tripartite model and the accompanying Adaptability Scale to assess teachers' cognitive,

behavioral, and emotional adaptability. Of note, this assessment was not specific to the

workplace— it concerned teachers' capacity to be adaptable in life generally (domain-general).

As part of the study, Collie and Martin (2015) were interested in examining whether

teachers' perceptions of the work climate are associated with their adaptability. To measure work

climate, they examined teachers' perceptions of principals' autonomy supportiveness at work.

Stemming from self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2012), autonomy support refers to

behavior by an authority figure that affirms employees' empowerment and self - determination. In

the case of principals, this involves actions such as inviting teachers' input in decision making,

providing teachers with choice over their work tasks, and listening to teachers' perspectives

(Deci & Ryan, 2012; see also Collie, Perry, & Martin, 2015). Collie and Martin found that when

teachers perceived their principal to be more autonomy supportive, they tended to have higher

adaptability. They also examined teacher well -being and organizational commitment in the study

and found that teachers who were more adaptable (and those who perceived greater principal

autonomy support) tended to report higher levels of well-being and organizational commitment.

In the final part of the study, Collie and Martin (2015) examined the extent to which

teachers' adaptability and the other workplace factors were associat ed with students' numeracy

achievement. The findings showed that teachers who reported greater well-being tended to have

students who obtained higher achievement levels. It is also important to note that teachers'

adaptability was indirectly associated with students' achievement via teachers' well-being.

Taken together then, Collie and Martin's findings suggest that adaptability plays a core role in

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

teachers' functioning at work and that it is also indirectly associated with students' outcomes.

Moreover, principals' autonomy supportiveness appears to lay an important foundation for

teachers' adaptability. Assessing Teachers' Adaptability

There are several ways in which teachers' adaptability can be assessed. The first is a

qualitative approach that involves asking teachers questions via interviews or focus groups that

tap into the role of adaptability and flexibility in their work. Mansfield et al. (2012) utilized this

approach in their study on teachers' resilience and found themes such as adaptability, flexibility,

adjustment, and willingness to accept change in the responses. A second approach involves

observing the adaptations that teachers make in their teaching work. As noted above, this

approach has been used to assess teachers' adaptability in instructional practices (e.g., Parsons,

2012; Parsons et al., 2012).

More recently, Martin et al. (2012) provided a third approach with the development of the

Adaptability Scale to assess individuals' adaptability in life generally (see the Appendix for a

domain-specific application to the workplace and teachers' work in the classroom). As noted

above, this approach was utilized by Collie and Martin (2015) in their study on teachers'

adaptability and provided empirical evidence for the importance of adaptability among teachers .

Indeed, an additional approach that is more directed at practice might involve teachers' self-

assessing their own adaptability. To do this, teachers might utilize questions such as those shown

in the scales in the Appendix to reflect on their own adaptability.

Implications for Practice and Research

The literature on teachers' adaptability has several important implicati ons for practice

and research. With respect to possible approaches to promote teachers' adaptability, principals

may want to be aware of the impact that their leadership style can have on teachers' adaptability.

Efforts to be autonomy supportive include inviting input from teachers' in school decision

making, providing teachers with choices in their work, encouraging teachers to ask questions,

endeavoring to understand issues from teachers' points-of-view, and conveying confidence in

teachers' capacity to do their work effectively and efficiently (Baard, Deci, & Ryan, 2004;

Klassen, Perry, & Frenzel, 2012). Collie and Martin (2015) found that under such conditions,

teachers' adaptability is enhanced.

Another avenue for supporting teachers' adaptability involves the concept of incremental

beliefs about intelligence (Dweck, 2006). As described above, Martin et al. (2012) demonstrated

that students' who hold greater incremental beliefs (rather than entity beliefs) tend to be higher in

adaptability. Intervention efforts designed to build incremental beliefs of intelligence have been

successful among students (e.g., see Paunesku et al., 2015) and may, in turn, help to promote

adaptability. An important avenue of future research is to see whether such efforts are also

applicable to teachers (can incremental beliefs about intelligence be promoted among teachers?)

and whether any increases in these beliefs also promote teachers' adaptability.

