For that reason, the aim of this study is to examine the motivation level affected by common motivational factors of the English teachers at the center.. Therefore, the thesis “Factors a
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Nelson Mandela once expressed his point of view on the importance of education as follows: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” In a different speech, he also specified further his statement: “Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles It only requires lowering the quality of education…The collapse of education is the collapse of the Nation” The significance of education for any countries at any scope has never been doubted or underrated And of course, for developing countries including Vietnam, the education system requires a serious, continuous, and careful attention Education is so important that it is not an exaggeration to say if Vietnam wants to keep up with international superpowers, the education system plays one of the most vital roles
Looking at the long history of Vietnamese learning traditions and the characteristics of Vietnamese people, teachers are the ones who ensure the quality of knowledge provided to students or learners It can be said that teachers are the ones who have the most direct influence on the quality of education, positively or negatively, since they are responsible for the knowledge conveyance As a result, the teachers should always be motivated in order for the educational institutions, in particular, and Vietnam education system, in general, to operate effectively
However, it is not difficult to see that the teachers’ motivation has been a matter of concern in Vietnam throughout recent times The Minister of Education and Training,
Mr Nguyen Kim Son (2023), in an interview with Tien Phong newspaper before the new school year, stated that during the 3-year period from August 2020 to August 2023, the total number of school teachers resigning or leaving their jobs reached over the number of 40,000 teachers This is a very alarming situation for the Vietnamese education system The teachers’ motivation is a great matter since it can be the decisive factor leading to high-quality outcomes for the students.
Background of the study
Learning English has become a common practice in Vietnam, especially among students The reality has shown that many parents tend to send their children to extra English classes before and during school time This is due to the fact that English skills have been considered as a valuable asset to have in an integrating and competitive world Furthermore, English certificates, namely IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, are now widely accepted and required by many secondary schools, high schools and even universities to be the testament to the students' English proficiency The ability to become proficient in English and obtain English certificates can provide students with numerous open opportunities, including admission to their desired schools or universities, studying abroad, and having more diverse jobs options
In Vietnam, the teachers generally play one of the vital roles in ensuring the quality of the learners’ knowledge It is rather undeniable that the more motivated the English teachers are, the better the transmission of the English knowledge to students is The lack of motivation among teachers may not only severely and negatively affect the students but also the centers or the schools where these unmotivated teachers are working at To be specific, the quality of English knowledge transmitted to students will be seriously affected, consequently, the reputation of the English centers or schools will be negatively impacted Therefore, the schools’ principals and the English centers’ administrators should pay attention to ensuring the motivation among teachers Undoubtedly, having motivated teachers can be regarded as one of the primary factors contributing to the success and development of an educational institution The schools or the educational center can maintain their teachers’ motivation by understanding what factors have positive impact on the teachers and providing them with appropriate support and resources related to those factors
Several international studies on the effect of motivational factors on the teachers’ motivation have been conducted before However, in Vietnam there has been a limited number of studies on this topic in the context of schools or educational centers
Therefore, the thesis “Factors affecting teachers’ motivation: A case study at an
English center in Hanoi” is conducted with the purpose of examining the motivation level affected by common motivational factors of the English teachers at the surveyed English center in Hanoi Afterward, appropriate recommendations can be proposed to the center’s administrators on what their teachers should be provided with to be more stimulated to work and teach.
Objectives of the study
This study aims to examine the common motivational factors that affect the teachers’ motivation among the English teachers at the surveyed English center in Hanoi Additionally, it seeks to propose suggestions to the center’s management on what they should do and provide to their teacher staff to ensure their enthusiasm
The specific objectives of the thesis consist of:
- Stating the motivation level of teachers affected by the 17 common motivational factors (including “responsibility”, “salary”, “sense of achievement”, “potential for professional growth”, “job security and stability”, “working conditions”,
“interaction with students”, “status”, “recognition”, “potential for advancement”,
“interaction with administrators”, “policies”, “the work itself”, “interaction with other teachers”, “teacher evaluation”, “supervision by supervisors” and
“teaching’s impacts on personal life”)
- Identifying the differences, if there are, between the answers of teachers with different gender
- Proposing suggestions to the center’s administrators on what they should do and provide to their teachers to ensure their motivation properly.
Significance of the study
This study is based on the viewpoints of the teachers working at the surveyed English center in Hanoi to examine the teachers’ motivation level affected by motivational factors For that reason, the English center will be the primary beneficiary From the outcomes, the center’s administrators can use the findings and the proposed suggestions to improve their teachers’ motivation properly This thesis will not only provide the center’s management with a general understanding of the factors that affect the motivation of their teachers but also present detailed insights into the level of motivation for each factors In addition, the administrators can make full use of the suggested proposals to motivate their teachers to work more effectively, which may promisingly enhance the center’s growth
Furthermore, the prospective beneficiaries also consist of the teachers of the center and the researchers who want to examine the motivational factors affecting teachers or employees in different contexts
By taking part in the survey of this thesis, the teachers of the center are given an opportunity to express their needs to the administrators To be specific, they are unable to directly convey their needs to the administrators through the survey However, they can indirectly propose their requirements by indicating how the motivational factors affect their motivation level In a way, their needs will be expressed through their indication in the survey Accordingly, the center’s administrators can understand their requirements and provide them with appropriate and suitable responses
The researchers from other educational institutions, especially those where teachers are showing signs of being unmotivated, are also the beneficiaries of this thesis As this thesis can provide the managers of the schools or educational centers with the theoretical basis to conduct their own research at their institutions On the other hand, they can also utilize the proposed recommendations to motivate their teachers according to the specific context and conditions of their institutions
In addition, conducting research on the motivation of teachers influenced by motivational factors also benefit the author Specifically, throughout the research process, the author must constantly supplement the knowledge about the motivational factors, the perspectives of teachers or employees on the factors of motivation, through various sources namely previous studies and research, books, online databases Besides, the author can have the opportunity to work with the supervisor who can provide exceeding guidance and instructions on the research topic With the direction and assistance given by the supervisor, the author can be equipped with critical thinking skills that will be valuable for the thesis defense Furthermore, defending the thesis in front of the council of judges can provide the author with a practical opportunity to prepare, practice and enhance the presentation skills and the confidence for and during the thesis defense process.
Scope and limitation of the study
The study is conducted with the targets for this study are the teachers of an unmentionable English center in Hanoi with the goal to gain insights into how the teachers are motivated by each motivational factor The study focuses on examining the English center’s teachers’ motivation level affected by the 17 motivational factors The total number of teachers working at the center is 37 teachers
Due to the time constraints, the research only covered the 17 common factors of motivation, whereas there are other motivational factors.
