May 2020 – Volume 24, Number 1
Pamela Emilia Stężycka
University of Salford, UK
<pstezyckahotmail.com>
Siân Etherington
University of Salford, UK
<s.etheringtonsalford.ac.uk>
Abstract
The current study aimed at investigating the motivation of Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland. In order to collect research data, a mixed-methods approach involving the use of quantitative and qualitative research instruments was employed. Overall, thirty-seven Polish state secondary school EFL teachers completed a closed-ended questionnaire and six of them were subsequently interviewed. Following data analysis, research findings revealed that participant teachers were most motivated by factors associated with knowledge imparting, self-fulfilment, self-vision, working atmosphere, and work benefits. In contrast, the least motivating factors were related to external recognition and service to society. Moreover, their current motivation level was concluded to be moderate and the most demotivating factors encompassed insufficient recognition for achievements, excessive workload, limited professional development opportunities, and low salary. Lastly, based on the results, several implications for practice, professional development, and future research were proposed.
Keywords: motivation, EFL teacher motivation, Polish teachers, motivating factors, demotivating factors.
Background and Aim of the Study
This paper focuses on teacher motivation, which in a broader sense, refers to the nature of the teacher’s own enthusiasm and commitment to teaching (Dörnyei, 2003). Although teacher motivation is believed to be one of the most essential factors affecting learners’ motivation to learn, surprisingly this element of teacher psychology has received little attention (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Nevertheless, within recent years, the literature on general teacher motivation has started to grow, but this growth has not successfully filtered into EFL teacher motivation literature which is still “largely fragmented”, “uncharted”, and “meagre” (Dörnyei, 2003, p. 26; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Undeniably, in order to enrich the current literature on EFL teacher motivation, further research is needed, particularly in contexts that have not been fully explored as yet. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate EFL teacher motivation in the under-researched context of Polish state secondary schools. This investigation was believed to open an interesting path of research on teacher motivation, especially in the light of recent data (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2016; The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2017) showing a diminishing number of Polish people being attracted to the teaching profession which might be linked to a motivational crisis among Polish teachers.
Context
Educational sector. The Polish educational system is governed by two ministries and administered locally by a three-tier public administration system (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2015). The Ministry of National Education sets standards regarding primary and secondary education whereas the Ministry of Science and Higher Education defines standards at the tertiary level (Eurydice, 2014). Compulsory education is comprised of one-year pre-school preparation and eight years of primary school education (Eurydice, 2019). Although secondary education is not obligatory, the majority of students continue education in four-year secondary schools, five-year technical schools, or two-year vocational schools (Eurydice, 2019). In Poland, 97% of schools are public and the expenditure on education comes predominantly from public sources (OECD, 2015). In 2015, Poland’s investments in the educational sector were below the EU average (OECD, 2015). Nevertheless, such educational investments increased and were above the EU average of 4.6% GDB in 2017 and 4.7% GDB in 2018 (OECD, 2017; European Commission, 2018).
The role of English. Interest in English language has increased dramatically since the fall of Communism in 1989 and Poland’s admission to the European Union in 2004 (Reichelt, 2005). Nowadays, the English language is the most studied foreign language in Poland and continues to be considered as the language of professional and financial success (Reichelt, 2005). Consequently, due to the significance of the English language, English instruction is compulsory at all levels of pre-tertiary school education (Eurydice, 2014).
EFL state secondary school teachers. English language in Polish state secondary schools has to be taught by subject specialist teachers who hold, at the minimum, a Master’s degree in an English related course (Eurydice, 2017). Furthermore, teaching in such schools is impossible without a teacher training qualification (Polish Eurydice, 2015). The working time of teachers employed on a full-time basis should not exceed 40 hours per week and within this time teachers teach classes, prepare for classes, self-educate, and conduct school-related activities (Eurydice, 2014). The mandatory teaching load for secondary school teachers is 18 teaching hours (1 teaching hour equals 45 minutes) (Dziennik Ustaw, 2016). Until 2000, there was no formalised promotion route for teachers in Poland, which had a negative impact on teaching as a career (Johnston, 1997; Kwiatkowski, 2018). However, after the introduction of the teacher professional development system, all Polish state school teachers can obtain the following promotion grades (Kwiatkowski, 2018):
- trainee teacher (9 months’ probation)
- contract teacher (2 years and 9 months’ probation)
- appointed teacher (2 years and 9 months’ probation)
- chartered teacher (2 years and 9 months’ probation)
Entrants to the profession start with the grade of trainee teacher and to be promoted, a successful completion of probation periods is required. After receiving the highest professional grade, teachers with extraordinary professional achievements can also be awarded the honorary title of education professor (Polish Eurydice, 2015). Career stages have a positive effect on teachers’ professional development and income, which increases for the first 20 years of service after which the maximum basic statutory salary is obtained (OECD, 2015). Between 2005 and 2015, Poland experienced one of the largest increases in teacher’s salaries (OECD, 2016). Nonetheless, the salaries remain about 20% lower compared to the average wages of other tertiary-educated workers in the country and are still comparable to the income of people with no university degree (OECD, 2016; Sedlak & Sedlak, 2018).
Literature Review
Motivation
The word motivation is derived from the Latin verb “movere” which means “to move” (Nevid, 2012, p. 261). Arguably, the palette of motivation has so many dimensions that all of the concept’s colours are unlikely to be fully captured by a single definition (Dörnyei, 2001). Several scholars (Evans, 1998; Vroom, 1964; Williams & Burden, 1997) have made attempts to provide a conceptual definition of the term, but these have resulted in rather divergent interpretations. Thus, in a field with little consensus on the precise meaning of the term, Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011, p. 4) suggest that the sole area of agreement for the majority of motivation scholars is that it refers to the “direction” and “magnitude” of human behaviour. In this regard, they define motivation as “the choice of a particular action, the persistence with it, and the effort expanded on it” (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011, p.3). In other words, motivation is responsible for why individuals decide to engage in an activity, how long they are eager to sustain the activity, and how hard they want to pursue it (Dörnyei, 2001).
Teacher Motivation
Teacher motivation, simply put, is the motivation to teach, which in a broader sense can be comparable to the motivation to pursue any activity (Dörnyei, 2001). In the most general terms, teaching is perceived as one of many human behaviours so general theories of motivation have been found useful in conceptualising it (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Among such theories, those believed to shed most light on the concept of teacher motivation include Expectancy-value Theory (Atkinson, 1957), Self-efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977), Goal-setting Theory (Locke & Latham, 1990), and Goal-orientation Theory (Ames, 1992). These theories depict that the way one thinks about one’s abilities, possibilities, potentials, and limitations as well as various aspects of one’s tasks and goals including their value, benefits, or difficulties is a vital determinant of motivation (Dörnyei, 2005). They imply that motivation is located within the individual, though individuals’ cognitions and perceptions may be naturally affected by social and environmental factors (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). There is also Self-determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 1985) with its well-known distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is defined as the performance of an activity “for the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself” which constitutes the primary motivational impetus (Ryan & Deci, 2000a, p. 71). Extrinsic motivation, on the contrary, relates to the performance of an activity in order to achieve a separable outcome (Ryan & Deci, 2000a). Traditionally, this motivation has been perceived as contrasting with and weakening intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000b, p. 55). Self-determination Theory, however, presents them as more unitary entities where motivation for externally defined goals can become self-determined and internalized so that it co-exists with intrinsic motivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011).