For teachers, self-assessment may be something that could help to promote adaptability

and, in turn, professional growth. By harnessing Clarke and Hollingsworth's (2002) model of

teacher professional growth, this could involve teachers choosing a challenging situation that

occurred recently in their classroom, reflecting on the extent to which they adjusted their

thinking, behavior, or emotions to deal with the situation and how they could do this more

effectively in the future, and then experimenting with these ideas w hen a similar situation arises.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

Given the cyclical nature of professional growth, this could, in turn, lead to further reflection and

testing of strategies for adaptability .

Turning to implications for research, there are three main areas that deserve attention.

First, there is a need to extend knowledge of how adaptability is associated with teachers'

experiences at work. Based on a meta-analysis of research on innovative teacher behavior,

Thurlings et al. (2015) outline a model where innovative behavior is influenced by teachers'

personal characteristics (e.g., years of experience), individual factors (e.g., personality,

motivation, self-efficacy, competence), and organizational factors (e.g., relatedness, resources,

school climate, job role and tasks). Such factors are also likely relevant to adaptability. For

example, Collie and Martin (2015) showed that the organizational factor of autonomy support is

positively associated with adaptability. Moving forward, this model may provide a useful

framework for guiding research on factors associated with teachers' adaptability.

Second, there is a need to examine whether and how teachers' adaptability can be

increased. As suggested above, interventions that aim to promote teachers' incremental beliefs

are one avenue that deserve empirical attention. Professional development that helps principals

to be autonomy-supportive and whether this, in turn, promotes teachers' adaptability is another

important area of examination. A characteristic of such studies is that they will ideally involve

appropriate study designs to provide support for causality (e.g., cross-lagged modeling).

The third area of research concerns the variability of adaptability in different domains

and over time. Can teachers be highly adaptable in one subject, but less in another? Moreover, is

adaptability positively influenced by preparedness (Bransford et al., 2005) or subject familiarity?

Another important question concerns the stability of adaptability—does adaptability change over

the course of a school year or a career in teaching? Does it fluctuate over a school day? Given

the nascent nature of adaptability research, these are just a handful of important questions that

deserve attention. Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the concept of adaptability and highlighted several

salient reasons for why it is a key capacity to be promoted among teachers. We also discussed

several methods for assessing adaptability and important implications for practice and research.

As we have noted, effective instruction requires adaptation of instructional content and lesson

pacing to be responsive to students' differentiated learning needs, changes in the levels of

learning support provided to students as they develop expertise in the content, and modification

of classroom management strategies to respond to the fluctuating classroom environment (e.g.,

Corno, 2008; Kunter et al., 2013). In addition, working in schools requires that teachers are able

to successfully respond to and deal with any changing demands that transpire across the school

more broadly (e.g., changes in staffing, new procedures or policies). As such, adaptability is a

capacity that is of central relevance to teachers' healthy and effective functioning at work.

Moreover, it is also relevant to students' academic outcomes.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

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opening spaces for enhanced literacy learning. Language Arts, 91(2), 81-93.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

Appendix

Citation: Martin, A.J., Collie, R.J., Nejad, H., Colmar, S., & Liem, G.A.D. (2015). Adaptability

Scale - Domain Specific. Sydney: Educational Psychology Research Group, University of New

South Wales.

Below is the template for the Adaptability Scale – Doma in-Specific. It is scored from Strongly

disagree (1) to Strongly agree (7).

Adaptability Scale – Domain -Specific (Template)

1. <<At (or In, or When …) insert domain or role here>>, I am able to think through a

number of possible options to assist me in a new situation.

2. <<At (or In, or When …) insert domain or role here >>, I am able to revise the way I

think about a new situation to help me through it.

3. I am able to adjust my thinking or expectations <<at (or in, or when …) insert domain or

role here>> to assist me in a new situation if necessary.

4. <<At (or In, or When …) insert domain or role here >>, I am able to seek out new

information, helpful advice, or useful resources to effectively deal with new situations.

5. In uncertain situations <<at (or in, or when …) insert domain or role here >>, I am able to

develop new ways of going about things (e.g., a different way of doing something or

finding information) to help me through.

6. To assist me in a new situation <<at (or in, or when …) insert domain or role here> >, I

am able to change the way I do things if necessary.

7. <<At (or In, or When …) insert domain or role here >>, I am able to reduce negative

emotions (e.g., fear) to help me deal with uncertain situations.

