Today teachers are broadly viewed as central both in the area of problems with education and as the ones who can solve it. School leaders and education researchers are facing the challenge of motivating teaching professionals for reaching high levels of performance. Only in this way the nation’s goal of teaching students to the highest standards can be achieved, closing the achievement gap at the same time.
According to the requirements of the Federal government, and the No Child Left Behind Act, all the teachers of academic subjects in schools and other educational establishments should be highly qualified. The following essential criteria define the qualifications of a teacher: (1) having reached at least bachelor's degree in the subject that he/she is teaching; (2) possessing full state teacher certification; and (3) showing high level of knowledge in the subjects he/she teaches (Goldhaber & Anthony, 2007). On the basis of these requirements, each state develops its own definition of teacher who is highly qualified.
All of these criteria are very important, but at the same time it is necessary to understand that a quality teacher is not always the same as a highly qualified teacher that is described above. There is no one generally accepted definition of a quality teacher, but still research shows some general features that produce a positive effect on student studying (Hanushek, 2011). First and foremost, quality teaching is manifested by producing high levels of student learning.
If we consider the concept of quality of education, we should take into account a few points. The term “quality” in a generalized sense means a series of properties of an object that serve to satisfy some specific needs. Consequently, quality is a complex characteristic. The quality of education can be defined as a set of characteristics of professional consciousness defining the ability of a specialist to successfully carry out professional activities in accordance with the requirements of the national economics at the present stage of development.
The quality of education has different components, which include such elements as: presence of the state standard of professional education and the quality of its implementation, quality of vocational and academic staff of the educational establishment, quality of organization of the learning process, quality of methodical maintenance of educational process, as well as quality of the subjects of study (Aaronson, Barrow & Sander, 2007).
There are numerous factors affecting the quality of education. The key ones can be defined as follows: system of institution’s management, content of the educational programs, skills and motivation of the professional teaching staff, organization of the educational process, technologies of training, logistical support of the educational process, educational work, the needs of the labor market in this particular branch and liaison with employers to organize control of the educational process and its results.
In this work one of the most important factors in improving the quality of education will be considered – the problem of the quality of teaching and its improvement through proper teacher’s motivation (Clotfelter et al., 2008). It has become a significant aspect of successful education due to the evolution of teacher’s role – he/she not only provides information to students, but also teaches how to find it and to work with it. Teachers often need help in formation of such a competence, while there is still an outflow of qualified personnel from education to the other branches.
The problem of quality of education has also became worse due to the continuously increasing amount of human knowledge, which greatly complicates efforts to participate in the development of educational programs, the content of the educational programs, technology of their preparation and implementation, which leads to increased complexity of teacher’s work.
The main objective of the internal motivation is not just to win the competition and achieve a certain level of assessments, but to introduce the philosophy of quality, prevention of failure. It is necessary to develop a sense of responsibility. It is possible to distinguish between the following groups of motives of educational activities: motives of obligation; motives of interest and enthusiasm, over the subjects taught; motives passion as to communication with children (Goldhaber & Anthony, 2007).
One can assume that the dominance of a particular type of motivation or its lack is subject to the teacher’s inclination to a particular style of leadership. The dominance of the motive of obligation is typical of teachers who are prone to authoritarianism, domination of the motive to communication – to teachers-liberals, and the lack of dominance of a motive – for teachers who are inclined to a democratic style of leadership.
1. External stimuli associated with the financial reward (this includes, in particular such incentives as career promotion). A characteristic feature of the teachers with this kind of motivation is that they focus on external indicators of labor. They rarely seek to improve their skills on their own. Their use of innovations is random, episodic. Such external unprofessional motivation leads to lower efficiency of professional activities as a whole, and causes harm to students in terms of their personal development, though not always it is seen as obvious.
2. Motive of prestige – the one of external teacher’s self-fulfillment (self-assertion by the external positive evaluation of others). In this case, the teacher is engaged in the introduction of innovations for the positive public response to his work. Formation of the cognitive activity of students, high level of learning is not the main purpose of such teacher, but is a means to an end – positive assessment of his work. In such case, there is a tendency to turn the use of new and effective methods to independent problem, subordinate not tot the learning objectives, but to the goals of personal success (Gilpin, 2011). Specific negative feature of this approach is the choice of the means that promise quick and effective return, active seeking and testing of new methods of teaching and education, often without long and persistent their result.
