Teacher Morale in Secondary Schools - Research Proposal Example

Teacher Morale in Secondary Schools By Introduction The goal of most secondary schools is to achieve high level of student performance and teacher productivity. Teachers play an important role in ensuring that the goals of their schools are met. School teachers and principals often take the blame for poor performance of their schools. Different factors including teacher morale affect teacher productivity, which consequently affect student performance. Teachers with high morale have high productivity thus high student performance. Other factors that influence teacher morale include school climate, job satisfaction, and participatory decision making. This study adopts the literature review method to determine the factors that influence teacher morale and the relationship between teacher morale and student performance. Statement of the Problem The morale of teachers is an important subject that needs to be studied, mainly because it has a significant influence on their job satisfaction and student performance. Therefore, understanding morale of teachers and factors surrounding this is important in order to address the aspects that impact negatively on teachers’ morale, leading to their poor productivity and poor student performance. Purpose of the Study The morale of secondary school teachers is a result of different factors, and has significant influence on the performance of students. The purpose of this study is to determine: (1) the factors that affect the morale of secondary school teachers and (2) the effects of the morale of high school teachers on the performance of students. This study adopts the literature based qualitative research methodology. Therefore, existing literature on the study topic will be the population, from where the researcher will perform sampling, data collection, and analysis. This study will utilize the traditional literature review method. Research Questions There are different factors that affect the morale of high school teachers. These include salary, school environment and administration, among others. Consequently, teacher morale might influence student performance. This study therefore, seeks to answer the following research questions; Question 1: What are some of the factors that affect the morale of high school teachers? Question 2: Does the morale of high school teachers affect the performance and well-being of students? Definition of Terms A number of specific terms will be used frequently in this study. The terms are identified and defined below. 1. Morale – this is the professional interest and enthusiasm that a person portrays towards the attainment of individual and group goals in a specific work environment. It is considered that a good and healthy work environment leads to high level of morale, as opposed to an unhealthy work environment. 2. Job satisfaction - this is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences. 3. Self-efficacy – this is an individual’s judgment of their capabilities to organize and perform courses of action in order to achieve desired goals in a given context. This definition is based on the social cognitive theory, where the component of self-efficacy was introduced (Zimmerman, 2000). Limitations of the Study The major limitation of this study is that the literature based research methodology relies completely on the research that was published previously, and availability of these studies, as well as the appropriateness of the studies. Therefore, the researcher will not have an opportunity to collect first hand data from the field. In addition, there is high vulnerability to intentional and unintentional bias in the selection, organization, and interpretation of content. Delimitations of the Study This study involves literature review of relevant articles between the years 2000 and 2014. The investigation will include the aspects of teacher turnover, self-efficacy, school climate, participatory decision making, leadership, and job satisfaction, as they relate to the major aspects of teacher morale and student performance. Significance of the Study This study is of great significance to the field of education, and will have a positive impact on both students and teachers, and contribute to a positive school environment. Studying the factors that influence the morale of high school teachers might help a teacher to perform an assessment of their goals and needs, as far as their career is concerned, and determine what other alternatives are available to enable them achieve their set goals. This study will have an impact on the psychological state of high school teachers. When a teacher is dissatisfied with their job, this will take a toll on their relationships, hence influencing their physical and mental health. By identifying factors that lead to their low morale, it provides an opportunity to find redress and restore high morale level among high school teachers. Furthermore, by studying the effect of high school teachers’ morale on their students, it will be possible to determine whether low or high morale of high school teachers impacts on students negatively or positively. This therefore, will provide a platform for corrective measures to be taken to reduce any negative influence of teachers’ morale on their students. Chapter 2: Review of the Literature The sources for this study were journal articles that were retrieved from the ProQuest Database and the World Wide Web. A search of the World Wide Web equally yielded several other articles that were related to the study topic. Some of the key words that were used in the searches include “Morale of teachers,” “morale of high school teachers,” “factors influencing morale of teachers,” and “morale of teachers and student performance.” Participatory decision making, self-efficacy and job satisfaction Various studies show that there is a relationship between participatory decision making and teachers’ morale and student performance. In order to keep the morale of teachers high, it is suggested that principals of schools should include teachers in major decision making in the school, as it reduces disagreements in a school. This in return increases job satisfaction and effectiveness of teachers, and consequently improves student performance. A study by Canaya (2008) sought to determine the empirical evidence on the relationship between teachers’ morale and participatory decision making. The study used the descriptive design qualitative-quantitative research design. For the quantitative aspect, the study employed questionnaire-checklist, while it adopted the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) for the qualitative aspect. A total of 29 secondary public schools, including 6 urban secondary schools and 23 rural secondary schools, were the venue of the study. The respondents were categorised into two groups, including 262 secondary school teachers and 29 public secondary school administrators. Total enumeration and random sampling were used for the latter and former respectively. For data analysis, different techniques were used including percentages, weighted arithmetic mean, the Person R, T-test, and mean percentage scores. Results of this study showed that the policies of the schools investigated allowed participatory decision making for teachers, and the teachers had a high morale level; hence there is a relationship between participatory decision making and teachers’ morale. In another study, Jasmin-Olga & Chatziioannidis (2013), examined the teacher involvement in different decision-making domains in schools in Greece and explored the relationship with teacher and school variables. The data methodology employed was the survey approach. Self-administered questionnaires were used. The respondents included 143 teachers in different schools across Greece. The results of this study showed that teachers highly participated in decision making that involved students’ and teachers’ issues. On the other hand, participation in decision making that involved managerial decisions was low. Findings also indicated that higher teacher participation in decision making resulted in their positive perception of the school climate, and consequently their increased job satisfaction. Teacher Turnover, Teacher Morale, and Student Performance There is a close relationship among the aspects of teacher turnover, teacher morale, and student performance. Low teacher morale results to high teacher turnover, and consequently low student performance. In one study, Ingersoll (2001) sought to establish that there are other factors, apart from shortage of teachers that have an impact of teacher turnover, and that staffing problems in schools are rooted in the organizational characteristics and conditions of schools. The study utilised data from Schools and Staffing Survey and Teacher Followup Survey by National Center for Education. Analysis of the data was by the exploratory multiple regression, with teacher turnover as the dependent variable. The results of the data analysis indicated that there is a relationship between organizational conditions and school characteristics and teacher turnover. High-poverty public schools were found to have a higher rate of teacher turnover. On the other hand, small private schools were found to have the highest levels of teacher turnover. The study also showed that the level of turnover accounted for by retirement was minor, as compared to teacher job dissatisfaction and pursuing other jobs. Aspects that contribute to high teacher turnover, according to the study results, include low salaries, inadequate support from administration, lack of involvement of teachers in decision making, and student discipline problems. Rafferty (2002) studied the effects of teacher of teacher morale on turnover rates. The participants were school teachers and the instrument used was survey questionnaires, while data was analysed by use of SPSS. Findings did not show a significant relationship between teacher morale and turnover rates. However, the study established a significant relationship between teachers’ morale and their satisfaction with the school principals. These study findings are different from those by Ingersoll (2001), in that while the latter established a relationship between teacher turnover and job satisfaction, the former did not establish similar findings. School Climate, Teacher Morale, and Student Performance Teachers today are faced with increasing responsibilities and limited funding to meet their goals. The responsibilities of school principals have also increased, and thus struggle to balance activities. These and other factors impact negatively on the school climate, leading to low teacher morale and poor performance of students. There are various studies that have been conducted to determine the effect of school climate to teacher morale and student performance. The study by Penfold (2008) sought to establish how school leaders can enhance staff morale in the current school climate that has negative stressors such as decreased funding and increased teacher responsibilities. The researcher used the literature review methodology to address the study problem. Results indicated that the behaviours of school leaders have an impact on teacher morale. Principals with good leadership skills develop a healthy work environment, while those with poor leadership skills develop an unhealthy school environment. Results also showed that increasing salary of teachers will not have long-term effects on increasing staff morale, as teachers are motivated mostly by intrinsic factors. Therefore, to increase the morale of teachers and subsequent performance of students, the researcher concluded that principals of schools should create a healthy school environment. In another study, Houchard (2005) sought to establish the relationship among the aspects of principal leadership in schools, morale of teachers, and student achievement. The research involved two elementary schools, four middle schools, and one high school in North Carolina. This was a quantitative study and utilized the survey design methodology. To measures factors that contribute to teacher morale, the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used, while the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) was used to measure leadership practices that promote a positive school climate. To measure student achievement, the study adopted the North Carolina End-Of-Grade/End-Of-Course tests. Results showed that there was a high level of teacher morale in Mitchell County Schools. Job satisfaction of teachers resulted in high morale, while low salary was found to reduce morale. Furthermore, the study found a relationship between perceived leadership practices and teacher morale. Moore (2012) conducted a study to establish the role of school environment in teacher dissatisfaction among public schools in the United States. The study utilized data from the 2007-2008 School and Staffing Survey. A composite of variables that asked teachers about their feelings regarding the teaching profession were used to quantify teacher dissatisfaction. Teacher dissatisfaction was the criterion variable, while school climate and teacher background were the predictor variables. Data analysis was through logistic regression on the variables. Results of this study showed that school environment played a role in teacher dissatisfaction. Teacher autonomy and good principal leadership increased teachers’ job satisfaction and morale. On the other hand, student and community problems resulted in low teacher job satisfaction and morale. Perumal (2011) explored strategies to raise teacher morale and improve school climate. Data collection was through interviewing, while the respondents included administrators and teachers of different elementary and high schools The causes of low teacher morale in USA and South Africa were identified as student problems, school curriculum, lack of support, relationship problems, and administrative issues. The strategies identified for improving teacher morale and school climate include among others, guidance counsellors for students, orientation of new students, online programme for parents’ involvement, introduction of block scheduling system, elective courses for students, good school leadership and administration, and teacher support. These would increase teacher morale, improve school climate and consequently enhance student performance. Teacher Morale and Job Satisfaction Previous studies have shown that there exists a relationship between teacher morale and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction of teachers leads to their high morale, while job dissatisfaction results in low teacher morale. Rauf, Akhtar, Iqbal & Malik (2013) in their study aimed at establishing the relationship between morale and teacher satisfaction in secondary schools in one province in Pakistan. The respondents included 610 teachers from all the 95 public secondary schools. Two major questionnaires, namely the morale scale and the job satisfaction scale were used for data collection. Analysis of data was by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). With Pearson’s correlation r used to test the study hypothesis, results indicated that morale and job satisfaction of teachers were positively correlated. Spear, Gould & Lee (2000) in their study aimed at establishing the factors that motivated teachers to continue in teaching, and which contribute to their job satisfaction and help maintain their morale. The study adopted a literature review approach, whereby only studies conducted in the UK between 1988 and 1999 with primary and secondary schools teachers were selected. The results of this study indicated that there is a correspondence between teacher morale and their job satisfaction. The factors that increase teachers’ job satisfaction also increase their morale. Among the factors identified as contributing to teachers’ job satisfaction and morale include working with children, good relationships with colleagues, good relationship with students, intellectual challenge, independence, school climate, and job security. George, Louw & Badenhorst (2008) studied how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influenced job satisfaction of urban secondary school teachers in Namibia. The study involved a sample of 337 secondary school teachers that were selected randomly from 17 public schools in Windhoek. The independent variables were teachers’ age, gender, marital status, academic qualifications, school resources and rank, while the dependent variable was job satisfaction. The instruments used were the Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire (MSQ) and the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI). Different statistical procedures were used for hypothesis testing, including Hotelling T-square test, MANOVA, and ANOVA. Results showed that teachers in the amply resourced schools registered dissatisfaction with the intrinsic aspects of their profession. Findings also showed that high burnout resulted in low teacher job satisfaction. Summary Teacher morale is an important issue, as this has been the topic of different researches. This influences student performance, and teacher productivity. The sources reviewed indicate different factors that determine teacher morale. These include school climate, participatory decision making, school leadership, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy. Similarly, teacher morale influences teacher turnover. Most importantly, high teacher morale influences positively on student performance. Therefore, a conclusion can be made that school principals should ensure high teacher morale for high student performance. References Canaya, S. (2008). Participatory Decision Making Vis-A-Vis Teachers’ Morale and Students’ Achievement in Public secondary Schools in Zamboanga City. Western Mindano State University. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3745542/Participatory_Decision-making_vis-a-vis_Teachers_Morale_and_Students_Achievements_in_Public_Secondary_Schools_in_Zamboanga_City_Philippines George, E., Louw, D. & Badenhorst, G. (2008). Job satisfaction among urban secondary- school teachers in Namibia. South African Journal of Education, Vol 28:135–154. Houchard, M. A. (2005). Principal Leadership, Teacher Morale, and Student Achievement in Seven Schools in Mitchell County, North Carolina. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1081. http://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1081 Ingersoll, R. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Education Research Journal 38(3), 499-534. Retrieved from https://depts.washington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs/Turnover-Ing-01-2001.pdf Jasmin-Olga S. & Chatziioannidis, G. (2013). Teacher participation in decision making and its impact on school and teachers. The International Journal of Educational Management, 27(2), 170-183. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513541311297586 Moore, C. (2012). The Role of School Environment in Teacher Dissatisfaction Among U.S. Public School Teachers. Sage Journals. DOI: 10.1177/2158244012438888. Retrieved from http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/2/1/2158244012438888 Penfold, K. (2011). Increasing Staff Morale in Today’s School Climate with Increased Teacher Responsibilities, High-Stakes Testing, and Decreased School Funding. North Michigan University. Retrieved from http://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalEducation/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Students/GradPapers/Projects/Penfold_Kristina_MP.pdf Perumal, M. (2011). Key Strategies To Raise Teacher Morale And Improve School Climate. Retrieved from http://www.education.umd.edu/international/CurrentInitiatives/Fullbright/2011%20DFT%20Project%20Samples/Summative%20Reports/Magendri%20Perumal%20Summative%20Report.pdf Rafferty, M. (2002). The Effects of Teacher Morale on Teacher Turnover Rates. Retrieved from http://www.nmu.edu/Webb/ArchivedHTML/UPCED/mentoring/docs/TeacherMorale.pdf Rauf, M., Akhtar, S., Iqbal, Z., & Malik, M. (2013). Relationship between Morale and Job Satisfaction of Subject Specialists Teaching in Higher Secondary Schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Dialogue, 8(1): 69-83. Spear, M., Gould, K., & Lee, B. (2000). Who would be a teacher? A Review of factors motivating and demotivating prospective and practising teachers. Retrieved from http://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/91003/91003.pdf Zimmerman, B. (2000). Self-Efficacy: An Essential Motive to Learn. Contemporary Educational Psychology 25, 82–91, doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1016. Read More