Journal of K-12 Educational Research 9 predictors accounted for 22% of the variance in teacher grit. According to Cohen (1988), an R2 of .222 reflects a medium-size effect (as cited in Yockey, 2018). The effect size or magnitude of an effect is impacted by the assessment instruments’ accuracy and the current study population’s diversity. The researcher believes that while the pre-existing questionnaires were reasonably accurate in measuring the treatment effects, a more diverse sample of Christian teachers could have produced research findings with more practical significance and applications. Quantitative Findings Explained (RQs 1—4) Research Question 1 (RQ1) Does workplace spirituality predict grit in Christian teachers? RQ1 examined whether workplace spirituality significantly predicted Christian teachers’ grit. With a regression coefficient of 0.314, a beta weight of 0.407, and a p-value of < .001, the researcher rejected the null hypothesis and assumed the alternative hypothesis. Workplace spirituality was the only significant predictor of grit, taking into account teacher efficacy and job placement. The squared structure coefficient of .885 suggested that spirituality was predominantly responsible for 88.5% of the grit variance that was explained by the regression model. Moreover, since the questionnaire was placed last, after the Grit-S and the TSES-S, the participants may have gained more familiarity in responding on the Likert scale when they completed the SAWS. Furthermore, the nature of the items on the SAWS is likely to appeal to Christian teachers and parallel the ideas reflected in the Grit-S. For instance, the questions, “I experience a match between the requirements of my work and my values, beliefs, and behaviors,” “I am able to find meaning or purpose at work,” “I am fulfilling my calling through work,” and “I have a sense of personal mission in life, which my work helps me to fulfill” would especially appeal to those Christian teachers at a religious placement who agree with the faith-based vision and mission of the school. When teachers are spiritually aligned, they are more likely to persevere in pursuing long-term goals. Similarly, questions about the connection with God’s positive influence on the work as a source of wisdom and guidance could have yielded high scores for the sample of Christian teachers. Because the Bible resonates with the theme of grit—especially when doing mission work—Christian teachers would press on toward the goal despite hardships. Research Question 2 (RQ2) Does teacher efficacy predict grit in Christian teachers? RQ2 examined whether teacher efficacy significantly predicted Christian teachers’ grit. With a regression coefficient of 0.075, a beta weight of 0.144, and a p-value of .152, the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis for this predictor. Teacher efficacy did not predict grit in Christian teachers, taking into account workplace spirituality and job placement. To interpret the results, the researcher imagined classroom situations with a great sense of control and low motivation. For example, a teacher could effectively control disruptive behaviors yet be discouraged from the setback internally. Likewise, a teacher could motivate students who show low interest in schoolwork but may need to be more hardworking and diligent individuals themselves. Although many scenarios permit ideas of the TSES-S to contract those of the Grit-S, interpretation of the structure coefficient for efficacy indicated that 37.3% of the explained variance in grit was due to teacher efficacy. Thus, even though the β weight was not significant, efficacy did account for some variance in grit. Research Question 3 (RQ3) Does job placement in religious or secular schools predict grit in Christian teachers? The third research question examined whether job placement significantly predicted Christian teachers’ grit. With a regression coefficient of -0.087, a beta weight of -0.073, and a p-value of .443, the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis. A teacher’s placement in religious or secular schools did not predict grit in Christian teachers, taking into account workplace spirituality and teacher efficacy. Christian teachers’ job placement may be irrelevant in predicting grit because some individuals are highly affected by their community in developing perseverance and passion for long-term goals, while others are not. Highly
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