Definition of terms
Extrinsic motivation refers to the act of performing a task in order to get a particular reward Extrinsic motivation mainly consists of things that are more pragmatic like money, food, grades, accommodation, recognition, appreciation, approval, praise, awards, bonuses and other forms of external stimulation (Richard M Ryan and Edward
Herzbergs’ two-factor theory refers to a motivational theory suggesting that the factors resulting in job satisfaction and the factors causing job dissatisfaction both exist in the workplace, all of which operate separately from one another (Wikipedia)
Intrinsic motivation refers to the most independent, autonomous type of motivation It stimulates individual to take action purely for the purpose of obtaining joy or pleasure Generally, intrinsic motivation consists of the needs of gaining joy, satisfaction, happiness, enjoyment, interest, pleasure and other forms of internal factors rather than rewards (Levesque, Copeland, Pattie, and Deci, 2010)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs refers to a motivational theory, proposed by Abraham Maslow, which includes a five-tier model of human needs, often presented as levels within a pyramid (Wikipedia)
Motivation refers to the driving force or forces responsible for the initiation, persistence, direction, and vigor of goal-directed behavior (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries)
Policies refers to a collection of principles officially set among individuals of a group or an organization (Cambridge English Dictionary) In this study, it refers to the rules and regulations that have been established to regulate activities and conduct within the teaching and working environment
Potential for advancement refers to the possibility of the improvement or enhancement in a field or a profession (Cambridge English Dictionary) In this study, potential for advancement refers to the teachers’ possibility of reaching higher or different positions in their teaching jobs
Potential for professional growth refers to the possibility of development in someone’s job by learning and practicing (Indeed, 2023) In this study, it refers to the teachers’ possibility of improving their professional skills
Recognition refers to the acknowledgement, admiration given by other people to someone’s accomplishment (Cambridge English Dictionary) In this study, it refers to the praise, approval, appreciation from the center administrators, the parents and students
Responsibility refers to something that is assigned for someone to deal with (Cambridge
English Dictionary) In this study, responsibility refers to the teachers’ own autonomy, authority and responsibility in their work
Sense of achievement refers to someone’s feeling that they have accomplished a good thing that was very hard to accomplish (Cambridge English Dictionary) In this study, sense of achievement refers to the feeling of experiencing success in their jobs of the teachers
Status refers to the position or the standing of someone in the society (Cambridge English Dictionary) In this study, status refers to the position of being a teachers in the society
Supervision by supervisors refers to the supervisors’ activity of observing someone or some action and ensuring that everything is being implemented in a correct manner (Cambridge English Dictionary)
Teacher evaluation refers to the process of assessing a teacher’s performance and then providing the analysis of the assessment to the teacher (QuestionPro) In this study, it refers to the appraisal of the teachers’ teaching by evaluators
Teaching’s impacts on personal life refers to the effect or influence of teaching on the teacher’s personal life in this study
Teachers’ motivation refers to a strategy for encouraging teachers to perform more effectively and efficiently It can also refer to the strength of teachers which can be easily seen through the effort and hard work they put out despite the influence by various internal and external factors (Luu, 2020)
The work itself is a phrase commonly used in English which refers to the tasks, duties involved in a job In this study, the work itself refers to the teachers’ tasks in their jobs such as lesson planning, application and adaptation of teaching methods
Working conditions refer to the environmental factors that employees have in their jobs mentally as well as physically (Indeed, 2022) In this study working conditions refer to the amount of workload, the quality and the availability of the teaching materials and the facilities the teachers have at their workplace
Chapter 1 provided the importance of education to any countries including Vietnam, the vital role of teachers in Vietnamese education system, and the reason for choosing the topic In addition, chapter 1 also presented the three main objectives of the study Besides, the significance, the scope and limitation of the study, along with some definition of terms related to the topic were indicated in this chapter.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review
There have been several studies conducted on the topic of teacher motivation, this chapter will review some of the previous studies on the topic including the works of Shehnaz Tehseen and Noor Ul Hadi (2015), Craig A Mertler (2001), and Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung (2020) The theoretical concept for the thesis was deduced primarily from the research of these scholars Additionally, their studies also set the ground for the completion of many aspects of this thesis
Shehnaz Tehseen and Noor Ul Hadi (2015), in their study “Factors Influencing Teachers’ Performance and Retention”, proposed that retaining high quality and qualified teachers is critical to maintain high quality education in schools The objective of their study was reviewing effects of motivational factors on teachers' performance and retention Tehseen and Hadi further proposed that considering all possible factors that affect the performance and the turnover of teachers is necessary The motivational factors examined by Shehnaz Tehseen and Noor Ul Hadi included both intrinsic and extrinsic factors In their study, the intrinsic factors consisted of satisfaction in teaching, recognition, pleasure of teaching, professional development, teaching as the main purpose in life The extrinsic factors in their study included allowances, salary, annual leaves, possession of material and prepayments The methodology utilized in the research concentrated on examining the previous literature on factors affecting the performance of teachers and teachers retention rate from schools Accordingly, an overall view on the how the motivational factors affected the teachers was demonstrated Additionally, in the recommendations for future studies part, it was suggested that for studies focusing on specific subjects, surveys sent to teachers and teachers discussion are necessary Also, for researchers conducting studies regarding factors affecting teachers in schools or educational institutions, it was proposed that the context and the conditions of the region of the subject needs to be considered in order to identify the appropriate motivational factors to be reviewed
Upon reviewing Shehnaz Tehseen and Noor Ul Hadi’s research, the methodology used in their research seems to be rather inappropriate to apply in the study on factors affecting teachers motivation within a specific subject However, the suggested recommendations for further studies have given an overall visualization of how to conduct a study examining factors affecting teachers’ motivation within a specific subject
Craig A Mertler conducted his research named “Teacher motivation and job satisfaction in the new millennium” in 2001 His study was conducted to provide insights on the existing situation regarding teachers’ satisfaction and motivation Craig A Mertler’s study was built upon his own previous study but the number of samples was increased to a large population of 969 elementary, middle, and high school teachers Regarding methodology, the data was collected through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods The utilized survey questionnaire was built and designed with four parts The first part consisted of questions requiring teachers’ general information including ethnicity, age, teaching experience In the second part, the respondents were asked to respond to a set of questions to indicate their general job satisfaction using a Four-point Likert scale, ranging from “very dissatisfied”, “somewhat dissatisfied” to
“somewhat satisfied” and “very satisfied” In the third part of the questionnaire, teachers were asked to indicate the degree of which the several motivational factors motivated them using a Six-point Likert scale with 1 equals to “highly unmotivating” and 6 equals to “highly motivating” The fourth part was similar to the third part, but instead of factors, the respondents were required to indicate the level of motivation that each item motivated them The Likert scale used in the third and fourth part of Mertler’s study was not stated, as only the highest point (6 = “highly motivating”) and the lowest point (1 “highly unmotivating”) were specified Generally, the results of the first two parts in the survey of Mertler’s study pointed out that the teachers who were new in their careers and the ones who were closing the retirement age had a higher level of job satisfaction compared to the ones who were in the middle of their professional career Noticeably, the results of the third part and fourth part seemed to not be mentioned or were deleted as they could not be found in the research or any other databases