8. When uncertainty arises <<at (or in, or when …) insert domain or role here >>, I am able

to minimise frustration or irritation so I can deal with it best.

9. To help me through new situations <<at (or in, or when …) insert domain or role here >>,

I am able to draw on positive feelings and emotions (e.g., enjoyment, satisfaction).

Below are two applications of the Adaptability Scale – Domain-Specific. Two possible stems are

shown below. The first is relevant to the workplace generally and the second concerns teachers'

work in the classroom specifically. Both scales are scored from Strongly disagree (1) to Strongly

agree (7).

Adaptability Scale – Domain -Specific (Example for the workplace)

1. At work, I am able to think through a number of possible options to assist me in a new

situation.

2. At work, I am able to revise the way I think about a new situation to help me through it.

3. I am able to adjust my thinking or expectations at work to assist me in a new situation if

necessary.

4. At work, I am able to seek out new information, helpful advice, or useful resources to

effectively deal with new situations.

5. In uncertain situations at work, I am able to develop new ways of going about things

(e.g., a different way of doing something or finding information) to help me through.

CITATION: Collie, R.J, & Martin, A.J. (2016). Adaptability: An important

capacity for effective teachers. Educational Practice and Theory, 38 (1), 27 -39

6. To assist me in a new situation at work, I am able to change the way I do things if

necessary.

7. At work, I am able to reduce negative emotions (e.g., fear) to help me deal with uncertain

situations.

8. When uncertainty arises at work, I am able to minimize frustration or irritation so I can

deal with it best.

9. To help me through new situations at work, I am able to draw on positive feelings and

emotions (e.g., enjoyment, satisfaction).

Adaptability Scale – Domain -Specific (Example for teachers' work in the classroom)

1. In the classroom, I am able to think through a number of possible options to assist me in a

new situation.

2. In the classroom, I am able to revise the way I think about a new situation to help me

through it.

3. I am able to adjust my thinking or expectations in the classroom to assist me in a new

situation if necessary.

4. In the classroom, I am able to seek out new information, helpful advice, or useful

resources to effectively deal with new situations.

5. In uncertain situations that arise in the classroom, I am able to develop new ways of

going about things (e.g., a different way of doing something or finding information) to

help me through.

6. To assist me in a new situation that arises in the classroom, I am able to change the way I

do things if necessary.

7. In the classroom, I am able to reduce negative emotions (e.g., fear) to help me deal with

uncertain situations.

8. When uncertainty arises in the classroom, I am able to minimize frustration or irritation

so I can deal with it best.

9. To help me through new situations that arise in the classroom, I am able to draw on

positive feelings and emotions (e.g., enjoyment, satisfaction).

... Adaptability is defined as an individual's ability to "constructively regulate psycho behavioral functions in response to new, changing, and/or uncertain circumstances, conditions and situations" [7, p. 66]. The ability to adapt enables an individual to successfully adjust to unexpected circumstances [8]. Thus, adaptability is considered to be a key mental resource and comprises an individual's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation in situations of change, novelty, and uncertainty [7]. ...

... The concept of adaptability has also been employed to understand and explain change in an individual's academic and non-academic well-being [11][12]. A number of studies have also discussed instructors' adaptability as a central factor in effective teaching and learning, particularly in K-12 (e.g., [8,11,13]). ...

... Seeking help from professional staff may have been more common during these times due to less institutional knowledge available among colleagues. As Every Learner Everywhere [21] reported, many instructors indicated that their institution was the most helpful source of support during the transition to remote teaching, consequently, making it easier for instructors to adjust to unexpected circumstances [7][8][9][10] and to ERT. However, support services (e. g., technology support, instructional design staff, teaching and learning center, etc.) varied across institutions, making it difficult for instructors to get assistance. ...

... Of particular interest in our research is the role of adaptability in predicting online learning self-efficacy. According to Collie et al. (2020a); see also Collie and Martin (2016), adaptability fosters mastery and efficacy experiences-and their research among teachers demonstrated precisely this. Accordingly, we hypothesize that adaptability during times of such Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org ...

