TEACHER MOTIVATION - ‘WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?’

Motivation is not completely a new term. What is interesting about it is that it is commonly

assumed to be a good thing that goes in influencing individual's behaviour and performance

at work.

Teacher motivation naturally has to do with teachers' attitude to work. It has to do with

teachers desire to participate in the pedagogical processes within the school environment. It

has to do with teachers' interest in student discipline and control particularly in the

classroom. Therefore, it could underlie their involvement or non-involvement in academic

and non-academic activities, which operate in schools. The teacher, is the one that translates

educational philosophy and objective into knowledge and skill and transfers them to students

in the classroom. Classroom climate is important in teacher motivation. If a teacher

experiences the classroom as a safe, healthy, happy place with supportive resources and

facilities for teaching for optimal learning, he/she tends to participate more than expected in

the process of management, administration, and the overall improvement of the school.

The teacher commands and emits the image of one who improves knowledge and the physical

conditions of the classroom through orderliness, discipline and control. He makes diagnosis

of student's feelings and attitudes inferred by their behaviour and response in the classroom

environment. Hence Lash and Kirkpatrick (1990) concluded that in the absence of school

programmes the major responsibility of working with children in the school rests with the

teacher. Likewise, Maehr and Midgley (1991) affirm that what takes place in the classroom,

even though the classroom itself is not an island, is critical. Therefore, depending on the

degree of congruence with classroom practices and school environment, teachers teaching

activities may dilute or enhance students' performance.

Effectiveness is the "what of change" while improvement is the "how of change" (Stoll and

Fink 1996). Teacher motivation, therefore, is anything done to make teachers happy,

satisfied, dedicated and committed in such a way that they bring out their best in their places

of work so that both students, parents and the society will greatly benefit from their services.