Reviewing Mertler’s study, the methodology used in his study gave an inspiration for the methodology of this thesis Although some adjustments are required, as the number of participants in Mertler’s research was big so the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods could be utilized In the context of the surveyed English center in this study, the number of teachers is much lower, so the quantitative method is rather more suitable Another adjustment needs to be accomplished is the Likert scale The four-point and six-point Likert scale used in his study did not give an option for the people having neutral view on the subject It is rather more appropriate to utilized an odd Likert scale namely the five-point Likert scale with many advantages that will be mentioned in the next chapter
In the context of Vietnam, the research named “Teachers’ motivation and its influence on quality education: A study at a center for foreign languages in Vietnam” was conducted by Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung in 2020 His study was conducted in the context of the Center for Foreign Languages in Can Tho University with the aim to examine the importance of the motivation of teachers and its impact on the quality of education In Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study, the research subjects were 42 English teachers working at the Center for Foreign Languages The two motivational theories, including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzbergs’ two-factor theory, were mentioned and explained as they have practical significance regarding the motivation of teachers In fact, the connection between the two theories made by Feyyat Gokce (2010) was cited in his study to point out and examine factors affecting teacher motivation In his study, a mixed design of a descriptive survey and interviews was utilized The questionnaire used to gather data for his study was built with factors inferred from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzbergs’ two-factor theory and also adapted from Mertler’s (2001) Teacher Motivation and Job Satisfaction Survey Regarding his questionnaire, there was only one part and it required the teachers to indicate their motivation level affected by common motivational factors, using a Five-point Likert scale ranging from “Poorly motivated” to
“Highly motivated” Afterward, in the interview, the teachers were divided into groups of five people to discuss and express their points of view on the motivational factors and its impact on their performance The results of Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s survey brought to light that teachers in the study had a rather high level of motivation, with the top five factors that most motivated the teachers in his study include “responsibility”, “salary”,
“sense of achievement”, “potential for professional development”, “job security and stability” In addition, the interview showed that there was a strong correlation between teachers’ motivation and quality education Accordingly, suggestions were proposed to the administrators of the centers that they should not only considering increasing the salary and other extrinsic factors, but also they should try to meet the teachers’ demands for professional growth and job security
Upon reviewing the study “Teachers’ motivation and its influence on quality education:
A study at a center for foreign languages in Vietnam” of Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung (2020), the steps to carry out and to accomplish this thesis have been visualized The primary factor making his study valuable to consult is that Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study was conducted in the context of a language center in Vietnam In addition, all of factors used in his study survey have been adapted and adjusted to be appropriate in the realm of an English center rather than a school or university For that reason, they will be utilized and adjusted in the survey of this thesis
In addition, this thesis also reviewed and consulted other studies which may have the topics not directly related to this study but contained the valuable insights into some of the motivational factors used in the survey Those reviewed research include the research in schools of Vasiliki Koula (2015) illustrating that teachers feel encouraged should they receive the recognition from the principals, the research of Max Praver and William Oga- Balwin (2018) was consulted to gain insights into the teachers’ perspective on the motivational factors including “responsibility” and “interaction with other teachers” Andrews Acquah’s (2017) research “Implications of the Achievement Motivation Theory for School Management in Ghana: A Literature Review” was reviewed to gain a better understanding of the teachers’ viewpoint on the factor “sense of achievement” in this study The study of Elock Emvula Shikalepo (2020), was utilized to acquire knowledge on how these factors including “working conditions”, “the work itself” and
“potential for advancement” motivate the teachers Additionally, the study “Teachers’ motivation to learn: implications for supporting professional growth” of Aina Appova and Fran Arbaugh (2017) was consulted to obtain the understanding of teachers’ point of view on the factor “potential for professional growth” Last but not least, the research
“Evaluating Teachers: The Important Role of Value-Added” of Glazerman, Goldhaber, Loeb, Raudenbush, Staiger and Whitehurst (2010) was reviewed to gain a better understanding of the teachers’ viewpoint on the “teacher evaluation” factor.
Theoretical and conceptual framework
Source: Feyyat Gokce (2010, cited in Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung, 2020)
Motivation can be seen as the stimulation by which people will feel encouraged to do their best to achieve their goals It is the driving force behind human actions and the encouragement that encourages people to take action Regarding teachers, they can be motivated in many ways, including intrinsically and extrinsically Additionally, teachers can be motivated to work to meet their needs As suggested by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, human needs begin with physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, needs for esteem and end with the needs for self-actualization Besides, Herzbergs with his two-factor theory, proposed that human can be motivated to take action by either satisfaction factors (motivators) or dissatisfaction factors (hygiene/demotivators) In the context of the teachers at the surveyed English center, they are motivated by many factors The connection between Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Herzbergs’ two-factor theory cited by Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung (2020), together with Shehnaz Tehseen and Noor Ul Hadi’s (2015) study, and Craig A Mertler’s (2001) study These studies were reviewed to opt for and to examine the motivational factors affecting teachers’ motivation in the context of the surveyed English center
- Primary data (3 question for general information and 17
IPO model (Inputs – Process – Outputs) was applied in this thesis
IN PU TS PR O CE SS O UT PUT S
A quantitative method is used as the research method in order to reach the objectives of the thesis Opting to use this research method, the questions in the survey are required to be suitable, relevant to the teachers, and also highlight the common motivational factors that affect the teachers The survey sending process is swiftly handled with the center’s support The collecting and calculating data tasks are smoother with the use of statistical tools The analysis of the data is the most vital and difficult process, it aims to gain the comprehensive view of the degree to which the motivational factors motivate the teachers The thesis primarily centers on analyzing 17 motivational factors which are the
17 Likert-scale questions used in the survey for the teachers to indicate their motivation level affected by each factor From the findings, the recommendations will be given to help the center understand and provide their teachers with proper resources and support related to those factors
Chapter 2 provided and reviewed some previous studies regarding the motivation of teachers topic Each research gives one or some practical guidance to conduct the thesis in its context Notably, Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s research is the significantly valuable as it was carried out more recently (2020) and within the context of a language center in Vietnam In general terms, all studies contribute to acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the topic, from that the analyzing and proposing recommendations can be less difficult The IPO model is the conceptual framework of the thesis The inputs of the thesis consist of primary data The data processing mainly includes sending survey and analyzing Recommendations on what should the teachers be provided with from the center’s management are the thesis outputs.
METHODOLOGY
Locale of the study
The research is conducted at an unmentionable English center in Hanoi The name of the center is not mentioned as the demand from the center’s management The center is located on Trung Hoa street, Cau Giay, Ha Noi.
Research design
This thesis opted to use a quantitative data collection method with a questionnaire to reach the indicated objectives Quantitative data collection methods are the gathering of numerical data that can include respondents' perspectives in analysis using statistical methods Quantitative questionnaires are a common means by which the data collection process can be completed
Regarding the context of this thesis, the quantitative method has some considerable advantages First of all, using this method to gather the data enables the level of motivation among respondents to be determined, and provides an exact numerical data for later analysis Second, responses can be collected in a rather short period of time through Google Forms Moreover, utilizing questionnaire designed on Google Forms helps save time and reduces tedious tasks, namely spending time and money on sending hard copies of the survey to the teachers With this, it is simpler and more convenient to administer and assess
The questionnaire in this thesis falls into two parts:
The first part includes 3 questions asking for the teachers’ general information including their gender, age and teaching experience
The second part consists of 17 five-point Likert scale questions which are the 17 motivational factors The teachers will indicate the level of motivation affected by each factor.
Population and Sample description
The study population consists of all teachers working at the surveyed English center in Hanoi including all genders, ages and teaching experience
In the context of the survey English center, there is a total number of 37 teachers who are currently teaching at the center, including the center director Accordingly, 36 of them participated in completing the survey, accounting for approximately 97,3% of the total teachers As mentioned, the center director is also teaching at the center, he decided not to take part in the survey to ensure the objectivity of the survey Out of the 36 respondents who participated in the survey, 1 respondent did not complete the survey Due to that reason, 35 questionnaires were valid to use for the analysis
Sample size: 35 teachers working at the surveyed English center in Hanoi
Table 3.1: Description of the participants
The participants of the study are 35 English teachers who are working at the surveyed English center in Hanoi having differences in terms of gender, age and teaching experience This is to indicate that there is no preference in terms of any characteristics of the chosen sample
In terms of gender, all teachers of both genders participated in completing the survey Among the 35 teachers working at the surveyed English center, there is a total number of 26 female teachers accounting for approximately 74.29% of the teachers And the male teachers contribute to about 25.71% of the total teachers represented by 9 teachers This indicates that there is a significance difference in the quantity of teachers working at the surveyed English center by gender, with the number of female teachers being almost 3 times greater than that of male teachers
In terms of age, the majority of teachers currently teaching at the surveyed center is in the age range from 21 to 25 years old with 29 teachers contributing to nearly 82.86% of the total teachers There are also 5 younger teachers who are aged between 18 to 20 years old, comprising almost 14.3 percent of the number of teachers Noticeably, there is 1 teacher whose age is from 31 to 35 years old These indicate that the vast majority of teachers working at the center are in the early years of their teaching career and are rather young There is only 1 teacher in the millennial age group, aged 31 to 35 years old
In terms of teaching experience, the teachers who are in the early stages of their teaching careers with 2 years or less of experience account for approximately 54.29% of the total teachers represented by 19 teachers Accordingly, the number of teachers who are still building their experience with the experience range from 3 to 4 years is 13 teachers, making up nearly 37.14% of the teachers Remarkably, one teacher indicated having at least 11 years of experience This teacher can be considered to be in the midpoint of their professional teaching career
Questionnaires are certainly one of the most common and primary means for gathering data in studies and research Using questionnaires in research to collect primary data consists of several significant advantages The most noticeable advantages include cost saving, timesaving, and having the ability to cover whole aspects of the topic with questions organized in a logical system Additionally, questionnaires can help the respondents to self-indicate and keep a focus on the topic at the same time With the mentioned advantages, this thesis opted to use questionnaires as the main tool to gather primary data for analysis
In order to gain a general view of the participants’ opinion and attitude towards the topic, this thesis chose to use a five-point Likert scale due to some of its significant and practical advantages First of all, the five-point Likert scale is rather simple for administrators and for respondents to create and use effectively and conveniently Secondly, it requires the respondents to spend less time to complete compared to higher- point scales Moreover, the five-point Likert scale is practically fitter with most types of mobile devices, giving the respondents the comfort to submit their answers in a serious manner Thirdly, it provides enough options for the participants to indicate their perspective comprehensively without feeling overwhelmed by having abundant options Last but not least, the five-point Likert scale also has a mid-point option for the participants who have neutral view on the subject, which the even Likert scales can hardly provide
In this thesis, a questionnaire with two sections was designed and built in order to collect primary data:
The first part consists of three questions asking for the teachers’ general information namely their gender, age and their teaching experience
The second part of the questionnaire includes 17 five-point Likert scale questions for the teachers to indicate their motivation level affected by the 17 motivational factors
To be specific, this is the five-point Likert scale used in the questionnaire for the teachers to indicate the degree of motivation to which each of the 17 motivational factors motivates them:
After the responses have been collected, the mean values will be interpreted as follow:
Table 3.2: Interpretation of mean values Mean value range Interpretation
1.00 – 1.80 Poorly motivated 1.81 – 2.60 Slightly motivated 2.61 – 3.40 Neutral
Google Forms is the means used in this study to create the questionnaire and to conduct the survey Regarding Google Forms, it is a survey management software created and developed by Google The research and studies with primary data like this thesis can use Google Forms to utilize the survey process as the forms can be accessed with just one click on the link Moreover, the survey link created with Google Forms can be sent directly through emails or copied then sent through messages, making the gathering of data can be processed quicker, more convenient, and comfortable After the data is collected, Google Forms can give the administrator a general visualization with charts forming function Most importantly, it can conveniently export the gathered data to
Microsoft Excel Regarding Excel, it is one of the most common tools used in data's statistical analysis by researchers Generally, it is a spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft that allows users to input, record, track, and most significantly, analyze data in numerical form In Microsoft Excel, there are various calculating functions and formulas, including sum function and percentage calculating formula, which can fundamentally help to measure and provide the accurate results IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26) is also a tool used in this thesis, with the purpose of ensuring the reliability and validity of the answers received by using the Cronbach’s alpha function In addition, the version 26 of IBM SPSS Statistics also provide the One-way ANOVA analysis, with which the differences between the answers of different groups can be identified Microsoft Excel, Google Forms and IBM SPSS Statistics are the primary tools this thesis utilized in analyzing the input data.
Data gathering procedures
The questionnaire in this study was designed, adapted and developed in this stage The questionnaire was primarily built with factors that affect the motivation of teachers After reviewing the related literature, studies, research, articles and definitions regarding the topic, a total of 17 motivational factors were included in the questionnaire for the teachers to indicate how motivating these factors were to them
In this phase, the questionnaire was first sent to several respondents to examine it and
Designing the questionnaire Piloting Sending survey through the center
Gathering data identify if there are any parts that were unclear, or making them confused Afterward, the questionnaire was adjusted and brought to the advisor for guidance and feedback The advisor shared many guidance and suggestions making the questionnaire more evident and less likely to cause misunderstandings or confusion to the respondents Eventually, the questionnaire was adjusted and completed
• Step 3: Sending survey through the center
Since the center’s management wants to ensure their center and their teachers’ information are kept confidential The task of sending survey to the teachers is taken care of by the center’s management The survey link was sent to the center and they then required their teachers to complete the questionnaire with a serious manner The total number of teachers who received the questionnaire was 37 teachers
Thanks to the assistance of the center with the survey sending, the majority of teachers submitted their answers within a short period of time The responses were continuously received and updated in Google Forms The total number of teachers participated in the survey was 36 teachers Accordingly, the data was exported to Microsoft Excel and then the sum and the percentage of answers will be calculated with Excel’s functions and formulas.
Statistical treatment of data
The primary data collected then will be encoded and exported to Microsoft Excel Moreover, with its typical functions and formulas, the data analysis will be conducted through Microsoft Excel in terms of sum and percentage The results are given by using the sum functions, percentage formulas of Microsoft Excel and rounded to the 2nd digit after the decimal point
IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26) will be used to calculate Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients, which can indicate the consistency reliability of the questionnaire By using the One-way ANOVA function on SPSS, the statistical differences between groups in the study can be identified Together with Microsoft Excel, IBM SPSS Statistics (version
26) can help to handle carefully and properly the primary data in order to ensure its accuracy.
Reliability and validity
To indicate the common motivational factors that affect the teachers’ motivation at the English center This thesis not only referenced the successes of previous international studies and research but also the ones conducted in Vietnam In addition, the context of the surveyed English center was also considered
As a result, the research survey was designed with questions that were based on motivational factors used, suggested in previous studies Additionally, the survey questions were adapted and adjusted to suit the context of the surveyed English center in order to reach the thesis objectives Therefore, the objectivity and the practicality in the survey questionnaire are assured in a logical manner
The study used Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients measurement in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26) to ensure that the questions in the questionnaire have the internal consistency reliability In this study, the Cronbach's Alpha value is rather high compared to the standard value, which indicates that there is a strong internal consistency between the questions used in the survey The Cronbach's Alpha value will be mentioned in the next chapter
The study also utilized one-way ANOVA analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26) to identify if there were any differences between the answers from different groups Based on the analysis, the study can reach the indicated objective Furthermore, it can propose more detailed suggestions specific for each group if there are the differences in the answers between them One-way ANOVA statistics will be mentioned and explained further in the next chapter
In addition, Microsoft Excel was used as the tool for automatically inputting results in this study Excel is proven and trusted to be used by many researchers as the primary and reliable tool for data analysis With Microsoft Excel, the assurance there is no interference from any other individuals is secured, making the study more reliable and valid
Chapter 3 mentioned and explained the thesis methodology in a detailed and logical manner The quantitative data collection method with a questionnaire was used to accomplish the objectives indicated in Chapter 1 Moreover, the research instruments and the data statistical treatment are signified distinctly in order to guarantee that the accuracy, reliability and validity of the thesis.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient
Table 4.1: Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient
Source: SPSS version 26 – based synthesis
The collected primary data was encoded in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26) to examine the internal consistency 17 Likert-type variables were inputted, and their Cronbach’s alpha value was measured as 0.883 According to Pham Loc (2022), he proposed that the Cronbach’s Alpha commonly values from 0 to 1 In order for a scale to be considered usable, the Cronbach’s Alpha value needs to range from 0.6 to 0.7 The Cronbach's Alpha has the value higher than 0.7 and closer to 0.8 indicates that the scale is good In addition, if the Cronbach's Alpha value is between 0.8 and close to 1, then the scale is considered to be very good In this study, the Cronbach's Alpha value is 0.883, indicating that the scale is very good and the variables cover the same ground, demonstrating a high internal consistency
Additionally, in terms of “Corrected Item-Total Correlation”, it needs to be equal to or higher than 0.3 for a variable to be considered acceptable (Pham Loc, 2022) In this study, all the variables have the Corrected Item-Total Correlation values higher than 0.3 indicating that all 17 variables meet the requirements and are considered acceptable
Regarding “Cronbach’s Alpha if item Deleted”, Pham Loc (2022) proposed that although it is not a common standard to examine the scale reliability, it should not have the Cronbach’s Alpha value higher than the group’s Cronbach’s Alpha value In this study, there are two variables including “salary” and “job security and stability” have the Cronbach’s Alpha value is equal to the group’s Cronbach’s Alpha
Pham Loc (2022) suggested that if the “Corrected Item-Total Correlation” of the variable is higher than 0.3, and the difference between its “Cronbach’s Alpha if item Deleted” value and the group’s Cronbach’s Alpha value is not big, then those observed variables should still be kept
The two mentioned variables have the “Corrected Item-Total Correlation” values higher than 0.3, and their “Cronbach’s Alpha if item Deleted” values also don’t have a big difference compared to the group’s Cronbach’s Alpha value In fact, the two variables including “salary” and “job security” have the “Cronbach’s Alpha if item Deleted” values equal to the group’s Cronbach’s Alpha, which means that there is no difference between them
In conclusion, all 17 variables in the scale, including the two mentioned ones, fulfill the criteria for reliability.
