An Investigation into the Factors Affecting Teacher Motivation

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to determine the factors that affect the motivation levels of primary school teachers and to examine whether motivation shows significant differences in terms of various variables. A survey design, one of the quantitative research methods, was adopted, and data were collected from 794 teachers selected through stratified random sampling. The Teacher Professional Motivation Scale was utilized for data collection. The data were analysed using SPSS 27.0, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was conducted to assess the normality of the data distribution. The construct validity of the scale was evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using AMOS 24.0. The findings indicated that professional development and prestige, in-school factors, and physical conditions were the most influential variables affecting teacher motivation, while out-of-school factors had a moderate impact. Moreover, seniority and age were found to have statistically significant effects on motivation levels, with novice teachers displaying lower levels of motivation. In light of these results, it is recommended to improve school facilities, increase opportunities for professional development, implement mentoring programs for early-career teachers, and utilise the experience of senior educators to enhance overall teacher motivation.

Keywords

• Teacher Motivation
• Teacher Performance
• Student Achievement
• Teacher Quality
• Professional Development

Öğretmenlerin Güdülenmesini Etkileyen Faktörlerin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, ilköğretim öğretmenlerinin güdülenme düzeylerini etkileyen faktörleri belirlemek ve güdülenmenin çeşitli değişkenler açısından anlamlı farklılık gösterip göstermediğini incelemektir. Araştırmada, nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden tarama deseni kullanılmıştır ve random örnekleme yöntemlerinden tabakalı örnekleme tekniği ile belirlenen toplam 794 öğretmen araştırmaya katılmıştır. Araştırmanın verilerini toplarken Öğretmen Mesleki Motivasyon Ölçeğinden yararlanılmıştır. Verilerin analizi SPSS 27.00 programı ile gerçekleştirilmiş; verilerin normal dağılım gösterip göstermediğini belirlemek amacıyla Kolmogorov-Smirnov testi uygulanmıştır. Ölçeğin yapı geçerliliği ise AMOS 24.00 programında yapılan Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi ile test edilmiştir. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, öğretmen güdülenmesini en fazla etkileyen unsurların mesleki gelişim ve saygınlık, okul içi faktörler ve fiziki imkânlar olduğu, okul dışı faktörlerin ise güdülenmeye orta düzeyde etki ettiği belirlenmiştir. Kıdem ve yaş değişkenlerinin, öğretmenlerin güdülenme düzeyleri üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisinin bulunduğu belirlenmiştir. Özellikle göreve yeni başlayan öğretmenlerin güdülenme seviyelerinin daha düşük olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Öğretmen güdülenmesini artırmak için fiziki imkânların iyileştirilmesi, mesleki gelişim fırsatlarının artırılması, genç öğretmenlere yönelik mentorluk programları oluşturulması ve kıdemli öğretmenlerin deneyimlerinden faydalanılması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Öğretmen Güdülenmesi
• Öğretmen Performansı
• Öğrenci Başarısı
• Öğretmen Niteliği
• Mesleki Gelişim

References

1. Akomolafe, M. J., & Ogunmakin, A. O. (2014). Job satisfaction among secondary school teachers: Emotional intelligence, occupational stress and self-efficacy as predictors. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4(3), 487–498. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p487
2. Altenbaugh, R. J. (1997). Oral history, American teachers and a social history of schooling: An emerging agenda. Cambridge Journal of Education, 27(3), 313–330.
3. Antoninis, M., Alcott, B., Al Hadheri, S., April, D., Fouad Barakat, B., Barrios Rivera, M., & Weill, E. (2023). Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in education: A tool on whose terms? UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385116.locale=en
4. Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.007
5. Betoret, F. D. (2009). Self-efficacy, school resources, job stressors and burnout among Spanish primary and secondary school teachers: A structural equation approach. Educational Psychology, 29(1), 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410802459234
6. Borman, G. D., & Dowling, N. M. (2008). Teacher attrition and retention: A meta-analytic and narrative review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 78(3), 367–409. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308321455
7. Bümen, N. T., Ateş, A., Çakar, E., Ural, G., & Acar, V. (2012). Türkiye bağlamında öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi: Sorunlar ve öneriler. Millî eğitim Dergisi, 42(194), 31–50.
8. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Akgün, Ö. E., Demirel, F., Karadeniz, Ş., & Çakmak, E. K. (2024). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (36. baskı). Pegem Akademi.

9. Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2018). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Pegem Akademi.
10. Cantaş, C., & Kavas, E. (2015). Ortaokullarda görev yapan öğretmenlerin örgütlerine duydukları güvenin motivasyonları üzerindeki etkileri: Afyonkarahisar ili uygulaması. Journal of International Social Research, 8(41), 285–297. https://www.sosyalarastirmalar.com/articles/the-effects-of-trust-in-organizations-on-the- motivation-of-teachers-working-in-secondary-schools-the-case-of-afyonkarahisar-province.pdf
11. Cohen, J., McCabe, E. M., Michelli, N. M., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 180–213.
12. Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). The quality of teaching matters most. Journal of Staff Development, 18(1), 38–41.
13. Darling-Hammond, L. (2003). Keeping good teachers: Why it matters, what leaders can do. Educational Leadership, 60(8), 6–13.
14. Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/effective-teacher-professional-development-report
15. Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2010). The new lives of teachers. Routledge.
16. Day, C., Stobart, G., Sammons, P., Kington, A., Gu, Q., Smees, R., & Mujtaba, T. (2006). Variations in teachers’ work, lives and effectiveness: Final report for the VITAE Project. Department for Education and Skills.
17. Day, C., Sammons, P., & Stobart, G. (2007). Teachers matter: Connecting work, lives and effectiveness. McGraw-Hill Education.
18. Day, C., Sammons, P., & Gorgen, K. (2016). Successful school leadership. Education Development Trust.
19. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14
20. Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers' professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
21. Dinham, S., & Scott, C. (1996). Teacher satisfaction, motivation and health: Phase one of the Teacher 2000 Project [Report]. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED405295
22. Dinham, S., & Scott, C. (1998). A three-domain model of teacher and school executive satisfaction. Journal of Educational Administration, 36(4), 362–378. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578239810211545
23. Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x
24. Fantilli, R. D., & McDougall, D. E. (2009). A study of novice teachers: Challenges and supports in the first years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(6), 814–825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.02.021
25. Fernet, C., Guay, F., Senécal, C., & Austin, S. (2012). Predicting intraindividual changes in teacher burnout: The role of perceived school environment and motivational factors. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(4), 514–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.11.013
26. Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change. Teachers College Press.
27. Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004915
28. Guarino, C. M., Santibanez, L., & Daley, G. A. (2006). Teacher recruitment and retention: A review of the recent empirical literature. Review of Educational Research, 76(2), 173–208. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543076002173
29. Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2005.11.001
30. Hanushek, E. (2020). Quality education and economic development. In B. Panth & R. Maclean (Eds.), Anticipating and preparing for emerging skills and jobs: Key issues, concerns, and prospects 25–32.
31. Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2021). Education and economic growth. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190625979.013.651
32. Hargreaves, A. (2000). Four ages of professionalism and professional learning. Teachers and Teaching, 6(2), 151–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/713698714
33. Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
34. Haycock, K. (1998). Good teaching matters: How well-qualified teachers can close the gap. Thinking K-16, 3(2), 3–14. https://edtrust.org/resource/good-teaching-matters/
35. Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. World Publishing Company.
36. Hoyle, E. (2001). Teaching: Prestige, status and esteem. Educational Management & Administration, 29(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263211X010292001
37. Huberman, M. (1993a). The model of the independent artisan in teachers’ professional relations. In J. W. Little & M. W. McLaughlin (Eds.), Teachers' work: Individuals, colleagues, and contexts 11–50. Teachers College Press.
38. Huberman, M. (1993b). The lives of teachers. Teachers College Press. Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499–534. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038003499
39. Ingersoll, R. M., & Smith, T. M. (2003). The wrong solution to the teacher shortage. Educational Leadership, 60(8), 30–33.
40. Jackson, C. K., & Bruegmann, E. (2009). Teaching students and teaching each other: The importance of peer learning for teachers. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(4), 85–108.
41. Juneja, P., & Shikha, P. (2019). Role of infrastructure in improving students’ outcomes. Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(3), 918–924. https://rjhssonline.com/
42. Karasar, N. (2009). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi: Kavramlar, ilkeler, teknikler. Nobel Yayıncılık.
43. Kelchtermans, G. (2005). Teachers’ emotions in educational reforms: Self-understanding, vulnerable commitment and micropolitical literacy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(8), 995–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2005.06.009
44. Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2010). Effects on teachers’ self-efficacy and job satisfaction: Teacher gender, years of experience, and job stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 741–756. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019237
45. Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2011). The occupational commitment and intention to quit of practicing and pre-service teachers: Influence of self-efficacy, job stress, and teaching context. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(2), 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.01.002