... This expands on the pre-COVID-19 evidence base for the positive effects of adaptability on students' educational outcomes (Martin et al., 2013;Holliman et al., 2018Holliman et al., , 2019Holliman et al., , 2021. Thus, in line with Collie et al. (2020a); see also Collie and Martin, 2016), it seems that adaptability fosters mastery and efficacy experiences-manifested in our research by online learning self-efficacy. We can also now add to what we know about factors that may enhance the effectiveness of online learning. ...

The present study investigated the role of adaptability in helping high school students navigate their online learning during a period of COVID-19 that entailed fully or partially remote online learning. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory and data from a sample of 1,548 Australian high school students in 9 schools, we examined the role of adaptability in predicting students' online learning self-efficacy in mathematics and their end of year mathematics achievement. It was found that beyond the effects of online learning demands, online and parental learning support, and background attributes, adaptability was significantly associated with higher levels of online learning self-efficacy and with gains in later achievement; online learning self-efficacy was also significantly associated with gains in achievement—and significantly mediated the relationship between adaptability and achievement. These findings confirm the role of adaptability as an important personal resource that can help students in their online learning, including through periods of remote instruction, such as during COVID-19.

... This has affected 49.8 million children, from preschoolers to high school students, who had a very disrupted last school semester, which culminated in the closure of schools [1]. In Romania, an estimated three million students from kindergarten to high school started learning online on 16 March 2020, until the end of the school year. In September, 80 percent of all students returned to their schools, but later, depending on the rate of COVID-19 infection locally, they switched back to online learning. ...

... First, the definition used in this study for adaptability to online learning was proposed by Martin et al. [15], who described it as individuals' capacity to constructively regulate psycho-behavioral functions in response to new, changing, and/or uncertain circumstances, conditions, and situations. Teachers' adaptability has been portrayed as a tripartite model to assess teachers' cognitive, behavioral, and emotional adaptability [16]. ...

  • Camelia-Mădălina Răducu
  • Elena Stanculescu Elena Stanculescu

The process of transferring to online teaching during the pandemic COVID-19 lockdown has been a core issue for teachers around the globe. The main aim of this paper was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of emotional intelligence (EI) and general self-efficacy on the adaptability to online teaching (AOT). A multiple-mediation model was proposed, including the mediating effect via the teacher's Facilitator role and teacher's concrete experience learning style (CE-LS), as defined in experiential learning theory (ELT). Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 330 preschool and primary school teachers (84 males, Mage = 38.3, SD = 9.14). Path analysis was performed based on maximum likelihood estimation with the resampling method. Results: The findings showed that the proposed model fit the data well. A serial mediation path between EI and AOT via the teacher's Facilitator role and CE-LS was obtained. In addition, CE-LS mediated the relationship between general self-efficacy and AOT. Conclusion: To date, this is the first study to analyse the direct and indirect effects of dispositional traits, such as EI and general self-efficacy, on AOT in the framework of Kolb's ELT. Our results highlight the mediating mechanisms of this relationship, that is, the teacher's Facilitator role and CE-LS. The current research provides an empirical body based on which new instructional strategies will be developed to improve the quality of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

... However, in contrast to these observations, some scholars argue that flexible goal adjustment or even disengagement from unattainable goals is a viable option (Brandtstädter and Renner, 1990;Hanssen et al., 2015;Tomasik et al., 2010). Disengagement from blocked goals by adaptation may be a better choice than tenaciously pursuing venture goals in some situations (Collie and Martin, 2016). Indeed, the hybrid situation, as a path to transition, provides "the flexibility to decide whether to expand and exit their wage position, persist as a hybrid, or exit the venture altogether" (Folta et al., 2010, p. 255-256). ...

  • Eric Asante Eric Asante
  • Barbara Danquah
  • Frederick Oduro
  • Chang Li

Hybrid entrepreneurs are individuals who are employees and entrepreneurs at the same time. In their quest to make their businesses successful, they commonly encounter challenges and adversities. This makes entrepreneurial persistence a key factor in the success of hybrid entrepreneurs. Drawing on social cognitive theory, the hybrid entrepreneurship context, and the perspective of person–environment fit, we developed a moderated mediation model in which person–venture fit, needs–venture supplies fit, and venture demands–abilities fit are associated with entrepreneurial persistence through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. We proposed that these indirect effects are conditional on wage work-to-entrepreneurship enrichment (WE enrichment) (the skills and experiences transferred to entrepreneurial work from wage work) and its converse, i.e., entrepreneurship-to-wage work enrichment (EW enrichment). Based on a sample of 279 hybrid entrepreneurs, we found support for the moderated mediation model, in which the positive effects of fit perceptions on entrepreneurial persistence via entrepreneurial self-efficacy were stronger for hybrid entrepreneurs reporting higher levels of WE enrichment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