The teachers’ motivation level affected by motivational factors
Table 4.2: Teacher motivation based on motivational factors and factor rankings
Factors Level of motivation Mean Ranking
Teaching’s impacts on personal life (11.43%) 4 (42.86%) 15 (45.71%) 16 4.34 4
As mentioned in Chapter 3, the study applied a five-point Likert scale with 1 = Poorly motivated, 2 = Slightly motivated, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Motivated, 5 = Strongly motivated The mean value interpretation has the following ranges:
The data analysis presented in Table 4.2 provides evidence demonstrating that the center teachers’ motivation is rather high Based on the mean value ranges, the average motivation level value of 4.11 illustrates that the teachers working at the survey English center have a motivation level considerably higher than motivated
It can be seen that all of the 17 motivational factors have the average motivation levels belong to either “Motivated” or “Strongly motivated” mean value range, based on their mean values
4.2.1 Motivational factors indicated by the teachers to be strongly motivating
The 8 factors that belong to the “Strongly motivated” mean value range (4.21 – 5.00) include “interaction with students”, “recognition”, “responsibility”, “teaching’s impacts on personal life”, “sense of achievement”, “working conditions”, “salary”, and “potential for professional growth” respectively
Motivation levels by "Interaction with students"
Figure 4.1: Motivation Levels by "Interaction with students": Teachers Responses
With the mean value of 4.40, the factor “interaction with students” was indicated as the motivational factor that most strongly motivated the teachers at the surveyed center Based on the responses, 19 teachers, accounting for approximately 54.3% of the total number of teachers, indicated that they were strongly motivated by this factor In addition, 12 teachers proposed that this factor motivated them There were 3 teachers indicated that they had a neutral perspective regarding their interaction with students as a motivation for them In addition, only one teacher felt slightly motivated by this factor This result seems to be rather consistent with Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study Despite only being ranked seventh among the 17 factors in his research, the factor “interaction with students” had the mean value of 4.24 This demonstrates that the interaction between the teachers and their students was still a primary strongly motivating factor to the teachers in his study This is fairly understandable, since in Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study, the teachers were middle-aged, they were in the stage when most people would have greater concerns and demands In this study, the majority of teachers are in the age range from 18 to 25, they are young and are early in their teaching careers Understandably, they may feel pleased and encouraged when their students show participation, proactive interaction or even comfortability when talking to them As it illustrates that the students enjoy their teachers’ teaching and see their teachers as a person who they can trust and talk to Accordingly, at the young age and early in their career like the teachers in this study, they will feel the encouragement to continue teaching more effectively
The two factors including “recognition” and “responsibility” shared the same average motivation level of 4.37 out of 5, which indicated that these two factors rather highly motivated the teachers at the surveyed English center in Hanoi
Figure 4.2: Motivation Levels by "Recognition": Teachers Responses
Regarding the motivational factor “recognition”, it refers to the praise, approval from the center administrators, the parents and students to the teachers In this study, the appreciation or praise expressed to the teachers was indicated as a strongly motivating factor by 18 teachers making up over 50% of the total teachers In addition, 37.14% of the teachers, represented by 13 teachers, signified that the factor “recognition” motivated them With the average value of 4.37 on the scale of 5, this result is rather in line with Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study To be specific, the factor “recognition” was in the middle ranking compared to the other motivational factors but still had the mean value of 4.17 in his study This indicated that the most teachers in his study considered approval as a motivating factor rather than a strongly motivating one It is fairly understandable since at the age of teachers in his study, not many people would matter receiving praise from others However, in this study, most teachers are still young, they may doubt themselves from time to time Getting praised, approved or maybe appreciated by the administrators, the parents or students can help them feel more confident about themselves, which eventually motivates them This result also supports the past research of Vasiliki Koula (2015), proposing that teachers who feel appreciated by principals, parents and pupils may have better encouragement to work more productively
Figure 4.3: Motivation Levels by "Responsibility": Teachers Responses
The “responsibility” factor in this study refers to teachers’ own autonomy, authority and responsibility in their work In this study, a total of 17 teachers signified that this factor motivated them strongly Together with 14 respondents, accounting for 40% of the teachers, proposed to be motivated by this motivational factor, and 4 teachers were in a neutral state regarding this factor Having the mean value of 4.37, this result is in line with Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s research In his study, the “responsibility” factor ranked as the top most motivating factor to the teachers in his research, with the mean value of 4.52 This result also supports Ushioda’s statement (cited by Max Praver and William Oga-Balwin, 2008) suggesting that motivation depends on the matter of choice, the more comfortable teachers are in deciding how they can teach their students, the more engaging they will be with their work Thus, the teachers with more responsibility in their job are more likely to work effectively, compared to the those with less responsibility The teachers in this study belong to the young generation, desiring to have
Motivation levels by "Teaching’s impacts on personal life"
Motivated Strongly freedom in the way they want to do their jobs, to decide what is the most appropriate thing they can do to ensure the quality of their work
Teaching’s impacts on personal life
Figure 4.4: Motivation Levels by "Teaching’s impacts on personal life": Teachers
The motivational factor “teaching’s impacts on personal life” in this study refers to the effects of teaching on the aspects of teachers’ personal lives, namely their well-being, their relationships and leisure time outside of their teaching jobs It was indicated by 16 teachers, accounting for 45.71% of the total teachers, suggesting that they were strongly motivated by this factor Additionally, 15 teachers proposed that the effects of teaching on their personal lives motivated them Noticeably, no teachers felt slightly or poorly motivated by this factor as the other 4 teachers stated that they had a neutral viewpoint regarding this factor This result is seemingly in contrast to Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung’s study, where the factor “teaching’s impacts on personal life” had the lowest mean value of 3.91, and ranked last among the 17 motivational factors However, in this study, the impacts of teaching on teachers’ personal lives had the mean value of 4.34 and ranked fourth among the 17 factors This is rather understandable as most teachers at the
Motivation levels by "Sense of achievement"
Motivated Strongly surveyed English center are at the beginning of their career They are in the stage when they may feel it is important to see how their job can fit into and affect their personal lives Accordingly, the need to have their general well-being, relationships, and personal time ensured is one of the young teachers’ main priorities
Figure 4.5: Motivation Levels by "Sense of achievement": Teachers Responses
Regarding the factor “sense of achievement”, in this study, it refers to the teachers’ feeling of experiencing success in their jobs Generally, the majority of people who are working, including teachers, want to experience the feelings of accomplishment in their careers Among 35 teachers participating in the survey, 16 teachers, making up 45.71% of the participants, indicated that “sense of achievement” strongly motivated them In addition, 40% of the total teachers, represented by 14 teachers, signified that the feelings of achieving success motivated them There were only 4 teachers indicated having a neutral perspective regarding this factor This result supports the statement of Andrews Acquah (2017) in his research Specifically, he claimed that people having a high demand for sense of achievement tend to actively work harder, and continuously try their best to fulfill their desires for accomplishment With the factor “sense of achievement” ranked fifth in the study, it can be seen that most teachers at the surveyed English center have a need to obtain the feeling of success in teaching This need is likely to play the role as a stimulation that motivates the teachers to work harder and more effectively
Figure 4.6: Motivation Levels by "Working conditions": Teachers Responses
The “working conditions” factor in this study refers to the amount of workload, the quality and the availability of the teaching materials and the facilities the teachers are given at their workplace Of the total number of teachers, 17 teachers, accounting for nearly half of the participants, proposed that working conditions strongly motivated them Regarding the “working conditions” factor, the other half consisted of 18 teachers, with 7 teachers being on the neutral state and 11 teachers indicated that they were motivated by this factor Noticeably, no respondents suggested that working conditions slightly or poorly motivated them Evidently, the teachers working at the center
Motivation levels by "Working conditions"