46. Klusmann, U., Richter, D., & Lüdtke, O. (2016). Teachers’ emotional exhaustion is negatively related to students’ achievement: Evidence from a large-scale assessment study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(8), 1193–1203. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000125
47. Köse, E. K., Karataş, E., Küçükçene, M., & Taş, A. (2021). Öğretmen mesleki motivasyonu ölçeği geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması: Çevrimiçi ve kâğıt kalem uygulamalarının karşılaştırılması. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, (51), 479–498.
48. Kraft, M. A., & Papay, J. P. (2014). Can professional environments in schools promote teacher development? Explaining heterogeneity in returns to teaching experience. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36(4), 476–500. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373713519496
49. Kurt, T. (2005). Herzberg in çift faktörlü güdüleme kuramının öğretmenlerin motivasyonu açısından çözümlenmesi. Gazi Üniversitesi Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 25(1), 285–299.
50. Lavy, V. (2009). Performance pay and teachers’ effort, productivity, and grading ethics. American Economic Review, 99(5), 1979–2011. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.99.5.1979
51. Lindqvist, P., & Nordanger, U. K. (2016). Already elsewhere—A study of (skilled) teachers' choice to leave teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 54, 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.11.010
52. Liu, X. S., & Meyer, J. P. (2005). Teachers’ perceptions of their jobs: A multilevel analysis of the teacher follow-up survey for 1994–95. Teachers College Record, 107(5), 985–1003.
53. Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Broadley, T., & Weatherby-Fell, N. (2016). Building resilience in teacher education: An evidence-informed framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 54, 77–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.11.016
54. OECD. (2020). Education at a glance 2023: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en
55. Opfer, V. D., & Pedder, D. (2011). Conceptualizing teacher professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 81(3), 376–407. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311413609
56. Richardson, P. W., & Watt, H. M. G. (2018). Teacher motivation: Theory and practice. Routledge.
57. Rockoff, J. E. (2004). The impact of individual teachers on student achievement: Evidence from panel data. American Economic Review, 94(2), 247–252. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828041302244
58. Ryan, A. M. (2001). The peer group as a context for the development of young adolescent motivation and achievement. Child Development, 72(4), 1135–1150. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00338
59. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
60. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Publications.
61. Sabuncuoğlu, Z., & Tüz, M. V. (1998). Örgütsel psikoloji. Alfa Basım Yayım Dağıtım. Sahlberg, P. (2014). Finnish lessons 2.0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers College Press.
62. Savaş, E., Taş, S., & Duru, A. (2010). Matematikte öğrenci başarısını etkileyen faktörler. İnönü Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 11(1), 113–132.
63. Schleicher, A. (2019). PISA 2018 insights and interpretations. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA%202018%20insights%20and%20interpretations.pdf
64. Simola, H. (2005). The Finnish miracle of PISA: Historical and sociological remarks on teaching and teacher education. Comparative Education, 41(4), 455–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050060500317810
65. Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417–453. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543075003417
66. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2011). Teacher job satisfaction and motivation to leave the teaching profession: Relations with school context, feeling of belonging, and emotional exhaustion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(6), 1029–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.04.001
67. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2017). Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy: Relations and consequences. In T. M. McIntyre, S. E. McIntyre, & D. J. Francis (Eds.), Educator stress: An occupational health perspective 101–125. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53053-6_6
68. Stronge, J. H., Ward, T. J., & Grant, L. W. (2011). What makes good teachers good? A cross-case analysis of the connection between teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Journal of Teacher Education, 62(4), 339–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487111404241
69. Tabak, B. Y., Sönmez, E., Yenel, K., & Kan, A. (2019). Öğretmenlerin iş motivasyonu kaynakları: Ölçek geliştirme çalışması. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 9(3), 408–433.
70. T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2024). Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı 2024-2028 stratejik planı. T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı.
71. Thompson, B. (2004). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Understanding concepts and applications. American Psychological Association.
72. Troman, G., & Woods, P. (2000). Careers under stress: Teacher adaptations at a time of intensive reform. Journal of Educational Change, 1(3), 253–275. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010024227506
73. Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2007). The differential antecedents of self-efficacy beliefs of novice and experienced teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(6), 944–956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.05.003
74. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2008). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and Instruction, 18(5), 408–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002
75. Yörük, D., & Tezcan, H. (2009). Öğrenci görüşlerine göre etkili öğretmenin özellikleri. Millî eğitim, (183), 219–227.