Wat motiveer laerskool onderwysers

[摘要] This study explored the phenomenon of motivation that is experienced by primary school teachers. The research was located within the specific context of a qualitative interpretivist study. A phenomenological research design was used to highlight how teachers understand their lived experiences of the phenomena. Motivation is something that lies within the human condition and that can only be observed through the behaviour of others. The aim was to understand what motivate primary school teachers. A variety of studies about motivation was consulted and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser's Choice Theory (1999) were covered to provide a theoretical lens for the research. Phenomenology focuses on the understanding of a phenomena that is specific to being human and can only be describe and analyse according to the meaning that people give to it. In this qualitative research methodology, I have mainly used the convenience sampling technique to select the participants. Individual interviews were conducted with seven selected participants. Three of the remaining ten participants were selected by means of snowball sampling. The criteria used to choose the participants included Afrikaans and English speaking primary school teachers from three primary schools. The selected participants were teachers aged between 25 and 55 years who were exposed daily to motivation and had to make life choices. Data on how these teachers viewed their situation were collected using phenomenological interviews. The aim of interviewing the teachers personally was to explore their own views of the realities of their lived experiences and how they perceived the world around them. The empirical investigation showed that primary school teachers are currently experience a reasonable level of motivation. Several significant factors that contribute towards the motivation of teachers were identified, namely a positive attitude, faith, passion, job satisfaction and recognition. There were several factors that contribute to the demotivation of teachers, namely the lack of recognition by management or poor managers, inadequate remuneration, poor inter-personal relationships amongst staff members, insufficient resources and a lack of recognition. A variety of studies about motivation was studied and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser's Choice Theory (1999) inter alia will be covered. From the findings of this study, it is clear that different circumstances, needs and wants of individuals have an impact on the motivational levels of teachers and that every individual makes daily choices on how he or she needs to react upon these.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria