test and ANOVA

T-tests were used to measure the influence that gender and marital status had on participation in teacher certification education (PTCE). One-way ANOVA tests were used to measure the influence that school level teaching and highest educational qualification level had on participation in teacher certification education (PTCE). Later, a Post Hoc test of Scheffe’s was conducted after examining the test results of the one-way ANOVA. These tests were done to provide more insight to the MoE when making policies, and also to add valuable contribution to the research on factors influencing PTCE. Results of the t-test were all non-significant as shown in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1.

T- Test Results for Demographics’ Effects on PTCE

Variable Category N Mean S. D. P-Value comparisons of categories of the highest educational qualification level tested, while comparison of the school level teaching appeared to be not significant as shown in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2.

One-way ANOVA Test Results for Demographics’ Effects on PTCE

Variable Category N Mean S. D. P-Value

48 presented. Teacher’s with an associate’s degree had a higher intention to participate in teacher certification education (M= 4.01, SD= 1.22) than teachers with a master’s degree did (M=

2.79, SD= 1.23) Table 4.3.

Post Hoc Results of Scheffe’s Multiple Comparison for Highest Educational Qualification Level Effects on PTCE

Teachers with Associate’s Degree were more propelled to participate in certification education. The tendency within the Associate’s Degree teachers could be explained due to that in Belize, sixth form level equivalent to an Associate’s Degree is the most common level

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a student would tend to aspire due to lack of financial assistance to continue studying.

Therefore, most teachers would have finished a content knowledge education, for example, an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, accounting, economics etc., and would decide to enter the teaching profession because of the lack of other employment opportunities and also due to the scarcity of teachers, they would easily become accepted in the field.

Due to the implementation of the reinforcement of the education policy for all teachers to become certified and trained by June 2014, the majority of these Associate Degree’s teachers are being compelled in a certain way due to the reinforcement of the policy to participate in certification education.

Correlation Analysis

A Pearson product-moment coefficient was computed to analyze the direction and strength of linear relationship between the variables. Values of the Pearson correlation coefficient are always between -1 and +1. A correlation coefficient of +1 indicates that two variables are perfectly related in a positive linear sense; a correlation coefficient of -1 indicates that two variables are perfectly related in a negative linear sense, and a correlation coefficient of 0 indicates that there is no linear relationship between the two variables.

As was expected in the hypothesis, almost all of the variables showed significant correlations. For the personal factors, appraisal of meaningfulness had a significant positive correlation with PTCE (r=.568, p<.01). Financial constraint had a significant negative correlation with PTCE (r=-.153, p<.05) and family/work conflict had no significant correlation with PTCE. For the task factors, pressure of work had a significant positive correlation with PTCE (r=.245, p<.01). For the work environment factors, management support had a significant positive correlation with PTCE (r=.270, p<.01), and collegial support had a significant positive correlation with PTCE (r=.215, p<.01).

For the control variables, gender had no correlation with PTCE; age had a significant negative correlation with PTCE (r=-.394, p<.01); and tenure in current job position had a significant negative correlation with PTCE (r=-.308, p<.01) as shown in the correlation analysis output in Table 4.4.

Hierarchical Regression Analysis

After the model was validated and estimated as reliable, hypothesis testing was conducted to answer the research questions. The research hypothesized as found in the literature that personal (appraisal of meaningfulness, family/work conflict, financial

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constraint), task (pressure of work), and work environment factors (management support and collegial support) would either positively or negatively influence teachers’ decision to participate in a certification education.

Hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 were tested, noting that hypothesis 6 was taken out of the study as explained in the EFA results. In the hierarchical regression reported in Table 4.5, gender, age and tenure in current position were entered as control variables into model 1.

Then the main effects: appraisal of meaningfulness (PFAM), family/work conflict (PFFWC), financial constraint (PFFC), pressure of work (TFPW), management support (WEFMS), and collegial (WEFCS) were entered into model 2 as independent variables.

Hypothesis one stated that: Appraisal of meaningfulness will have a positive influence in teachers’ participation in teacher certification education. As depicted in Table 4.5 under model 2, appraisal of meaningfulness had a positive significant effect on PTCE (β=.404, p<.001) leading to the acceptance of this hypothesis. Hypothesis two stated that: Family/work conflict will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

The results showed that PFFWC had a negative but not significant relationship with PTCE (β=-.003) leading to the rejection of this hypothesis. Hypothesis three stated that: Financial constraint will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

The results showed that PFFC had a negative but not significant relationship with PTCE (β=-.054) leading to the rejection of this hypothesis. Hypothesis four stated that: Pressure of work will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education. The results showed that TFPW had a positive and significant relationship with PTCE (β=.176, p<.01) but in a different direction. Hypothesis six stated that: Management support will have a positive influence in teachers’ participation in teacher certification. Results showed that WEFMS had a positive and significant relationship with PTCE (β=.192, p<.01) leading to the acceptance of this hypothesis. Hypothesis seven stated that: Collegial support will have a positive influence in teachers’ participation in teacher certification. Results showed that WEFCS had a negative and non-significant relationship with PTCE (β=-.058) leading to the rejection of this hypothesis.

The regression highlights an acceptable power of the model to explain PTCE (F=15.694, p<.001), which explains 42% of the variance of PTCE (R² =0.419) with a significant R squared changed in model 2 after adding the independent variables (∆R²=0.236, p<.01). The summary of hierarchical regression is shown in Table 4.5 and the overview of hypotheses testing shown in table 4.6.

51 Table 4.4.

Correlation Analysis Results

Variables Mean S.D. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Age 32.9 8.578

2. Gender- female 0.65 0.478 .049 3. Tenure in current

job position 6.27 5.69 .601** .060 4. PFAM-appraisal of

meaningfulness 3.70 1.047 -.481** .001 -.353** (.933) 5. PFFWC-

family/work conflict

3.02 1.030 .118 .073 .175* .094 (.885) 6. PFFC- financial

constraint 2.82 1.198 .092 -.008 -.022 -.165* -.023 (.790) 7. TFPW- pressure of

work 3.29 1.009 .131 .033 .034 .175* .426** -.187** (.913)

8. WEFMS- mgmt.

support 3.54 1.060 -.113 -.006 -.329** .188** -.048 .069 .089 (.948) 9. WEFCS- collegial

support 4.50 1.412 -.175* .009 -.259** .246** -.031 -.117 .072 .600** (.874) 10. PTCE- participation

in teacher certification

3.77 1.283 -.394** .119 -.308** .568** .088 -.153* .245** .270** .215** (.954) Note. Numbers in the brackets represent the Cronbach’s Alpha of the variables. Gender is coded as dummy variable male=0, female=1. Age and Tenure in current job position are coded as continuous variable.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

52 Table 4.5.

Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Participation in Teacher Certification Education

PFFWC- family/ work conflict -.003

PFFC- financial constraint -.054

TFPW- pressure of work .176**

WEFMS- management support .192**

WEFCS- collegial support -.058

R² .183 .419

ADJ.R² .171 .392

∆R² .183*** .236***

F 15.109*** 15.694***

Note: Gender coded as dummy variable male=0, female=1

* p< .05 **p<.01 ***p<.001 Table 4.6.

Overview of Hypotheses Testing

Hypothesis Result

H1: Appraisal of meaningfulness will have a positive influence in teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

Supported

H2: Family/work conflict will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

Not supported

H3: Financial constraint will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

Not supported

H4: Pressure of work will negatively influence teachers’ participation in teacher certification education.

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Discussions

First, a brief discussion will be conducted on all the independent variables, and secondly, on all three demographics used as control variables to measure the extent of influence they had on teachers’ participation in certification education. In addition, highest educational qualification level which showed some influence on PTCE will also be discussed.

In Belize, teachers’ perception of certification is being appraised as meaningful as it adds value to their professional work life. Appraisal of meaningfulness was highly correlated to PTCE and had a very significant influence on PTCE according to the regression results in Table 4.5, model 2. Meaningfulness is situation-specific in nature, and appraisals elicit the meaning teachers attach to different professional learning activities (Kwakman, 2003).

Teachers may find their job to be highly meaningful therefore they would like to engage themselves in PTCE in order to become better equipped to the new challenges within the teaching profession.

According to the results of a study carried out by Yeh and Tun (2014), if teachers do not receive financial support from their Ministry of Education to invest in their preparation in a formal certification education they would find it difficult to engage in such an activity since the cost of living and further education costs are elevated. In this study financial constraint had a negative significant correlation with PTCE as hypothesized but it showed a non-significant coefficient in the regression results as seen in Table 4.5, model 2. This variable had a smaller effect on PTCE compared to the other factors and also compared to results of other studies with a different population and area.

