IMPROVING THE TEACHING PROFESSION THROUGH UNDERSTANDING EDUCATORS’ SELF-MOTIVATION

Introduction

Why do people go into teaching? What makes teaching an enjoyable life-long career for some, while others leave the profession? This paper will discuss those aspects of teaching that contribute to and detract from the appeal of a teaching career for both prospective and practicing teachers.  This paper is based on a research that had explored the factors influencing the motivation, morale and job satisfaction experienced by teachers.

Generally motivation level of school educators determine their productivity. Challenges faced by educators in the teaching profession sometimes prohibit the successful implementation of educational programs.  A study was conducted on 221 Distance Education Students to investigate their self-motivation towards teaching as a profession. Data were collected via an open ended questionnaire to elicit their perceptions on reasons in favor or otherwise of the teaching profession. Data were analyzed qualitatively using the phenomenological approach. Findings indicate that teachers have several reasons in favoring the teaching profession such an s teaching being a noble profession, as an opportunity to contribute towards students’ advancement and development and to fulfill self-interest and satisfaction. Another category that emerged from the findings is the perception of teaching as a challenging career.

On the other hand reasons for not favoring the teaching profession include low salary, lack of promotion opportunities, unsatisfactory leader behavior, and variety of workload, student discipline problems, uncooperative colleagues and unconducive working environment. Some suggestions given by the respondents to improve self-motivation include understanding of personal traits, selection of good school leaders, and review of educational system, salary scale and workload. Implications of the study are discussed to understand current status of teacher’s self-motivation in relation to individual well-being and self-actualization.

Research have shown that it is more difficult now for school to attract god teachers and also to retrain them in schools (Langdon 1990). The most frequently mentioned reason teachers give for the difficulty school have in getting and keeping good teachers is “low pay”. Other reasons given for schools having problems in getting good teachers are “geographic location” of the district, “working conditions” and “teacher shortage”.

The main reason teachers given for leaving is the same one they give for school not attracting good teachers that is “low pay” (35%). This is followed by working conditions (17%); lack of support from administrators, community, and parents (15%); weak or poor administration (9%); location (7%); work load (6%); better job opportunities (5%); lack of respect (3%); and burnout (2%).

Working conditions

The specific problems with working conditions that teachers mention most often is “poor student discipline”. These reasons are similar to those identified by another research group (National Association of state boards of Education, October 1998). The study cited “low salaries”, “poor students” discipline and being assigned to “teach subjects for which they are not prepared” as the top reasons why teachers quit.

Methodology

Sample: 221 distance education students, majoring in TESL

Analysis of data : qualitatively using phenomenological approach

A study was conducted to investigate their self-motivation towards teachings as a profession. Data were collected via an open ended questionnaire to answer these research question.

Research question

What are the factors that make teachers “like” teaching career / profession?

Why teachers “do not like” teaching career / profession

What are the suggestion given by teachers to improve their self-motivation?

Findings: 6 theme emerged: Why teachers like teaching profession

Why teachers don’t like teaching profession

Examples of reasons for

A.      “Fulfill self interest & satisfaction”

1.       More holidays

2.       Working environment suitable to self need

3.       Shorter working hours

4.       More autonomy

5.       Satisfied if students pass their exams

6.       Respect from society

7.       Contribution for Dunia & Akhirat

B.      Contribute to student’s advancement

1.       Ensure students get new knowledge, skills and attitude

2.       To change student’s behavior

3.       To teach weak students

4.       To educate students to face the world

5.       To produce knowledge generations.

C.      Noble profession

1.       Respectable career

2.       Happy to be called as teacher

3.       Able to control negative behavior

4.       Responsible person

5.       Helping students to be good citizen

D.    Contribute to student’s advancement

1.       Act as role model

2.       Improve communication skills and self confidence

3.       Help to improve and teach own children

4.       Opportunity to learn new knowledge through reading etc.

5.       Opportunity to further study

6.       Challenge self ability

7.       To improve self discipline

8.       To improve self potential

Suggestion to improve self-motivation of teachers

• Understanding of personal traits
• Selection of good school leaders
• Review of educational system
• Review salary scale
• Decrease workload/burden

Discussion & conclusion

• Lord Puttnam (BBC News 2001) the Chairman of General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) concerns over teacher shortages.
• They need take a long, hard look at why teachers leave and-stay-in the profession and then make the necessary improvements sustain a high quality teaching workforce.
• The problems was not just teachers leaving the profession, but of people ‘down-shifting’ within teaching because of work pressure.
•  Many of these trained professionals do not leave teaching but opt for a job with less pressure or one that isn’t full time.
•  Many lady teachers in Malaysia opt for early retirement because can’t cope with heavy work load, burden with teaching subjects they are not prepared, students discipline etc

JOB ANALYSIS (JA)

Interviews (Individual or group)

Format:  Individual or group with SME (Subject Matter Experts)

SMEs:   Employees and/or supervisors

Key Points:

•Make purpose of the job analysis clear

•Interviewers need to be trained

•Use a structured format Potential Limitations:

Employees may distort the responsibilities of their job

Supervisors may lack detailed information as to how the job is done

On-Site Observation

•  Best used for structured jobs

•  Need to get a representative sample

•  Need to be unobtrusive

Questionnaire Dimensions measured by the PAQ:

a)  Where and how employees get job/task information

b)  Cognitive process involved (e.g., planning, organisation, making decisions)

c)  Output (e.g., activities performed, tools/processes used)

d)  Interpersonal relationships required (e.g., co-workers, clients)

e)  Context of job (physical and social)

Advantages:

•PAQ can allow comparisons and generalisations across jobs

•Decent internal consistency reliability (.80)

•Inter-rater reliability of .66

Limitations:

Cannot clarify questions or follow up on respondents answers

Best used  for manual labour jobs (lots of items related to equipment use)

Relatively high reading level level (10th - 12th grade)

Task differences may not be measured due to behavioural similarities 

Job Analysis Process for Employment Selection 

1.Identification of work activities and development of job task statements

2.Develop a list of KSA’s necessary for adequate performance of the job tasks

3.Site observations to confirm and substantiate findings

4.Evaluate job tasks and KSA statements to discern (and document) their job-relatedness

5.Generate test  items and evaluate their job-relatedness, or select existing tests for their job-relatedness

6.    Construct test instruments and assess their validity for purposes of selection/promotion decisions

Basic Task Statement Components

1)    What is the action being performed? (using an action verb)

2)    To Whom/What is the action directed? (the object, or receiver, of the action verb)

3)    How is the action performed? (e.g., use of certain procedures, equipment, tools).  The “how” is arguably the most crucial part of the task statement in that it directly relates to KSAs

4)  Why is the action being performed? (the purpose of the action).  Often, it is preceded by words such as “in order to” or “so as to.” Be careful not to confuse the “why’ part of the statement with the “what” section

  

KOMUNIKASI - PERUBAHAN

Bagaimana komunikasi atau penyampaian tentang perasaan/emosi hendak dimulakan, kerana amat penting dalam menentukan kejayaan sesuatu perubahan. Betapa pentingnya komunikasi dalam memulakan perubahan. Kegagalan untuk menggunakan strategi komunikasi yang sesuai dalam memulakan perubahan boleh mengakibatkan kegagalan.

Menurut Tannen, bahasa bukan sahaja untuk bertukar-tukar idea tetapi melambangkan hubungan sosial yang tersirat. Contoh komunikasi bercakap oleh seseorang ketika marah, rasa hormat, mengecilkan hati, nada suara, situasi. Manakala komunikasi keprihatinan atau tingkahlaku yang baik terhadap seseorang. Sebenarnya, wanita lebih banyak bertanya soalan daripada lelaki kerana lelaki beranggapan wanita kurang pengetahuan.

Kita sewajarnya tidak memandang remeh akan komunikasi kerana ia melibatkan emosi yang berpotensi mengawal kemahuan, komitmen, dan keupayaan seseorang. 

Contoh mudah dalam komunikasi walaupun jauh daripada topik perubahan...hehe

Lelaki yang berminat untuk berkenalan seorang perempuan cantik di Facebook (FB). Sebelum memulakan komunikasi, lelaki terlebih dahulu melakukan kajian di FB perempuan terlebih dahulu. Setelah cukup maklumat dan percaya wanita ini masih single dan berani/yakin memulakan komunikasi dengan menghantar mesej di inbox. Maka, komunikasi telah bermula kerana kedua-duanya ingin berkenalan. Mereka memberi fokus dan komitmen dalam komunikasi. Bagi lelaki yang berminat, sesibuk mana pun akan terus berkomunikasi untuk terus kekal berkomunikasi. Jika lelaki tidak mahu meneruskan perhubungan atau menemui kegagalan komunikasi, lelaki tidak akan berhubung terus dan tidak menunjukkan minat atau memberi alasan jarang menggunakan FB. Ketika ini, peranan wanita untuk memujuk, memberi penerangan jelas dan memberi motivasi untuk meneruskan perhubungan. Dalam kes ini, lelaki ada ego sendiri atau sudah mempuntai pilihan atau sudah berpunya dan sebenarnya hubungan sudah tidak wujud. Tidak perlu kejar-kejar lagi. Dalam konteks organisasi, pekerja akan diberi ganjaran sebagai rangsangan untuk terus menyokong usaha organisasi melakukan perubahan.

Sebab itu, bagi organisasi yang ingin melaksanakan perubahan dalam organisasi perlu melantik wakil pegawai yang mampu berkomunikasi dengan baik, berpengaruh, disukai orang dan dipercayai.