Motivated Strongly considered the materials namely textbooks, soft documents, the workload and the availability of facilities as motivators that stimulate them This result supports Akpan’s statement (cited by Shikalepo, 2020), suggesting that the labor conditions favorable for teachers to teach can improve the teachers’ work efficiency and play the role of a motivating factor for not only the teachers but also the students
Figure 4.7: Motivation Levels by "Salary": Teachers Responses
In terms of salary or compensation, over half of the total respondents, represented by 19 teachers participating in the survey, felt strongly motivated by this factor Additionally,
8 teachers proposed that the “salary” factor motivated them Noticeably, 6 teachers shared a neutral perspective regarding this factors and 2 teachers only felt slightly motivated by salary or compensation With the mean value of 4.26, the “salary” factor ranked seventh among the motivational factors This result seems to partly support the research of Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung (2020) To be specific, “salary” with the mean value of 4.45, ranked second among the 17 motivational factors in his research This is fairly understandable as the majority of the surveyed center’s teachers are early in their careers
Many people who are at the beginning of their profession may have a stronger demand for factors other than salary or financial compensation The majority of teachers in this study seem to prioritize the “interaction with students”, “recognition”, “responsibility”,
“teaching’s impacts on personal life” and “working conditions” to “salary” This illustrates that most teachers at the surveyed English center are more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically motivated
Figure 4.8: Motivation Levels by "Potential for professional growth": Teachers
One-way ANOVA analysis
One-way ANOVA analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics is utilized to point out the differences between average value (Mean) in answers of 2 or more groups of the subject (Pham Loc,
In this study, one-way ANOVA analysis is only used to find out if there are any differences in the responses of the participants with different gender Since as mentioned in Chapter 3, in terms of ages, the majority of teachers working at the center are early in their careers and aged between 18 to 25 years old There is only one teacher in the age range of 31 to 35 years old, which can not be inputted as a group in One-way ANOVA analysis
The One-way ANOVA result reading procedure is as follows:
Figure 4.18: One-way ANOVA result reading procedure
In order to use One-way ANOVA analysis in SPSS version 26, the “Test of Homogeneity of Variances” or “Levene statistic” (Table 4.3) needs to be observed first
According to Pham Loc (2024), when the sig value in “Levene statistic” is lower than 0.05, then “Robust Tests of Equality of Means” or “Welch’s t-test” (Table 4.4) is used to determine if there are any differences between mean in respondents’ answers regarding their characteristics namely age, gender…And if the sig value of the variable in the “Welch’s t-test” is still lower than 0.05, then it can be concluded that there are differences between mean in the answers of the respondents with different features
In contrast, Pham Loc (2024) also stated that when the sig value in “Levene statistic” is higher than 0.05, then the sig value in “ANOVA results” (Table 4.5) is used to point out if there are any differences between mean in the participants’ answers in terms of their characteristics In addition, Pham Hoai Thanh (2019) proposed that in the case when the sig value of a variable is equal to 0.05, then the variable is treated the same as the variables whose sig value is higher than 0.05 Accordingly, if the sig value in the
“ANOVA results” is lower than 0.05, then there are differences between mean in the answers of the respondents who have different characteristics
Table 4.3: Test of Homogeneity of Variances (Levene statistic)
Test of Homogeneity of Variances
Levene Statistic df1 df2 Sig
Source: SPSS version 26 – based synthesis
According to Table 4.3, there are five factors including “salary”, “working condition”,
“policies”, “interaction with teachers” and “supervision” have the sig values lower than 0.05 Therefore, “Robust Tests of Equality of Means” or “Welch’s t-test” (Table 4.4) is used accordingly
In contrast, the other 12 factors with sig values equal to or higher than 0.05 will be based on “ANOVA results” (Table 4.5) to determine if there are any differences between mean in the answers of teachers from different genders
4.3.1 Robust Tests of Equality of Means
Table 4.4: Robust Tests of Equality of Means (Welch’s t-test)
Robust Tests of Equality of Means
Statistic a df1 df2 Sig Conclusion Salary Welch 2.211 1 28.032 0.148
Source: SPSS version 26 – based synthesis
Table 4.4 consists of five factors that have the sig values lower than 0.05 in “Levene Statistic” (Table 4.3), including “salary”, “working conditions”, “policies”, “interaction with other teachers” and “supervision”
Looking at Table 4.4, the four factors including “salary”, “policies”, “interaction with other teachers” and “supervision” have the sig values higher than 0.05 This indicates that there are no differences in responses of the male and female teachers regarding those four factors Accordingly, the adjustments or improvements made by the surveyed center’s administrators to the regulations related to those four factors can be applied to both male and female teachers Since the four factors including “salary”, “policies”,
“interaction with other teachers” and “supervision” were pointed out to have similar influence on the teachers’ motivation regardless of their gender
In contrast, the “working conditions” factor still has the sig value lower than 0.05, which illustrates that there are differences in the responses of teachers from different genders regarding this factor This indicates that the factor “working conditions” influence on the motivation of male and female teachers differently Accordingly, the suggestions related to the “working conditions” factor proposed to the center need to be distinct so that both male and female teachers can be motivated properly
Source: SPSS version 26 – based synthesis
Mean Square F Sig Conclusion Responsibility Between Groups 1.056 1 1.056 2.306 0.138
Table 4.5 consists of 12 factors having the sig values lower than 0.05 in “Levene Statistic” (Table 4.3), including “responsibility”, “sense of achievement”, “potential for professional growth”, “job security and stability”, “interaction with students”, “status”,
“recognition”, “potential for advancement”, “interaction with administrators”, “the work itself", “teacher evaluation”, and “teaching’s impacts on personal life”
Looking at Table 4.5, it can be seen that, except for the two factors “job security and stability” and “status”, the remaining 10 factors now have the sig value in “Levene Statistic” (Table 4.3) higher than or equal to 0.05 This shows that the 10 factors including “responsibility”, “sense of achievement”, “potential for professional growth”,
“interaction with students”, “recognition”, “potential for advancement”, “interaction with administrators”, “the work itself", “teacher evaluation”, and “teaching’s impacts on personal life” have similar impacts on the teachers’ motivation regardless of their gender Accordingly, the suggestions proposed to the center’s administrators regarding these factors can apply to both male and female teachers
In contrast, the two factors, “job security” and “status”, still have the sig values in
“ANOVA results” (Table 4.5) lower than 0.05 This indicates that there are differences in the answers of teachers with different gender in relation to the two factors Therefore, the proposals for the center’s management on what to provide to their teachers to motivate them regarding the two factors “job security and stability” and “status” need to be more specific for male and female teachers
Chapter 4 provided the qualified result of Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient, demonstrating that all 17 motivational factors share an internal consistency and cover the same area In addition, chapter 4 pointed out that the motivation level affected by 17 motivational factors of the teachers at the surveyed English center in Hanoi is rather high Specifically, the findings showed that “interaction with students”, “recognition”,
“responsibility”, “teaching’s impacts on personal life”, “sense of achievement”,
“working conditions”, salary” and “potential for professional growth” were the strongly motivating factors to the teachers In addition, 9 factors, including “teacher evaluation”,
“the work itself”, “potential for advancement”, “job security and stability”, “interaction with administrators”, “interaction with other teachers”, “supervision by supervisors”,
“policies” and “status”, were signified by the teachers to be motivating factors One-way ANOVA analysis was also presented in this chapter to identify the differences between the responses of teachers from different genders regarding each of the 17 motivational factors Accordingly, 3 factors, including “job security and stability”, “status” and
“working conditions”, were found to have differences in the answers of teachers with different gender.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary of findings
The findings pointed out that the center’s teachers, generally, were either motivated or strongly motivated to work and to teach by all 17 motivational factors used in the survey Specifically, 8 strongly motivating factors consisted of “interaction with students”,
“recognition”, “responsibility”, “teaching’s impacts on personal life”, “sense of achievement”, “working conditions”, “salary”, and “potential for professional growth”
In addition, 9 factors including “teacher evaluation”, “the work itself”, “potential for advancement”, “job security and stability”, “interaction with administrators”,
“interaction with other teachers”, “supervision by supervisors”, “policies” and “status” were signified to be motivating factors by the teachers
According to One-way ANOVA statistics, among the 17 motivational factors, 3 factors, including “job security and stability”, “status” and “working conditions”, were pointed out to have differences between the responses of teachers from different genders.