... Teachers also need to keep up with changes in the entire school by effectively responding to the demands of their students. Teachers must be able to make changes to their work settings if they are to perform optimally at work (Collie & Martin, 2016). Jiggs et al. (2014) asked more than 1,100 employers and educators what they thought about the state of employability skills in the UK. ...

  • Noel P Munda

This study focused on the adaptability of public school teachers from a national high school, in a city schools division in Laguna, Philippines, during 2019 – 2020. Using a descriptive type of research design, the study was conducted among 90 respondents (with 24 males and 66 females) using a survey. The instrument was adopted, modified, and validated by a pool of experts with reliability analysis and yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.901, which shows the questionnaire reached excellent reliability. For the statistical tools, the study includes frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The study found that the respondents' adaptability was "High" in self-awareness, personal management, problem-solving and decision-making, attitude, and knowledge of competencies. Male respondents appeared to be more adaptable than females. Respondents with age greater than 50 obtained a very high adaptability level compared to the rest. Respondents with teaching experience 16 – 20 and greater than 30 years got very high adaptability. In conclusion, the participants were highly adaptable even when they were experiencing the pandemic COVID-19. Thus, it is recommended that teachers should communicate with the persons concerned using any medium and understand their situations, and pursue performing their responsibilities. Keywords: Adaptability, Public School Teachers, Pandemic Reference: Munda, N. P. (2021). The adaptability of public school teachers amidst the pandemic. Central Mindanao University Journal of Science, 25(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.52751/PEMW2173

... Teachers work to equip themselves and incorporate new technology into their classrooms. They revise or redesign lessons and experiment with new ways of doing things, such as assigning homework, responding to emails, texts, and phone calls from administrators, parents, and students (Collie & Martin, 2016). They serve as a resource and connection for ongoing learning. ...

Academia was no exception to the widespread impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). There is only a small amount of research conducted with regard to the consequences of the Pandemic in Fiji. Thus, in order to gather a longitudinal dataset, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to August 2020. 300 physical education and sports teachers used Google Forms to complete an online survey. There are questions on the form about age, gender, marital status, and other daily activities. A similar survey was conducted to study the long-term psychological effects (coronavirus fear and fascination with COVID-19). The characteristics of society have been explored. Efforts have been made to use different sets of psychological data, showing the anticipated results. Sex, age, marital status, and family type are significantly affected by stress, anxiety, sexual satisfaction, and social support. There is a substantial difference between marital status, gender, and social support when it comes to the Pandemic. According to research findings, fifty per cent of secondary school physical education and sports teachers in Fiji may have been affected by the Pandemic. Considerations should be taken to keep teachers calm during a pandemic. Because of this, it is necessary to submit some practical recommendations in order to minimize the adverse effects of this problem.

  • Natalie Black
  • Elizabeth J. Halstead

The main purpose of this study was to explore the mental health and subjective well‐being of staff working with adolescents with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties. The participants were 19 teachers and 25 teaching assistants working in an inner London, local authority, specialist day provision. A demographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale, the Positive Affect Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as data collection tools. The inferential statistical tools used were t‐tests and correlational analyses. The study brought to light a high number of borderline and abnormal anxiety scores among all staff. The study also found a significant difference in the resilience scores of teachers and teaching assistants, with teaching assistants scoring higher on the resilience scale. The results, alongside findings from previous research, call for better mental health support for teachers and staff working in the field of special educational needs and disabilities. The study highlights the emotional toll on educators, and the need for mitigation strategies that promote good mental health outcomes for both teachers and students.