Dörnyei’s Model of Motivational Aspects of Teacher Motivation
General theories of motivation make an important contribution to the understanding of teacher motivation. Nevertheless, it is argued that teacher motivation should be seen from a more specific perspective because it refers to a specific professional activity with its own distinctive features (Dörnyei, 2001). In this regard, Dörnyei (2001) identifies four motivational aspects which are claimed to be most pertinent to the motivation of teachers including L2 teachers and which also provide a framework for this study. Their tenets are briefly discussed below:
The intrinsic component of teacher motivation. From the perspective of this motivational aspect, teaching is largely driven by intrinsic motivation and the inner desire of educating others, imparting knowledge, or making a social contribution (Dörnyei, 2001). Csikszentmihalyi (1997) recognises two sources of intrinsic rewards that are particularly relevant to teacher motivation. The first one is the educational process itself, which is related to dealing with students and seeing their educational progress that can be attributed to teachers’ actions (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). The latter is the subject matter, which relates to working in a valued field as well as growing professionally by expanding knowledge and skills (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Additionally, intrinsic motivation is also said to be correlated with self-motivation encompassing self- reflection and positive self-evaluation, which, as Dörnyei and Kubanyiova (2014) suggest, can reignite the initial passion for teaching.
Social contextual influences. This motivational aspect indicates that external socio-contextual factors, which are categorised into macro and micro-contextual influences, affect teacher motivation too (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). The former concerns systemic/societal-level factors, which are determined by work ethos embedded in culturally acknowledged values (Bess, 1997). Since teaching, from a societal angle, is often viewed as a function of great importance that involves educating the next generation of citizens, teachers experience influence from every layer of society, including government representatives and students’ parents (Dörnyei, 2001). With regards to micro-contextual influences, they embrace school- based extrinsic factors such as teaching environment and the characteristics of educational institutions where teachers are employed (Dörnyei, 2001). For example:
- school’s atmosphere and norms
- class size, available teaching resources, and facilities
- collegial relations
- school’s reward, feedback, and decision-making system
- the perception of teacher’s role by authorities and colleagues.
Temporal dimension.Teacher motivation is also claimed to have a temporal dimension that embodies motivation to teach as a lifelong career (Dörnyei, 2001). It has been postulated that teachers are more likely to sustain their motivation to teach if they pursue an open-ended career path on which many varying vocational steps can be taken (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Raynor, 1974). Interestingly, although there is data supporting the existence of a strong correlation between job satisfaction and career advancement opportunities, there is also some evidence indicating that promotion prospects are only useful when employees give significant value to them. For instance, promotion routes might not be essential for EFL teachers who perceive teaching as a temporary occupation that is “easy to enter and leave” (Johnston, 1997, p. 706; Malik et al., 2012). Besides, moving up the career ladder can be disadvantageous for teachers if it involves performing less enjoyable tasks unrelated to teaching (Malik et al., 2012).
The temporal dimension of teacher motivation was also approached by Kubanyiova (2009) who developed three constructs of a teacher self. In her model, an Ideal Language Teacher Self is an envisaged image of a teacher one would ideally like to become which mirrors one’s aspirations, hopes, goals, or wishes (Kubanyiova, 2009). An Ought-to Language Teacher Self, on the contrary, encapsulates the attributes one believes one ought to possess which are the reflection of personal or social duties, obligations, and responsibilities (Dörnyei & Kubanyiova, 2014). Lastly, a Feared Language Teacher Self is a vision of what teachers might become if they fail to reduce the discrepancy between their actual and ideal or ought-to teacher selves (Dörnyei & Kubanyiova, 2014; Ortega, 2009). According to the model, continuous self-regulatory efforts towards reducing the disparity between actual and possible teacher selves are highly liable to generate continuous teacher motivation (Kubanyiova, 2009). Hence, constant attempts to the realisation of the ideal and ought-to self concepts help teachers not only sustain the flame of their motivation, but also guard the flame from burning out.
Negative influences. Teaching as a profession has the potential to provide a feeling of intrinsic fulfilment and, thus, be very motivating for teachers (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Nevertheless, there are studies (e.g., Karsenti & Collin, 2013; O’Brien et al., 2007; Smithers & Robinson, 2003) showing that the number of unmotivated teachers is on the rise in several countries. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that teachers’ intrinsic motivation becomes weaker due to certain detrimental factors. Dörnyei’s (2001) model captures five of them:
- stress
- teacher autonomy inhibition
- insufficient self-efficacy
- content repetitiveness and limited potential for intellectual development
- inadequate career structures.
Teachers’ stress can originate from varied sources, however, it often stems from the fact that teaching usually requires working with young learners which bears huge responsibility, adolescents who might be undisciplined, or demotivated individuals (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Furthermore, a link between teacher autonomy, teacher motivation, and job satisfaction can be found and, thus, teachers should have the freedom to “prescribe the best treatment for their students” (Pearson & Moomaw, 2005, p. 39; Praver & Oga-Baldwin, 2008), for example, by planning their own lessons, choosing their own materials, and creating their own syllabi. Unfortunately, in many contexts, education is a field saturated with institutional, social, or national norms and rules which standardise it (e.g., following curricula; standardised testing). As a result, teacher autonomy is restricted and intrinsic motivation deteriorates (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). In addition, teacher motivation is affected by the level of self-efficacy (Dörnyei, 2001). Arguably, teacher education programmes frequently fail to teach coping and emotional self-regulation skills (Dörnyei, 2001). Consequently, once faced with the reality of school life, teachers might become critical of their effectiveness as educators, which can result in a decreased sense of efficacy and motivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Among other negative influences there are the repetitiveness and routine of many teaching practices which may lead to a lack of intellectual challenge for teachers (Dörnyei, 2001). Finally, since the teaching profession rarely offers promotion prospects, which do not involve a move into management roles and away from classroom practice, it is frequently regarded as a closed career path leading to decreased teacher motivation (Dörnyei, 2001).
Empirical Studies in the EFL Context
A brief presentation of teacher motivation research from different EFL contexts provides a fuller picture of where the field is now. Doyle and Kim (1999) carried out one of the first studies in the EFL teacher motivation context which revealed that Korean EFL and American ESL teachers’ main motivating factors in both teaching contexts were the interest in teaching and the desire to help others learn English. In contrast the malfunctioning of educational system, a lack of project funding, and restricted teaching autonomy were the most demotivating among the EFL teachers.
A comparable study was conducted by Kassabgy et al. (2001) where the combined findings of Egyptian EFL and Hawaiian ESL teachers showed that having a job where one can perform the best of one’s ability, helping students learn English, and having an enjoyable job were most motivating while a relationship with students’ parents, fringe benefits, a prestigious job title, and promotion opportunities were seen as least important. In addition, the participants seemed to be reasonably happy with their jobs and careers.