Conclusion
Evidently, the findings has stated the teachers’ motivation level affected by common motivational factors Specifically, the teachers at the surveyed English center in Hanoi were pointed out to be particularly motivated teachers Since regarding all of the 17 motivational factors utilized in the survey for the teachers to indicate their level of motivation affected by each factor, the teachers proposed that they felt either motivated or strongly motivated with all factors With the 8 strongly motivating factors for the teachers included “interaction with students”, “recognition”, “responsibility”,
“teaching’s impacts on personal life”, “sense of achievement”, “working conditions”,
“salary”, and “potential for professional growth” respectively Furthermore, the 9 factors signified by the teachers to be motivating factors included “teacher evaluation”, “the work itself”, “potential for advancement”, “job security and stability”, “interaction with administrators”, “interaction with other teachers”, “supervision by supervisors”,
“policies” and “status” Accordingly, it can be seen that all of the factors have a positive influence on the teachers’ motivation
Identifying the difference between the answers of the teachers from different genders regarding each motivational factor is also an objective of the thesis With One-way ANOVA analysis, three motivational factors consisting of the “working conditions”, “job security”, and “status” were identified to have differences between the answers of male and female teachers.
Recommendations
All of the 17 motivational factors utilized in this study were indicated by the teachers to be either motivating or strongly motivating to them The administrators of the surveyed English center should consider implementing all of the motivational factors into their practices and perhaps their policies to enhance their teachers' motivation
Generally, the teachers at the center want to interact more with their students and want the students to also interact with them The center can provide their teachers with opportunities to improve their communication skills with students This can be achieved through holding job training, workshops with experienced teachers sharing their methods of enhancing students interaction, classroom management to the early-career teachers Moreover, the teachers at the center who have good techniques in the interaction with the students can share their experience to the other teachers who are not doing well However, some teachers might not be aware of who can they ask for advice, under that circumstance, peer mentoring meetings held by the center can create opportunities for teachers to both share their experiences and seek for advice should they need
The teachers at the surveyed English center are also strongly motivated by receiving praise, approval, appreciation from the center administrators, the parents and students Accordingly, the center’s administrators should regularly express their appreciation to the teachers In addition, they can also encourage the parents and the students to send the positive praise to the teachers when they are helping the students make good progress Moreover, the administrators can host activities that enable the students to show their appreciation with thank-you notes, small gifts, or paintings sent to their teachers
The majority of teachers participating in the survey indicated that being given more responsibility, autonomy, and authority is one of the top motivators for them
The center’s administrators can increase the teachers’ responsibility by involving their participation in some of the center’s decision-making processes, namely developing and updating the teaching curriculum
In addition, allowing the teachers to take control of their own work can be effective in enhancing the teachers’ autonomy and authority To be specific, the center can achieve this by giving the teachers the freedom and flexibility in their lesson planning and application of teaching methods Since the teachers themselves understand the needs of their students best Accordingly, allowing them to choose their teaching approach to their students may not only help the students improve fast and effectively but also provide the teachers with comfort while teaching
• Teaching’s impacts on personal life
The effects of teaching on the teachers’ personal lives were signified to strongly motivate the teachers at the surveyed English center It can be seen that the teachers have the desire to ensure their overall well-being, leisure time and relationships outside of work
The center’s administrators can consider offering free annual health checks to their teachers In situations where the mental health of teachers is not guaranteed, counseling services and programs focused on handling stress should be suggested or provided
In addition, the center may recommend or provide their teachers with programs or courses that relate to the teachers’ personal interests and goals
The center’s administrators need to set clear and achievable goals for their teachers to strive towards achieving them Thereby, the teachers can have opportunities to obtain the feeling of experiencing success
Besides expressing praise and approval, the center should also acknowledge and perhaps celebrate the accomplishments of their teachers whether they are big or small, inside or outside the center
The center needs to prioritize giving the teachers supportive working conditions with reasonable workload, quality teaching materials, and improving the available facilities, as these are also beneficial for the students The factor “working conditions” was indicated to have differences in the responses of female and male teachers regarding their motivation level affected by this factor
First, they should review and adjust the amount of work of their teachers on a regular basis This can make sure that the given workload is reasonable and suitable for male and female teachers Moreover, center’s support should be provided to ensure that the teachers can do their jobs effectively
In addition, high-quality and up-to-date textbooks and documents should be provided and supplemented by the center regularly Afterward, the center’s administrators can ask for the teachers’ feedback to continue adjusting the materials to suit their curriculum
The center’s facilities should also be regularly upgraded Specifically, the center’s manager can do this by ensuring that facilities for teaching are maintained properly Moreover, the facilities should be equipped with modern and necessary technology which the female teachers may not have any difficulties when using them
In terms of salary, the teachers necessarily need to be provided with reasonable, adequate salary, and bonuses The teachers should be offered with reasonable salary that is in accordance with the work standards In addition, the center should ensure that teachers' salary reflect their qualifications, experience and performance From this, the teachers may feel appreciated and treated fairly by the center
The center’s administrators should have regular salary reviews so that they can appropriately adjust the teachers’ salary based on their performance and contribution Moreover, depending on the center’s situation, administrators can consider implementing additional bonuses and benefits for the teachers
Since most of the teachers at the surveyed English center are in the stage of gaining teaching experience in their careers Creating opportunities for teachers to improve their professional expertise during their time at the center may promisingly encourage the teachers to continue working with the center
The center should host workshop and regular teacher training with the aim of improving the teachers’ professional growth The center’s administrators can consider inviting guest speakers with extensive experience to share with the center’s teachers about their teaching strategies and career development insights