  • Songül Tümkaya Songül Tümkaya
  • Nesrin Hürriyetoğlu

Bu araştırmada öğretmenlerin mesleki bağlılıklarının iş performanslarına etkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma tarama modellerinden ilişkisel tarama modelidir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu 2020-2021 eğitim-öğretim yılında devlet okulları ve özel okulların ana okul, ilkokul, ortaokul ve lise kademlerinde görev yapan 354 öğretmenden oluşmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak 'Mesleki Bağlılık Ölçeği' ve 'Öğretmen İş Performansı Ölçeği' kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde regresyon yöntemlerinden aşamalı regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın bulgularına göre, öğretmenlerin mesleki bağlılık alt boyutları ile iş performansları alt boyutları arasındaki ilişki dağılımı incelendiğinde mesleki bağlılık boyutlarında pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu görülmektedir. Mesleki bağlılık alt boyutları arasındaki en yüksek ilişki (r=,75, p<.01) birikmiş maliyetler ile normatif bağlılık boyutları arasındadır. Mesleki bağlılığın öğretmenlerin iş performansı alt boyutlarını yordama düzeyini incelemek amacıyla yapılan aşamaları regresyon analizi sonuçlarına göre görev performansı alt ölçek puanlarını yordamada öncelikli olarak mesleki bağlılığın duygusal bağlılık değişkenini sonrasında ise alternatiflerin sınırlılığı değişkeninin toplam varyansın %17.3'ünü açıkladığı, bağlamsal performansı alt ölçek puanlarını yordamada öncelikli olarak mesleki bağlılığın duygusal bağlılık değişkeninin, ardından alternatiflerin sınırlılığı değişkeninin sonrasında ise normatif bağlılık değişkeninin toplam varyansın %24.5'ini açıkladığı tespit edilmiştir. Son olarak, uyumsal performansı alt ölçek puanlarını yordamada öncelikli olarak mesleki bağlılığın duygusal bağlılık değişkeninin, ardından alternatiflerin sınırlılığı değişkeninin sonrasında ise normatif bağlılık değişkeninin toplam varyansın %20.8'ini açıkladığı görülmüştür. Dolayısıyla çalışanların mesleklerine olan bağlılıkları olanların iş performanslarını daha verimli ve nitelikli kıldığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

  • Parisa Badrkhani Parisa Badrkhani

This research, deeply examines to what degree, Iranian EFL teachers improved their design knowledge, for knowledge, for online education. For this reason, a survey questionnaire which was based on Kim's (2019) Teacher Design Taxonomy, was conducted and sent to 282 EFL teachers (who have started their teaching just several months), by E-mail to investigate what sort of Data, Knowledge, and Design practice helped them to teach online as well as developing their teaching practices. The results of the study showed that Iranian EFL teachers have more common and simple design tools and practices such as documentation of available designs, expansion of documenting course materials, visualizations, and appropriating design principles through learning. Interestingly, the teachers stated that they have high tendency for expansive learning and gaining knowledge for design tools through online teaching. Moreover, the results proved that they had very insufficient information about manipulating and analyzing students' learning data, developing new design principles in new design, epistemic agency for idea-centered discourse, and formative assessment for knowledge-creating (Kim, 2019, p. 4). Consequently, this research highlighted that Iranian EFL teachers are at the preliminary stage of distance education while they are going through the difficult and complicated, stages of online teaching education.

This chapter explores three context and education system factors that are implicated in educators' experiences of stress in the workplace: occupational support, interpersonal relationships, and educational policy changes. More precisely, the first factor concerns occupational support provided to educators to conduct their work with a specific focus on principals' provision of autonomy support. Autonomy support stems from self-determination theory and refers to the extent to which an authority figure supports individuals' self-determination in a particular context. The second factor concerns the relational context of teaching with a focus on educators' relationships with students and colleagues. The third factor concerns the impact of systemic factors in educational policy. For this, we have focused on the impacts of standardized testing and educational innovations. Together, the three overarching factors represent defining features of school and educational systems that shape educators' work and their experiences of stress in that environment. Overall, our aim is to broaden understanding of the role that schools and educational systems play in educators' psychological functioning at work.

