許多研究發現學前教師的工作聲望不如其他階段教師來得高，這可能存在的工作特質差異，是否會使學前教師與其他階段教師之專業成長行為有所不同？而除了工作條件不同外，教學制控信念會不會也導致學前教師專業成長行為有其特殊性？由於相關研究付之闕如，形成有待補強的研究缺口。本研究根據相關文獻建立一個研究模式，以教學制控信念、工作特質做為影響教師專業成長行為的中介變項，並將分析焦點擺在學前教師是否與其他階段教師在這些中介變項上有所不同，進而使其專業成長行為也有所差異。分析資料來自2008年東臺灣地區各級學校教師調查。研究發現在控制背景變項的影響後，學前教師專業成長行為普遍要高於其他教育階段教師，顯得最積極於追求教學專業之提昇，其中國中、小學教師是較不積極的。進一步分析發現教學內控信念與工作特質都對專業成長行為有顯著影響。而學前教師也因為有較明顯的內在教學制控信念，並自覺工作自主性高、較具專業性、學生較聽話，及同儕較和諧，使其專業成長行為較其他教育階段老師更為積極。

Many studies have shown that preschool teachers have relatively inferior job prestige compared with teachers at other educational stages. Will these differences in job characteristics cause teachers at different educational stages to have different professional growth behavior? In addition to job condition, is teaching locus of control also a factor that contributes to the particularity of professional growth among preschool teachers? These issues have never been addressed in previous research. To fill this research gap, the present study proposed a model with locus of control and job characteristics as mediator variables of teachers’ professional growth behavior. Through this model, this study attempted to investigate the differences between preschool teachers and teachers at other educational stages in these two mediator variables and examine whether the differences would result in different professional growth behavior. Data were collected during 2008 from a survey administered to teachers at various educational stages. Results indicated that if the effects of other background variables were controlled, preschool teachers showed more professional growth behavior than teachers at other educational stages, suggesting that preschool teachers were more active in pursuit of improvement in professional knowledge and skills. Teachers teaching at junior high or elementary educational stages were generally less active in pursuit of professional growth. Further analyses also revealed that teaching locus of control and many job characteristics had a significant effect on teachers’ professional growth behavior. Preschool teachers tended to significantly have more internal locus of control, higher job autonomy and professionalism, more compliance of students, and higher harmony in the workplace. As a result, they were more active and dedicated to professional growth than teachers at other educational stages.