Previous studies of the TALIS (2009) reported that 30% of OECD countries stated that family responsibilities has been a hindrance for them to participate in certification education, this did not appear to be an obstacle to the teachers in this study since the family/work conflict variable had no correlation with PTCE and had a low coefficient value in the regression results as shown in Table 4.5, model 2.

Nowadays pressure of work has been seen as a heavy burden within the work tasks of most professionals, this being the case in Belize. Teachers tend to feel that the teaching profession has a quantitative demand of workload and also pace of work (Kwakman, 2003).

Pressure of work had a significant positive correlation with PTCE with a different direction as hypothesized. Furthermore, it had a significant value with PTCE as shown in the regression results in Table 4.5, model 2.

The new changes and challenges for the Ministry of Education in Belize has stipulated

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and mandated the reinforcement of the education policy to all teachers at all levels. This process is expecting the outcome of proper certification of teachers in pedagogical content knowledge, rather than only a content knowledge education. The reinforcement of this policy will become effective on June of 2014, causing teachers to participate in a certification education albeit the circumstances that they are confronting pressure of work. However, this situation of feeling pressured to continue their studies in the pedagogical field will further on become beneficial to them knowledge and financial wise.

Receiving any form of assistance emotionally, physically, psychologically or financially from the principal or administration is rewarding; it will foster trust, understanding and participation between staff and management. Principal support is important to teachers’

well-being (Littrell et al., 1994). This will enable them to perceive that their work and dedication has been acknowledged and, furthermore, allow the ambiance of inclusion and ownership within the process of the achievement of goals of the institution to become a success. Management support was highly correlated to PTCE and also had a high significant value in the regression results as shown in Table 4.5, model 2. Teachers perceived that by having full support from their principal they would participate in certification education.

Lastly, despite previous studies supporting that collegial support will influence the participation of teachers in certification education. In this study collegial support had a significant correlation with PTCE but was non-significant in the regression results as shown in Table 4.5, model 2. This variable had little effect on PTCE compared to the other factors.

With regards to the review of the demographics that were used as control variables: age, gender, and tenure in current job position, age had a significant negative correlation with PTCE and also a significant negative value as a predictor of PTCE as shown in the regression results in Table 4.5, model 2. According to a study carried out by Lardinois (2011) on learning "while" working: success stories on workplace learning in Europe, age and gender do play an important effect on adult learners since the older an adult is, the less likely they will continue learning. This study revealed that age has a significant negative effect PTCE which denotes that the younger the teacher is, the more likely they will participate in certification education. This could be an important finding for the MoE, to consider focusing the certification policy on younger teachers since they are more enthusiastic to learn and to remain in the system, bearing in mind that age tends to lower the intention of teachers’

participation in further learning. This is especially true when they become closer to the age range of 55-64 years (Eurostat, 2009a). The MoE is trying to minimize the problem of uncertified and untrained teachers; therefore, it may be effective to target the younger

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teachers who seem to be more willing to participate than the older ones. Lardinois (2011) further stated that participation in continuing learning decreases with age, particularly, in countries that have an overall lower average of participation of adult learners. Perhaps this is not the case in Belize, thus the reason, that age is a good indicator for the authorities to start working on plans and strategies to motivate these young teachers to participate in certification education.

Gender had a positive but non-significant correlation with PTCE but showed a significant effect on PTCE in the regression results as shown in Table 4.5, model 2. This reveals that in Belize female teachers have a higher intention to participate in certification education than males.

Tenure in current job position had a significant negative correlation with PTCE but showed no significant effect on PTCE in regression. Limited literature was found on tenure in current job position affecting teachers’ participation in certification education. However, the OECD (2006) reported that the occurrence of adults participating in learning decreases with age and that the expected pay-back period on training investments is shorter for the older workers. This seems to suggest that age is a better indicator than tenure in predicting PTCE.

Finally, the findings of the one-way ANOVA test on the highest educational qualification level variable indicated that there was a significant difference on PTCE scores among the four categories. Furthermore a Post Hoc test revealed that two categories, Associate’s Degree and Master’s Degree showed a strong significant difference in the comparisons of the PTCE mean scores, which means teachers with an associate’s degree were more willing to participate in certification education than teachers with a master’s degree. Most teachers in Belize hold an associate’s degree only in content knowledge education. Results confirm that these teachers are more propelled to participate in certification education due to the fact of their previous qualification.

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