Among other studies there are those where teacher motivation is examined from a demotivation perspective. In Sugino’s (2010) study of EFL Japanese university teachers, key causes of teacher demotivation encompassed students’ rebellious attitudes, ill-equipped curriculum, fixed teaching materials, unstable employment, and too much paperwork. Aydin (2012) found similar demotivation sources in her case study of an EFL primary school teacher from Turkey including students’ reluctance to learn, workload, and low salary.
Teacher motivation studies were also carried out by Koran (2015) and Ibnian (2016). In the former, the main motivational factors for EFL teachers from Iraq were not only intrinsic but also extrinsic involving student’s success and good relationships with students respectively. Additionally, the majority of participants (83.8%) expressed high satisfaction with their profession. High job satisfaction was also found in Ibnian’s (2016) research of EFL teachers from Jordan who were most motivated by purely extrinsic factors such as job security, colleague cooperation, and work environment. This finding, however, is highly likely to have been caused by Ibnian’s (2016) research instrument, which consisted of only one intrinsic item and, thus, was limited. The least satisfying aspects of work were more parallel with previous studies embracing salary, societal recognition, and career advancement.
More recent research was done by Ipek and Kanatlar (2018) whose study of EFL university and language school teachers from Turkey showed that teaching the subject they liked and were experienced in had a positive impact on their motivation. On the other hand, student demotivation, restricted autonomy, excessive workload, and little support from administration were found to affect their motivation negatively. Lastly, based on the results of Alibakhshi and Nezakatgoo’s (2019) study, factors motivating Iranian EFL teachers were detected. Those mainly included knowledge imparting, helping others acquire English language, growing intellectually, having an enjoyable job, job status, and security.
The overview of EFL empirical studies from various contexts implies that EFL teachers are more motivated by intrinsic rather than extrinsic aspects of their profession which supports Dörnyei and Ushioda’s (2011, p. 161) words that teaching has always been closely related to intrinsic motivation and the internal desire to “educate people, impart knowledge, and values”. Nonetheless, external factors should not be marginalised because a lack of extrinsic rewards, as shown in the studies, can lead to demotivation.
Summing up, the literature review demonstrates that teacher motivation is a complex construct. Although general motivation theories contribute to the conceptualisation of teacher motivation, they are claimed to focus on a rather limited set of mental components, for example, self-efficacy, goals, or achievement beliefs (Sahakyan et al., 2018). Consequently, this study is guided by Dörnyei’s (2001) teacher motivation model, which offers scope for a more multifaceted and holistic understanding of the construct in question so that a bigger picture of who teachers are can be obtained. In addition, based on his model, the main categories of factors affecting EFL teacher motivation were identified, categorised, and reflected in the instruments employed in the research (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Categories of Motivational Factors
Research Questions
Three research questions were posted in the current study:
- What factors do Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland find most motivating?
- What factors do Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland find least motivating?
- What is the current motivation level of Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland?
Method
Research Instruments
A mixed-methods approach (Dörnyei, 2007) was adopted with two instruments, namely a closed-ended questionnaire and a semi-structured interview being employed and used in a sequential explanatory manner. The questionnaire (Appendix 1) was created based on Kassabgy et al.’s (2001) questionnaire, which has proven to be reliable in previous studies (Sözen, 2015; Yau, 2010), as well as Dörnyei’s (2001) model of teacher motivation. This led to the identification of main categories of motivational factors and their items (Table 1) which were subsequently used in the development of the questionnaire. Section A and B of the questionnaire consisted of 35 intrinsic and extrinsic motivation items representing what is perceived by Kassabgy et al. (2001, p. 215) as values- “what is important to individuals” in a work context and rewards- “what one actually gets from a job” respectively. Factual questions due to their sensitive nature were placed in the last section. The interview was guided by a schedule with some pre-planned, open-ended questions eliciting relevant data to supplement quantitative findings (Appendix 2). For increased validity, both instruments were pilot-tested before data collection.
Table 1
Categories and Their Items
Intrinsic motivational factors | Extrinsic motivational factors |
Knowledge imparting Developing my students English language skills. Sharing my knowledge of English language with students. Sharing my knowledge of English-speaking countries and culture with students. Service to society Self-fulfilment Self-vision |
Work autonomy Being allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. Being able to introduce changes at work. Being allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work. Working conditions Advancement prospects External recognition Working atmosphere Work benefits |
Data Collection and Analysis
Prior to data collection, full ethics approval was granted. The questionnaire link was then sent to 33 Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL whose emails had been collected in advance. Additionally, the link was also posted twice on Facebook groups for Polish EFL teachers. Overall, 37 Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland completed the questionnaire. Next, out of these teachers, six were interviewed via Skype/telephone in their L1 for better self-expression (Guvercin, 2010).
For statistical purposes, all questionnaire responses were assigned a number (Table 2) which resulted in obtaining descriptive statistics. Interview data were fully transcribed and coded deductively in accordance with a template reflecting the questionnaire items and their categories, which helped create links between quantitative and qualitative data (Crabtree & Miller, 1999). To preserve data originality and results credibility, interview data were coded in Polish language (Tsai et al., 2004). In addition, a fragment of transcribed data was coded by a second coder and a high agreement of both coded excerpts improved data reliability. After coding, relevant data used in the study was translated into English by the researcher. A fragment of it was also translated by a professional translator and a high agreement between both translated texts enhanced trust in the remaining data translated by the researcher. After data analysis, research results were gathered.
Table 2
Numbers Assigned to Responses
Response | Number assigned | Response |
Not important at all Not important Neither important nor unimportant Important Very important |
1 2 3 4 5 |
Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree |
Results and Discussion
Research Question 1
What factors do Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland find most motivating?
In order to answer the first research question, section A of the questionnaire was used. As a first step, the mean of all value items was calculated. Next, a table (Table 3) of items with the mean score of 4.5 or above was created to depict those rated as the most important and, thus, most motivating. As a last step, qualitative data were added to support the findings, which led to obtaining a more comprehensive answer to the question.
Table 3
Items Rated as the Most Important
Items | Mean ≥ 4.5 |
10. Seeing my students’ success/progress. | 4.89 |
1. Developing my students’ English language skills. |
4.89 |
33. Trying not to become what I believe is a bad teacher. |
4.62 |
7. Having a job where I can do what I love. | 4.59 |
17. Sharing my knowledge of English language with students. |
4.57 |
13. Having a good relationship with my students. | 4.54 |
14. Having job security (e.g., permanent contract). | 4.51 |
Note: Bold denotes intrinsic items whereas non-bold denotes extrinsic items.
As indicated, five out of seven value items rated as the most important are of intrinsic character. Besides, their mean scores are higher compared to the mean of the remaining extrinsic items. Therefore, Polish EFL teachers’ motivation is predominantly of intrinsic nature, which supports the empirical studies elaborated in the literature review (e.g., Doyle & Kim, 1999; Kassabgy et al., 2001) as well as Dörnyei and Ushioda’s (2011) notion that intrinsic factors function as the primary motivational stimulus. Nevertheless, since two extrinsic factors have some major impact on the participants’ motivation too, a key finding is that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors play a significant role in motivating Polish state secondary school EFL teachers but the role of intrinsic factors is of greater significance. Qualitative data provide further insights, for example:
Interviewee 6: “My students’ success is in a way my success. It gives me this internal satisfaction and happiness. When they [students] pass final exams or international exams with flying colours, it literally gives me wings.”
Interviewee 5: “One girl qualified for the next stage of the competition, the nationwide stage and I had this satisfaction that it was me who had contributed a bit to that success.”
Interviewee 1: “It gives me this satisfaction that I can pass on my knowledge and that something actually stays in their [students’] heads and this is probably what I like the most.”
Interviewee 4: “There are some students who also want to know why, why this is wrong, why the -ing cannot be here and then with so much joy I explain why and this is so nice.”
The obtained results support Koran’s (2015) findings and Csikszentmihalyi’s (1997) claim that students’ academic growth attributable to the teacher’s action is one of the main sources of intrinsic rewards which leads to a gratifying sense of self-fulfilment. Among other highly ranked items there are also those representing the category of knowledge imparting which appears to lend support to Alibakhshi and Nezakatgoo’s (2019) study results as well as Dörnyei’s (2001) view that teaching is closely associated with the inner desire to pass knowledge and educate people.
The third item ranked as the most important reflects self-vision which is believed to constitute a powerful motivational self-mechanism for teachers (Dörnyei & Kubanyiova, 2014). Moreover, the fact it was rated so high suggests that teachers’ self-images and teacher motivation are interrelated which underpins the earlier mentioned literature (Dörnyei & Kubanyiova, 2014; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2001) and Kubanyiova’s (2009) model of teacher selves. Surprisingly, the results of participant teachers also depict that a vision of a bad teacher, which is the type of teacher they are afraid of becoming, has a greater influence on their motivation (mean of 4.62) than a vision of an ideal teacher (mean of 3.95). A possible explanation of this can be drawn from the interview comments:
Interviewee 1: “It’s not possible to be an ideal teacher as we are only human beings- we have worse days at times.”
Interviewee 6: “I don’t think anyone could reach perfection, but I try to do what is within my power to be a good teacher.”
Interviewee 5: “I think that an ideal teacher doesn’t exist because everyone has weaknesses. Trying too hard to be ideal isn’t good I think.”
Being a good teacher, as the comments imply, seems to be more feasible than being an ideal teacher. Therefore, trying to become an ideal teacher might be regarded by some Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL as unachievable, and consequently less relevant to their possible future selves. Additionally, the qualitative data also reveal that all of the interviewed participants have well-defined definitions of a bad teacher, for instance:
Interviewee 1: “Bad teacher just by entering the classroom fills their students with fear and also enforces military-style discipline. I had such a teacher myself and even though I learned quite a lot from her lessons, it happened at some expense- we were all scared to say a word in the class.”
Interviewee 3: “There are three types of bad teachers, the first one is a celebrity teacher who gives only fascinating lessons probably without covering the curriculum […] Another type is a boring teacher who covers only the curriculum using materials from one publisher and whose lessons can’t fascinate students. The third type is an aggressive teacher, I mean verbally aggressive who humiliates students.”
Interviewee 6: “I see bad teachers as robots programmed to do the lesson and leave the classroom. Some of my teachers were like that, so I know they do more harm than good.”
This may suggest that the concept of a bad teacher is perceived as less abstract. As a result, trying not to be a bad teacher might be seen as more possible and, hence, more important to teacher self. In addition, it can be stated that a vision of a bad teacher is often built on teachers’ negative experiences as students which can explain why it is more relevant to teacher self and motivation. Nevertheless, further investigation in this area is still needed to gain a clearer picture of how this concept influences teacher motivation.
The next valued item represents the category of self-fulfilment. Interestingly, the item was not among the most motivating factors in any of the EFL studies mentioned in the literature review which seems to be surprising because, as Pennington (1990) states, work consumes a large proportion of people’s time so doing what one enjoys the most seems to be vital. Nonetheless, the study result of Kassabgy et al. (2001) as well as Alibakhshi and Nezakatgoo (2019) showing that having an enjoyable job is important for ESL/EFL teachers is linked to doing what one loves and, thus, corresponding to the finding of the present study. The interview data provide more explanation:
Interviewee 4: “We devote several hours of our time to work and if you do what you don’t like, then you start feeling more and more exhausted.”
Interviewee 2: “Just because I like what I’m doing, I’m still doing it.”
Interviewee 1: “I can see it [becoming a teacher] was the best choice I could have ever made and something that I could say I love now.”
The last two motivational items are of extrinsic nature. The former is associated with working atmosphere and depicts that Polish state secondary school EFL teachers attach major importance to relationships with their students. This is supported by interview data, for example:
Interviewee 4: “Knowing that 18 pairs of eyes look at me with dislike and hate would be a horrible feeling. […] If I go to a class aware that the class likes me, then this makes me feel good.”
Interviewee 5: “I really like working with adolescents and I have great contact with them which works as my driving force.”
Drawing on the comments, negative student-teacher relationship could possibly make the classroom atmosphere uncomfortable resulting in demotivation affecting both parties. Hence, it is understandable that this factor was highly rated in the present study as well as Koran’s (2015) research. It is also worth noticing that the interview data suggest that a good relationship with students can give teachers a feeling of self-fulfilment, which is known to be correlated with intrinsic motivation. Consequently, this extrinsic factor might not be strictly extrinsic – an interesting finding for further research.
The last item ranked as the most important pertains to work benefits. As shown in the literature review (Sugino, 2010), a lack of employment security can be one of the primary causes of teacher demotivation. Thus, the fact Polish EFL teachers rated this extrinsic factor so high can be fully understood. The qualitative data provide more insights into this factor’s strong motivational impact:
Interviewee 5: “It [job security] makes a teacher’s life easier, teacher feels safe at work.”
Interviewee 1: “The feeling of stress when you’re not sure if they [employers] are going to extend your contract is horrifying. I have my own family, kids- I just can’t be financially unstable.”
Summing up, the analysis of the research data has led to the identification of the most motivating factors for Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL which are related to knowledge imparting, self-fulfilment, self-vision, working atmosphere, and work benefits.
Research Question 2
What factors do Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland find least motivating?
To answer this question, section A of the questionnaire was used. As a first step a table (Table 4) of items with the mean below 3.5 was generated to depict items rated as the least important and, thus, least motivating. Next, qualitative data were added to obtain a more precise answer to the research question.
Table 4
Items Rated as the Least Important
Items | Mean < 3.5 |
15. Making a contribution to Polish society. | 3.49 |
19. Making a contribution to the world and its global citizens. | 3.35 |
5. Working in a highly reputable institution. | 3.3 |
30. Having a prestigious profession. | 3.3 |
28. Educating students who are Polish citizens. |
2.68 |
Note: Bold denotes intrinsic items whereas non-bold denotes extrinsic items.
As shown in the table, three out of five value items rated as the least important are intrinsic whereas the remaining two are of extrinsic character. Therefore, it can be concluded that although Polish state secondary school EFL teachers are rather intrinsically motivated, there are some intrinsic factors, which do not seem to have a major influence on their teacher motivation. Interestingly, all of these intrinsic factors reflect the motivational category of service to society, which according to some of the literature is of great motivational power (Dörnyei, 2001; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Hence, the findings appear to be in contradiction to such literature showing that teaching and the desire to advance communities or nations may not be closely related.
Nevertheless, it is worth noticing that another item reflecting the same category, namely “Making a positive change to my students’ lives” with the mean of 4.41 was rated much higher so it can be concluded that societal service has some impact on the participants’ motivation but from a less national and global perspective. Some of the interview data provide more clarification:
Interviewee 3: “I see my contribution much more from the perspective of developing individuals rather than nations. I try to keep some modesty because it sounds a bit narcissistic to say- yes, I shape the whole society and the world.”
Interviewee 5: “I don’t feel that my efforts improve the world or Polish society. I feel it on a smaller scale. I’m happy with students’ success but on the scale of my class, school, not in the categories of my country or the world.”
Polish state secondary school EFL teachers, as comments suggest, find service to society motivating but primarily at an individual level encompassing students rather than a wider level embracing their country or the entire world. A possible reason behind this might be that they are simply too modest to realise or admit how major their educational contributions are which, in turn, may result in attaching lower significance to this motivational factor.
In terms of the last least important intrinsic factor, it is evident that nationality does not play any considerable role in motivating the participant teachers. All of the interviewees supported this result, for example:
Interviewee 6: “It’s not about where they [students] are from but about teaching English. I’ve taught many nationals, from China, the Czech Republic, or Spain and I had no problem with it. I’m happy teaching the Polish but it’s not like I couldn’t be happy teaching foreigners.”
Interviewee 3: “Their [students’] background has no meaning to me but if I have a student from an ethnic minority group, there are certain subjects I won’t raise.”
This indicates that Polish EFL teachers do not feel any special pride associated with teaching their compatriots that could not be experienced while teaching different nationals. Hence, the data confirm that this aspect of societal service is of little motivational importance to them and the underlying reason for this is likely to be that it is teaching itself that motivates them rather than the nationality of their students.
With regards to extrinsic items, the ones rated as the least motivational are both linked to external recognition. The first of them refers to working in a reputable institution. To gain a clearer picture of what lies behind this finding, some interview comments are quoted:
Interviewee 1: “I don’t feel any worse as a teacher just because the school I’m working in isn’t the most prestigious. It doesn’t affect me, every school has good and bad students and working in a better school doesn’t make you a better teacher.”
Interviewee 6: “I don’t really pay attention to school reputation. It’s not schools I care about, but students.”
Based on the qualitative evidence, it can be claimed that there is little connection between a school status and the participant teachers’ attitudes towards their work and work outcomes.
The second least motivating extrinsic item reflects professional prestige, which corresponds to the results of Kassabgy et al. (2001) but contradicts Alibakhshi and Nezakatgoo’s (2019) study findings. The reason why this factor was rated so low by Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL is best illustrated by some of the interviewees’ comments:
Interviewee 6: “Teaching is not as prestigious as some of the other professions, but if it was all about prestige, I would be a lawyer, a judge, or a doctor now. I want to do what I enjoy the most and what I can do best, not what others think is better.”
Interviewee 1: “Being a teacher can be seen as shameful nowadays. We have more and more responsibilities and fewer rights; we are less respected and often blamed for students’ failures. But there are still individuals, individuals like me, who have chosen to do this job so for me job prestige is rather in the background.”
As suggested in comments, teaching profession might not be highly regarded in Poland and deemed very prestigious by Polish society. Nonetheless, there are still people who pursue a teaching career and who do not get discouraged from teaching despite the criticism their profession receives sometimes. Consequently, occupational prestige is not what motivates Polish EFL teachers to teach and what helps them stay motivated.
To sum up, the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data has resulted in the identification of the least motivating factors for Polish state secondary school EFL teachers, which are associated with external recognition and service to society.
Research Question 3
What is the current motivational level of Polish EFL teachers working in state secondary schools in Poland?
To answer this question, the questionnaire results from section A and B were used. As a first step, tables of the most motivating (Mean ≥ 4.5), motivating (4.5 > Mean ≥ 4), and somewhat motivating (4 > Mean ≥ 3.5) value items from section A with their means were created because due to the items’ major impact on the participant teachers’ motivation they were found to be the most appropriate in determining the teachers’ motivation level. Next, the numerical mean scores of section B reward items were calculated and placed next to their corresponding value items in tables (Table 5-7). As a next step, section B items with a reward mean of 4 or over were defined as the rewards teachers got from their jobs whereas items with a reward mean below 4 were defined as those teachers did not get from their jobs. Then, what served as an indication of Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation level was their experience of motivational factors at work expressed by the perceived level of the rewards they received from their jobs.
Experience of motivational factors.
Table 5
Rewards of the Most Motivating Items
Value items (Mean ≥ 4.5 ) | Value mean | Reward items | Reward mean | |
10. Seeing my students’ success/progress. | 4.89 | 10. I can see my students’ success/progress. |
4.19 | ✓ |
1. Developing my students’ English language skills. |
4.89 | 1. I develop my students’ English language skills. |
4.32 | ✓ |
33. Trying not to become what I believe is a bad teacher |
4.62 | 33. I try not to become what I believe is a bad teacher |
4.49 | ✓ |
7. Having a job where I can do what I love. |
4.59 | 7. I have a job where I can do what I love. |
4 | ✓ |
17. Sharing my knowledge of English language with students | 4.57 | 17. I share my knowledge of English language with students | 4.59 | ✓ |
13. Having a good relationship with my students. | 4.54 | 13. I have a good relationship with my students. | 4.27 | ✓ |
14. Having job security (e.g., permanent contract). | 4.51 | 14. I have job security (e.g. permanent contract). | 4 | ✓ |
Note: Bold denotes intrinsic items whereas non-bold denotes extrinsic items. ✓ denotes rewards teachers receive whereas X denotes rewards they do not receive.
As shown above, all of the reward items corresponding to the most motivating value items have a mean score of 4 and over which means that the rewards teachers attach most significance to are also the rewards they get from their jobs. Therefore, the most motivating aspects of work for the teachers in question seem to be satisfied.
Table 6
Rewards of Motivating Items
Value items (4.5 > Mean ≥ 4) | Value mean | Reward items | Reward mean | |
34. Having a job where I can do what I am best at. | 4.49 | 34. I have a job where I can do what I am best at. | 3.95 | X |
3. Making a positive change to my students’ lives. | 4.41 | 3. I think I make a positive change to my students’ lives | 3.84 | X |
9. Being allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. | 4.3 | 9. I am allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. | 4.22 | ✓ |
8. Aiming to become the type of teacher I have always wanted to be. | 4.27 | 8. I aim to become the type of teacher I have always wanted to be. | 4.11 | ✓ |
20. Having a job where I can fully develop my teaching skills. | 4.27 | 20. I have a job where I can fully develop my teaching skills. | 3.65 | X |
32. Sharing my knowledge of English speaking countries and culture with my students. | 4.27 | 32. I share my knowledge of English speaking countries and culture with my students. | 4.35 | ✓ |
31. Being allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work | 4.24 | 31. I am allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work | 4.19 | ✓ |
16. Having a manageable workload. | 4.19 | 16. I have a manageable workload. | 3.14 | X |
4. Having a good relationship with my employer | 4.11 | 4. I have a good relationship with my employer | 3.65 | X |
11. Having convenient working hours. | 4.11 | 11. I have convenient working hours. | 3.51 | X |
12. Being recognised for my achievements. | 4.08 | 12. I am recognised for my achievements. | 3.24 | X |
23. Teaching motivated to learn students. | 4.08 | 23. My students are motivated to learn. | 3.51 | X |
25. Having a long and paid summer holiday. | 4 | 25. I have a long and paid summer holiday. | 4.03 | ✓ |
2. Receiving a high salary. | 4 | 2. I receive a high salary. | 2.22 | X |
29. Having an employer who invests in my professional development. | 4 | 29. My employer invests in my professional development. | 2.78 | X |
Note: Bold denotes intrinsic items whereas non-bold denotes extrinsic items. ✓denotes rewards teachers receive whereas X denotes rewards they do not receive.
In terms of the rewards reflecting motivating items, it can be observed that out of 15 rewards Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL attach importance to, only five are the rewards they actually get from their jobs. Hence, it can be stated that the motivating aspects of their work are largely unsatisfied.
Table 7
Rewards of Somewhat Motivating Items
Value items (4 > Mean ≥ 3.5) | Value mean | Reward items | Reward mean | |
35. Having a good relationship with my colleagues. | 3.97 | 35. I have a good relationship with my colleagues. | 4 | ✓ |
18. Working in a well-equipped school (e.g., PCs, IWBs, projectors). | 3.95 | 18. I work in a well-equipped school (e.g. PCs, IWBs, projectors). | 3.38 | X |
21. Being able to introduce changes at work. | 3.95 | 21. I am able to introduce changes at work. | 3.51 | X |
24. Trying to become what I believe is an ideal teacher | 3.95 | 24. I try to become what I believe is an ideal teacher | 4.03 | ✓ |
26. Having a job which challenges me. | 3.92 | 26. My job challenges me. | 3.76 | X |
27. Having access to varied teaching materials at work. | 3.86 | 27. I have access to varied teaching materials at work. | 3.19 | X |
22. Receiving regular feedback on my work performance. | 3.68 | 22. I receive regular feedback on my work performance. | 3.11 | X |
6. Having promotion prospects. | 3.62 | 6. I have promotion prospects. | 3 | X |
Note: Bold denotes intrinsic items whereas non-bold denotes extrinsic items. ✓ denotes rewards teachers receive whereas X denotes rewards they do not receive.
Lastly, the participant teachers receive two out of eight rewards reflecting somewhat motivating items, which indicates that they are likely to be dissatisfied with these aspects of their work.
Overall, out of 30 rewards valued by the teachers in question, 14 rewards (47%) are the ones they get from their jobs as opposed to 16 (53%) which are not received. Therefore, it can be concluded that Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ experience of motivational factors in a work context is only moderately positive and satisfactory.
Disparity between values and rewards. To gain a better insight into Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation level, discrepancies between the reward and value means were measured (Table 8).
Table 8
Discrepancy Between Reward and Value Items
Items | Value mean | Reward mean | Discrepancy |
1. I develop my students’ English language skills. | 4.89 | 4.32 | -11.65% |
10. I can see my students’ success/progress. | 4.89 | 4.19 | -14.31% |
33. I try not to become what I believe is a bad teacher | 4.62 | 4.49 | -2.81% |
7. I have a job where I can do what I love. | 4.59 | 4 | -12.85% |
17. I share my knowledge of English language with students. | 4.57 | 4.59 | 0.43% |
13. I have a good relationship with my students. | 4.54 | 4.27 | -5.94% |
14. I have job security (e.g., permanent contract). | 4.51 | 4 | -11.30% |
34. I have a job where I can do what I am best at. | 4.49 | 3.95 | -12.02% |
3. I think I make a positive change to my students’ lives. | 4.41 | 3.84 | -12.92% |
9. I am allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. | 4.3 | 4.22 | -1.86% |
8. I aim to become the type of teacher I have always wanted to be. | 4.27 | 4.11 | -3.74% |
20. I have a job where I can fully develop my teaching skills. | 4.27 | 3.65 | -14.51% |
32. I share my knowledge of English speaking countries and culture with my students. | 4.27 | 4.35 | 1.87% |
31. I am allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work. | 4.24 | 4.19 | -1.17% |
16. I have a manageable workload. | 4.19 | 3.14 | -25.05% |
4. I have a good relationship with my employer | 4.11 | 3.65 | -11.19% |
11. I have convenient working hours. | 4.11 | 3.51 | -14.59% |
12. I am recognised for my achievements. | 4.08 | 3.24 | -20.58% |
23. My students are motivated to learn. | 4.08 | 3.51 | -13.97% |
25. I have a long and paid summer holiday. | 4 | 4.03 | 0.75% |
2. I receive a high salary. | 4 | 2.22 | -44.50% |
29. My employer invests in my professional development. | 4 | 2.78 | -30.50% |
35. I have a good relationship with my colleagues. | 3.97 | 4 | 0.75% |
18. I work in a well-equipped school (e.g., PCs, IWBs, projectors). | 3.95 | 3.38 | -14.43% |
21. I am able to introduce changes at work. | 3.95 | 3.51 | -11.13% |
24. I try to become what I believe is an ideal teacher. | 3.95 | 4.03 | 2.02% |
26. My job challenges me. | 3.92 | 3.76 | -4.08% |
27. I have access to varied teaching materials at work. | 3.86 | 3.19 | -17.35% |
22. I receive regular feedback on my work performance. | 3.68 | 3.11 | -15.48% |
6. I have promotion prospects. | 3.62 | 3 | -17.12% |
The gathered results reveal that the vast majority of the reward means do not exceed or match the mean scores of their corresponding value items. This suggests that the participant teachers’ experience of motivational factors in a work context is not exactly the way they would ideally like it to be. Furthermore, the results also depict that the means of some reward items they do not receive from their jobs are considerably low compared to those of their equivalent value items. Consequently, such reward items can be seen as representing the aspects of work Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL are most dissatisfied with and which are most likely to have a very negative impact on their motivation level. The items are presented in Figure 2 and then discussed.
Figure 2
Items with the Biggest Discrepancy in Rewards
As indicated, the participant teachers are most displeased with the amount of salary they receive and this aspect of the teaching profession was also disappointing for most of the interviewed teachers, for example:
Interviewee 1: “Now I’m working for pittance which is sad as I need to provide for my family. It would be good if our salary was adequate to what we do. Teachers don’t work at school only but also at home and it’s much more than just 40 hours a week.”
Interviewee 6: “I work additionally in a language school and I do private tutoring too and then because of it, I often feel drained mentally and physically. I wouldn’t work so much if my income was decent.”
Even though receiving a high salary is not among the most motivating factors, it is still important to many participating teachers because as one of the interviewees said: “We can talk about laudable aims and advancing societies but let’s not hide that we also work for money” (Interviewee 4). Besides, some studies (e.g., Aydin, 2012; Ibnian, 2016) confirm that low wages are frequently a source of teacher demotivation.
The next dissatisfying item is linked to career advancement, particularly to the investments made in teachers’ professional development. The qualitative data provide more insights into the issue showing that Polish state secondary school EFL teachers are willing to advance professionally but their development opportunities are often limited by financial costs and work commitments:
Interviewee 5: “The problem is that it [developing professionally] costs money and head teachers are not willing to give us funds for that so it’s a vicious circle. Besides, funds available for such things are not sufficient for every teacher.”
Interviewee 1: “My employer [head teacher] doesn’t invest in my development, and when I want to attend, for example, a short training session for my own money, I’m still restricted because, for example, I have to be in work on Friday.”
Another aspect of work that appears to be demotivating for the teachers in question is their workload. Drawing on the quantitative data, it can be noticed that their workload may be too heavy and this finding coincides with the ones of other teacher motivation studies (e.g., Aydin, 2012; Ipek & Kanatlar, 2018) in which a linkage between huge workloads and decreased motivation was found. More light on this matter is shed by qualitative data:
Interviewee 6: “What stresses me out is that I feel I’m constantly at work. It’s not like I finish work and I go home. I literally take work home with me. I always have something to do- marking, lesson planning, or paperwork.”
Interviewee 4: “I normally cook and play with my kids a bit, then I go back to my work duties and I sit from 5 or 7 until 11 at night. Workload is enormous. My students normally have 16-17 marks each and I have 6 or 7 groups of 18 people so I’m bombarded with tests, marking, planning.”
The data support the quantitative findings implying that being an EFL teacher involves much more than just teaching at school since the list of teacher duties is often very long. As a result, many teachers might feel overburdened with the amount of work, which may subsequently lead to a feeling of job dissatisfaction and demotivation.
Lastly, the questionnaire data depict that Polish state secondary school teachers of EFL may not feel recognised for their achievements. In order to find out what might possibly lie behind this result, interview comments are cited:
Interviewee 1: “I won’t hear from my employer [head teacher] “You did very well” or “It was good”, instead there is silence or “You could have done this and that”, “Why did you do it that way”. There is no praise but criticism.”
Interviewee 5: “The word ‘thank you’ comes out more often from students than the head teacher.”
One of the reasons Polish EFL teachers do not feel recognised for their achievements might be closely linked to their relationship with head teachers who employ them. The qualitative data suggest that head teachers might be overly critical rather than supportive. Nevertheless, there might be other reasons explaining this phenomenon so further research in this aspect of work is needed.
In conclusion, all the key findings from the study imply that Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation is neither significantly high nor significantly low. In other words, the participant teachers experience of motivational factors in a work context is somewhere between positive and negative. Therefore, the preceding findings provide an answer to the last research question by showing that the overall motivation level of Polish EFL teachers working in Polish state secondary schools is rather moderate.
Conclusion
Implications
Teacher motivation to teach is one of the primary constituents of learners’ motivation to learn (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Therefore, researching EFL teacher motivation is of great significance, especially in the light of declining attractiveness of the teaching profession in Poland and the fact that Polish EFL teacher motivation is still largely unexplored territory. In the current study, the underlying factors contributing to Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation and demotivation have been identified. Based on them, several implications arise indicating the aspects of teaching profession which require most improvement in order to strengthen the motivation of Polish state secondary school EFL teachers and enhance the overall perception of a teaching career in the country.
Firstly, teacher pay, as shown in the research, seems to be a motivational issue so its review by the Polish government might result in increasing Polish EFL teachers’ motivation. Moreover, the problem of heavy workload needs addressing too, for example, by reducing class sizes and ensuring that the curriculum is not overloaded. More funding and time for occupational development from the Ministry of National Education and head teachers might have a motivating effect on state secondary school teachers of EFL whose professional development opportunities are often constrained. Besides, supporting professional development could enable EFL teachers to apply more innovative practices and, thus, improve overall EFL education in Polish state secondary schools. In addition, there is evidence revealing that recognition given to teachers by head teachers is not sufficient enough. Therefore, regular one-to-one meetings with teachers during which constructive feedback involving positive appraisal would be provided by head teachers could make them feel more appreciated and motivated. Finally, Polish state secondary school EFL teachers whose motivation was found in the study to be predominantly intrinsic could benefit from self-motivation which is thought to sustain intrinsic motivation (Dörnyei, 2001). Consequently, the promotion of self-motivation by the Ministry of National Education or head teachers could be considered. This, for example, could be done by organising regular sessions at schools that would be part of teachers’ professional development included in their existing workload. During such sessions, teachers from the same school could meet together and work on the important aspects of self-motivation such as self-reflection and positive self-evaluation which are believed to help maintain and rekindle the intrinsic passion that brought teachers into teaching (Dörnyei & Kubanyiova, 2014). Additionally, such sessions could also lead to an overall improvement of coping and emotional self-regulation skills, which are interrelated with higher self-efficacy and teacher motivation (Dörnyei, 2001).
Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research
Due to the use of non-probability convenience sampling and participant self-selection, the generalisability of research results might have been constrained (Brown, 2014). Nevertheless, the research is of great importance as it brings many insights into the researched topic which lay the foundations for more generalisable studies. Furthermore, the implications stemming from the current study indicate areas for future research. For instance, research into the impact of positive feedback from head teachers and self- motivation sessions at schools on Polish state secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation could be conducted. Moreover, the correlation between Polish EFL teachers’ negative experiences as students and their teacher motivation could be investigated too. Lastly, the study can also be an important starting point for similar studies in other teaching contexts, which could provide a better understanding of the concept of teacher motivation within different national and cultural settings.
About the Authors
Pamela Emilia Stężycka is an English language teacher. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from the University of Salford. Her main areas of interests are teacher and learner motivation, professional development in teaching, language learning psychology, online teaching as well as the use of technology in teaching.
Siân Etherington is a lecturer in the University of Salford. Her research interests relate to individual differences in second language learning and teaching, with a particular focus on teacher psychology and the role of positive emotion in pedagogy.
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Appendix 1
Content of the Online Questionnaire
Teacher motivation |
QUESTIONNAIRE.
This questionnaire is conducted in order to gain a better understanding of Polish secondary school EFL teachers’ motivation. The questionnaire consists of four sections and your participation is entirely voluntary. This is not a test so there are no “right” or “wrong” answers and your name is not required. Please read each instruction and select your answers. The questionnaire is anonymous as well as confidential and its results will be used only for the purpose of my research. I am interested in your opinion and I would be grateful for honest answers.