So, what about the optimal complex of motivational factors for a teacher? Satisfaction with teaching profession is directly related to the optimum motivational complex. Balance between external and internal motivation leads to satisfaction of the needs of teacher as an individual (Cartwright, 2007). Teachers seeking for self-actualization prefer creative types of work, opening clear opportunities for self-development. A lesson for this teacher is an occasion for self-realization as a person and a professional. Each time a choice is made for the best variant of the method, which is always implemented with consideration of a child’s interest. Thus, the need for self-improvement is the main motive and a core of quality teacher-innovator.
Success of innovational activities is defined by the ability of teachers to consider and control the features of interpersonal relationships in the team. Formation of the teacher's personality is largely determined by the social environment, group of teachers - teaching community (Gilpin & Kaganovich, 2012). Therefore, it is very important to create the so-called innovative climate, without which innovation is gaining ground with difficulty.
Internal type of motivation – the activity is significant for the individual itself. External positive motivation is related to the needs of social prestige, respect of colleagues, wealth, etc. External negative motivation is related to the need of self-defense, is characterized by a desire to avoid condemnation by management, etc. The best motivation is a complex, in which inner motives occupy a leading position at the minimum of the outer negative motives. The worst is a motivational complex, in which the external negative motives are the most significant, while internal motivation has the lowest value.
Statement of the problem
Motivation of teachers, in particularly in terms of salary level and working conditions, is one of the critical factors in raising the quality of education. It is not that easy to choose a complex of motivational activities that can result in the optimal level of education quality. To choose such a complex, it is necessary to investigate how the level of teacher’s salary influences the quality of teaching, as well as the change in working conditions. Moreover, it is necessary not only to understand how salary and working conditions influence the quality of education, but also to see the principles of this influence so as they could be realized in different settings. In this way it would be possible to choose a motivational complex that can result in optimal quality of teaching in every educational establishment.
Purpose of the study
The study is to discover the principles of choice of the optimal motivational complex that would allow for achieving the highest possible level of teaching quality.
Research questions:
- How do salary and working conditions influence the quality of teaching?
- What kinds of motivation are currently the most widely used in the national scope?
- How is it possible to choose optimal motivational complex to achieve the highest possible level of teaching quality?
Research hypotheses:
- Salary and working conditions considerably influence the quality of teaching.
- There are several effective motivational complexes currently used in the educational establishments of the country.
- It is possible to choose an optimal motivational complex to achieve the highest possible level of teaching quality.
Null hypotheses:
- Salary and working conditions do not influence the quality of teaching.
- There are no effective motivational complexes currently used in the educational establishments of the country.
- It is not possible to choose an optimal motivational complex to achieve the highest possible level of teaching quality.
Significance of the study
Operational definition of terms
Motivation – a process that starts, guides and supports behaviors that are oriented at a specific goal. Motivation causes people to act, no matter what is required of them – to open a door or to write a report.
Internal motivation – motivation that exists within a person, rather than the one depending on external factors.
External motivation – refers to performance of some activity that is aimed at achieving of a certain outcome.
Motivational complex – a complex and external and internal motivational activities that allow for balance formation.
Working conditions – physical environment, in which a teacher is expected to complete his/her job.
Teaching quality – qualities of the teacher’s activities resulting in a certain level of students’ learning.
References
Aaronson, D., Barrow, L., & Sander, W. (2007). Teachers and student achievement in the Chicago public high schools. Journal of Labor Economics, 25, 95–135.
Cartwright, M. (2007). The rhetoric and reality of “quality” in Higher Education, An investigation into staff perceptions of quality in post-1992 universities. Quality Assurance in Education, 15(3), 25-27.
Clotfelter, C., Glennie, E., Ladd, H., & Vigdor, J. (2008). Would higher salaries keep teachers in high-poverty schools? Evidence from a policy intervention in North Carolina. Journal of Public Economics, 92, 1352–1370.
Gilpin,G. (2011). Reevaulating the effect of non-teaching wages on teacher attrition. Economics of Education Review, 30, 598–616.
Gilpin, G., & Kaganovich, M. (2012). The quantity and quality of teachers: Dynamics of the trade-off. Journal of Public Economics, 96(3–4), 417–429.
Goldhaber, D., & Anthony, E. (2007). Can teacher quality be effectively assessed? National Board Certification as a signal of effective teaching. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 89, 134–150.
Hanushek, E. (2011). The economic value of higher teacher quality. Economics of Education Review, 30, 466–497
