RESEARCH PROPOSAL: TEACHER MOTIVATION

RESEARCH PROPOSAL: TEACHER MOTIVATION

Introduction

According to Ryan and Deci (2016), teacher motivation plays a vital function with regards to the promotion of both learning and teaching excellence. Normally, teachers who are motivated are highly prone to motivate their learners to learn within the classroom milieu, so as to make certain the full execution of the various educational reforms in addition to the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. In spite of the teacher motivation being considered as a fundamental aspect of the learning and teaching process, a number of teachers in South Africa are not highly motivated. This perception should be given unmatched attention even as investigations into the various aspects impacting the teacher motivation has been noted as essential to the realization of the various educational objectives and goals in all institutions of learning (Good & Lavigne, A. L. (2017). The objective of this research will, therefore, be to identify the various impacting teachers motivation in various high schools located within Cape Town, South Africa. To attain this objective, the research will be guided through a number of objectives. Amongst the notable objectives the identification of the effects of job contentment on the motivation of teachers teaching public high schools in the identified study locations, to establish the impacts of the extant reward systems in relation to teacher motivation, to acknowledge the varied effects of training and development with regards to the teacher motivation so as to be able to establish the impacts of the work-based conditional aspects on the teacher motivations within different public high schools in Cape town.

Research Methodology

For this study, the descriptive research design and methodology will be employed. The research intends to target the teachers and principals of the various high schools found in Cape Town. Based on figures obtained from the bureau of statistics, Cape Town has a total of (number) of high schools. The random sampling method will also be employed in the process of selecting the teacher participants in the study, even as the purposive sampling methodology will be employed in the selection of principles to participate in the study (O’Brien & Saldanha, 2014). Of the overall number of high schools in Cape Town, 3 schools will be employed for the piloting purposes even as the remaining schools will be employed in the final study. It is anticipated that a higher number of teachers and principals will partake in the research. To collect the necessary data from the teachers, the study will make use of the questionnaires even as face-to-face interview will be employed in the collection of the relevant data from the schools’ principals.

Data Analysis

With regards to the analysis of data collected from the participants, it can be noted that SPSS will be employed in the analysis of the quantitative data will be necessary, even as the descriptive data and statistics that include the mean, standard deviation, percentages and frequencies will be employed in the description of the  data (O’Brien & Saldanha, 2014). Further, content analysis will additionally be employed in the analysis of the qualitative data obtained the interviews with the principals. The data analysis will be followed by the presentation of the finding, as well discussion of the outcomes.

Further, the gathered data will be summarized, categorized, presented and evaluated by making use of the technologies that are readily available, SPSS and MS-Excel, for that purpose. The rationale underlying the utilization of such packages regards the use of the data analysis packages and software rests in the extensive analytical ability, as well as the effortlessness in the administration of data (O’Brien & Saldanha, 2014). This is also as a result of the view that the study will utilize both qualitative and quantitative data. So as to clarify the finding of the study, the research will make use of the descriptive statistics and the outcomes that will be obtained as a result of the analysis will after that be presented using figures and tables.

Regarding the validity and reliability, the validity of the research will be carried out to determine the aptitude of the study to evaluate what it is intended to measure (Neuman, 2016). The research will not just measure what it will be supposed to evaluate. In this research, the instruments’ validity will be improved through the performance of the pilot study in the three schools to be identified as earlier noted. The sample will include a head teacher and three teachers from each school. In the pilot study, it is anticipated that the researcher will make use of the responses in order to establish if adequate variations will exist in the responses, if the language used along with the conceptions will be comprehensible to the study participants.

Concerning the reliability of the study, the researcher will analyze the words used in the questionnaire and other data collection instruments to ascertain that the respondents will be able to interpret all items similarly as they read them (Neuman, 2016). At the end, the items with unclear implications will be identified and the necessary adjustment will be made. The instruments used will also be tested and evaluated prior to their usage in the study to enable the collection of reliable data.

Lastly, a number of ethical considerations will be taken into account in the performance of the research. These will include the acquisition of research clearance from the university, as well as the obtaining of the participant’s consent, in addition to maintaining the required levels of confidentiality. The participants will be informed about their rights, the study purpose and will also be assured of their privacy and confidentiality throughout the study.

References

Good, T. L., & Lavigne, A. L. (2017). Looking in classrooms. Routledge.

Neuman, W. L. (2016). Understanding research. Pearson.

O’Brien, S., & Saldanha, G. (2014). Research methodologies in translation studies. Routledge.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2016). Facilitating and hindering motivation, learning, and well-        being in schools: Research and observations from self-determination theory. Handbook         on motivation at schools, 96-119.