THANK YOU for help.
SECTION A. Please indicate how much the following statement are important to you by choosing one of the five response options.
Not important at all | Not important | Neither important nor unimportant | Important | Very important | |
1. Developing my students’ English language skills. | |||||
2. Receiving a high salary. | |||||
3. Making a positive change to my students’ lives. | |||||
4. Having a good relationship with my employer. | |||||
5. Working in a highly reputable institution. | |||||
6. Having promotion prospects. | |||||
7. Having a job where I can do what I love. | |||||
8. Aiming to become the type of teacher I have always wanted to be. | |||||
9. Being allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. | |||||
10. Seeing my students’ success/progress. | |||||
11. Having convenient working hours. | |||||
12. Being recognised for my achievements. | |||||
13. Having a good relationship with my students. | |||||
14. Having job security (e.g., permanent contract). | |||||
15. Making a contribution to Polish society. | |||||
16. Having a manageable workload. | |||||
17. Sharing my knowledge of English language with students. | |||||
18. Working in a well-equipped school (e.g., PCs, IWBs, projectors). | |||||
19. Making a contribution to the world and its global citizens. | |||||
20. Having a job where I can fully develop my teaching skills. | |||||
21. Being able to introduce changes at work. | |||||
22. Receiving regular feedback on my work performance. | |||||
23. Teaching motivated to learn students. | |||||
24. Trying to become what I believe is an ideal teacher. | |||||
25. Having a long and paid summer holiday. | |||||
26. Having a job which challenges me. | |||||
27. Having access to varied teaching materials at work. | |||||
28. Educating students who are Polish citizens. | |||||
29. Having an employer who invests in my professional development. | |||||
30. Having a prestigious profession. | |||||
31. Being allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work. | |||||
32. Sharing my knowledge of English speaking countries and culture with my students | |||||
33. Trying not to become what I believe is a bad teacher. | |||||
34. Having a job where I can do what I am best at. | |||||
35. Having a good relationship with my colleagues. |
SECTION B. Please indicate how much you agree with the following statements by choosing one of the five response options. Please think about your current job when rating the statements.
Strongly disagree | Disagree | Neither agree not disagree | Agree | Strongly agree | |
1. I develop my students’ English language skills. | |||||
2. I receive a high salary. | |||||
3. I think I make a positive change to my students’ lives. | |||||
4. I have a good relationship with my employer. | |||||
5. I work in a highly reputable institution. | |||||
6. I have promotion prospects. | |||||
7. I have a job where I can do what I love. | |||||
8. I aim to become the type of teacher I have always wanted to be. | |||||
9. I am allowed to choose and use my own teaching materials. | |||||
10. I can see my students’ success/ progress. | |||||
11. I have convenient working hours. | |||||
12. I am recognised for my achievements. | |||||
13. I have a good relationship with my students. | |||||
14. I have job security (e.g. permanent contract). | |||||
15. I think I make a contribution to Polish society. | |||||
16. I have a manageable workload. | |||||
17. I share my knowledge of English language with students. | |||||
18. I work in a well-equipped school (e.g. PCs, IWBs, projectors). | |||||
19. I think I make a contribution to the world and its global citizens. | |||||
20. I have a job where I can fully develop my teaching skills. | |||||
21. I am able to introduce changes at work. | |||||
22. I receive regular feedback on my work performance. | |||||
23. My students are motivated to learn. | |||||
24. I try to become what I believe is an ideal teacher. | |||||
25. I have a long and paid summer holiday. | |||||
26. My job challenges me. | |||||
27. I have access to varied teaching materials at work. | |||||
28. I educate students who are Polish citizens. | |||||
29. My employer invests in my professional development. | |||||
30. My profession is prestigious. | |||||
31. I am allowed to use my own teaching methods/techniques at work. | |||||
32. I share my knowledge of English speaking countries and culture with my students | |||||
33. I try not to become what I believe is a bad teacher. | |||||
34. I have a job where I can do what I am best at. | |||||
35. I have a good relationship with my colleagues. |
SECTION C. Please answer the questions you feel most comfortable with.
What is your gender?
Male Female
What is your age? 23 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 or older
How much English language teaching experience have you got?
1 to 5 years 6 to 10 years 11 to 15 years 16 to 20 years more than 20 years
How long have you been working at your current workplace?
1 to 5 years 6 to 10 years 11 to 15 years 16 to 20 years more than 20 years
If you would like to be contacted for a short follow-up interview, please type your email address in the box below.
If you would like to receive my research findings, please type your email address in the box below.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND PRECIOUS TIME 🙂
Appendix 2
Interview Schedule Used During the Interviews
Pytania rozluźniające atmosferę. (Ice-breaking questions)
1. Jak mijają Pani/ Panu wakacje? (How is your holiday going so far?)
2. Czy odwiedziła Pani/Pan jakieś ciekawe miejsca? (Have you visited any interesting places?)
- Główne pytania. (Main questions)
1. Co rozumie Pani/Pan pod pojęciem ‘motywacja nauczyciela’ i jakie znaczenia ma dla
Pani/Pana motywacja nauczyciela? (What do you understand by the term ‘teacher motivation’ and what does teacher motivation mean to you?)
2. Dlaczego została Pani/Pan nauczycielem języka angielskiego? (Why did you become an English teacher?)
3. Myśląc o swojej obecnej pracy, czy pamięta Pani/Pan wyjątkowy moment bądź momenty dzięki którym czuła się Pani/Pan dumna z bycia nauczycielem języka angielskiego? (Thinking about your current job. Do you remember any special moment that made you feel proud of being an English teacher?)
4. Myśląc o swojej obecnej pracy, czy pamięta Pani/Pan moment bądź momenty przez które żałowala Pani/Pan, że jest nauczycielem języka angielskiego? (Thinking about your current job. Do you remember any moment that made you feel regret being an English teacher?)
5. W Pani/Pana ankiecie zaznaczyła Pani/Pan………, dlaczego? czy może Pani/Pan powiedzieć nieco więcej na ten temat? (In your questionnaire, you said that…..Why? Could you expand on that?)
6. Wielu nauczycieli, łącznie ze mną, myśli czasami o zmianie kariery albo pracy. Czy myśli Pani/Pan czasami o zmianie kariery czy obecnej pracy? Dlaczego?, dlaczego nie? (Many teachers, including me, think sometimes about changing their career or job. Do you think sometimes about changing your career or current job? Why? Why not?)
7. Czy chciałaby Pani/Pan dodać coś jeszcze? (Would you like to add anything else?)
- Pytania kończące. (Final questions)
1. Jakie są Pani/Pana plany na resztę dnia? (What are your plans for the rest of the day?)
2. Czy ma Pan/Pani wiecej wakacyjnych planów? (Have you got more holiday plans?)
Dziękuje badzo za Pani/Pana cenny czas. (Thank you for your precious time.)
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