In the current study, we examined teachers' sense of adaptability alongside their perceptions of principal autonomy support, well-being, and organizational commitment. Associations between the teacher constructs and students' numeracy achievement were also conducted. With a sample of 115 high school mathematics teachers (and 1685 students from their classrooms), we conducted (single- and multilevel) structural equation modeling. Findings showed that perceived autonomy support was positively associated with teachers' adaptability, and that both constructs were positively associated with teachers' well-being and organizational commitment. In addition, there were several associations between the teacher constructs and students' numeracy achievement. Findings have implications for understanding teachers' responses to the inherently changing demands of their work.

  • David Paunesku
  • Gregory M Walton Gregory M Walton
  • Carissa Romero
  • Carol S. Dweck

The efficacy of academic-mind-set interventions has been demonstrated by small-scale, proof-of-concept interventions, generally delivered in person in one school at a time. Whether this approach could be a practical way to raise school achievement on a large scale remains unknown. We therefore delivered brief growth-mind-set and sense-of-purpose interventions through online modules to 1,594 students in 13 geographically diverse high schools. Both interventions were intended to help students persist when they experienced academic difficulty; thus, both were predicted to be most beneficial for poorly performing students. This was the case. Among students at risk of dropping out of high school (one third of the sample), each intervention raised students' semester grade point averages in core academic courses and increased the rate at which students performed satisfactorily in core courses by 6.4 percentage points. We discuss implications for the pipeline from theory to practice and for education reform. © The Author(s) 2015.

The negative impacts of failure and failure dynamics are well established. This study explores adaptability and control as factors reducing failure dynamics. The present study centers on a mediation model in which adaptability is hypothesized to enhance control, and control is hypothesized to reduce failure dynamics (anxiety, performance avoidance, self-handicapping, disengagement). The study focused on longitudinal data of N = 969 Australian high school students. Mediation, using a bootstrapping approach, was tested with structural equation modeling. Findings showed that control significantly mediated the relationship between adaptability and failure dynamics: adaptability positively predicted control and control was associated with reduced failure dynamics. Furthermore, analyses led to the rejection of an alternative mediation model in which adaptability operates as the mediator between control and failure dynamics. These findings offer conceptual and empirical direction for researchers and practitioners seeking to enhance students' control and adaptability and reduce failure dynamics in their academic lives.

  • Richard M Ryan Richard M Ryan

Motivation is that which moves us to action. Human motivation is thus a complex issue, as people are moved to action by both their evolved natures and by myriad familial, social, and cultural influences. The Oxford Handbook of Human Motivation aims to capture the current state-of-the-art in this fast developing field. The book includes theoretical overviews from some of the best-known thinkers in this area, including articles on Social Learning Theory, Control Theory, Self-determination Theory, Terror Management Theory, and the Promotion and Prevention perspective. Topical articles appear on phenomena such as ego-depletion, flow, curiosity, implicit motives, and personal interests. A section specifically highlights goal research, including chapters on goal regulation, achievement goals, the dynamics of choice, unconscious goals and process versus outcome focus. Still other articles focus on evolutionary and biological underpinnings of motivation, including articles on cardiovascular dynamics, mood, and neuropsychology. Finally, articles bring motivation down to earth in reviewing its impact within relationships, and in applied areas such as psychotherapy, work, education, sport, and physical activity.

Self-determination theory maintains and has provided empirical support for the proposition that all human beings have fundamental psychological needs to be competent, autonomous, and related to others. Satisfaction of these basic needs facilitates people's autonomous motivation (i.e., acting with a sense of full endorsement and volition), whereas thwarting the needs promotes controlled motivation (i.e., feeling pressured to behave in particular ways) or being amotivated (i.e., lacking intentionality). Satisfying these basic needs and acting autonomously have been consistently shown to be associated with psychological health and effective performance. Social contexts within which people operate, however proximal (e.g., a family or workgroup) or distal (e.g., a cultural value or economic system), affect their need satisfaction and type of motivation, thus affecting their wellness and effectiveness. Social contexts also affect whether people's life goals or aspirations tend to be more intrinsic or more extrinsic, and that in turn affects important life outcomes.

  • Robert E. Ployhart Robert E. Ployhart
  • Paul D. Bliese

Work organizations and the employees within these organizations face considerable environmental pressures requiring adaptive change. Several forces have contributed to this need for great adaptation. These are described in many excellent sources (e.g., Cascio, 2003; Ilgen & Pulakos, 1999); here we briefly review their implications for individual adaptability.