# Drivers of teacher commitment to place-based education: unveiling motivational pathways through a cognitive-affective-behavioral lens

## TL;DR

This study explores what motivates teachers to use place-based education by examining cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors.

## Contribution

The study introduces a validated model of teacher motivation for place-based education using a cognitive-affective-behavioral framework.

## Key findings

- Place cognition significantly enhances place identity and place emotions in teachers.
- Place identity and emotions together influence teachers' willingness to implement place-based education.
- Educational policies should focus on strengthening teachers' place cognition and emotional engagement.

## Abstract

Despite the growing emphasis on place-based education in K-12 settings, research into the motivational mechanisms that drive teachers’ implementation of these pedagogies remains scarce. This study aims to develop and validate a conceptual model of K-12 teachers’ motivation for place-based education, based on the Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral framework. Data were collected from 255 K-12 teachers across 99 schools and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that teachers’ place cognition significantly enhances their place identity (β = 0.753, p < 0.001) and place emotions (β = 0.446, p < 0.001), which in turn positively influence their willingness to implement place-based education (β = 0.749, p < 0.001). Notably, place identity alone does not have a direct significant effect on implementation willingness. These findings confirm the cognitive-affective pathway in education and enhance motivation theory by identifying key motivational factors in place-based education. The study recommends that educational policymakers incorporate local cultural content into teacher training and organize immersive experiences to strengthen teachers’ place cognition and emotional engagement.