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Strategies Used by Principals to Motivate Teachers
in Secondary Institutions inBelize
J.International Cooperation 4 (1) (March 2009): 83-100 © 2009 International Cooperation and Development Fund
Strategies Used by Principals to Motivate Teachers
in Secondary Institutions in Belize
Eleanor Bodden Gillett! and Wei- Wen Chang!
1. Graduate Institute of International Workforce Education and Development National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Belize is a developing country in Central America and education is one of the focus areas of the government. Within the educational system principals perform a crucial role as a leader in motivating teachers which is fundamental to the development of education
in Belize. Hence the purpose of the study was to investigate the strategies used by
principals to motivate teachers in secondary institutions in Belize. Therefore a
qualitative case study was used and the chosen sample comprised of principals and one
member of the Ministry of Education (MOE) using in-depth interviews; and teachers
using open-ended questions to gather data. The research findings revealed that principals employed many strategies which included monetary and nonmonetary forms to increase teachers' motivation in the workplace. Finally, the study provides suggestions on how to address the issue of motivating teachers in secondary institutions in Belize.
J.International Cooperation 4 (1) (March 2009): 83-100 © 2009 International Cooperation and Development Fund
"Teachers are one of the most important groups of professionals for our
nation's future and they determine the
quality of education that children receive"
(UNESCO, 2006, p.l). Belize is a
developing country on the eastern coast of CentraltAmerica. Education is one of the main focus areas of the government of the country. This was uttered by the Minister of Education,
Keys do not open doors by themselves. Keys must be supported, they must be positioned, they must be turned
by someone possessing that key in
order that that lock be opened.
Education is our key and it is up to us to support, position and turn this key to open the door to social justice and a safe and healthy environment, (Belize News 5, 2008, , p. 1).
As a result, the Ministry of
Education has spent a significantly large amount of money to improve the education system in Belize which includes infrastructure, services and most importantly, the human resource capital where there is a need for principals to strengthen and assume their
roles as administrative leaders. When
speaking of the term 'roles of a leader' it
also includes motivating employees,
which is a major concern for principals of
secondary schools. This was also
affirmed by Panti,
The principals are the ones who
actually execute whatever education
within their schools, so when there
isn't that leadership within an
institution, you see what I call a
phenomenon of interpersonal
relationships going sour within the
institutions and that hampers
education within institutions, (Belize News 5, 2008, p. 2).
Thus the current study focuses on
motivational strategies implemented by
principals to boost their teachers' morale
to enable them to do their job with
enthusiasm.
Research Purpose
Motivation is selected as the focus
of the research because the literature
reveals that this dimension of
understanding teachers' ability to do their jobs effectively is persistently neglected.
A classic case as reported by 7 News
(Belize News 7, 2008) was that at a
secondary institution "23 teachers did not show up - they called in sick. Only 7
were left, and by midday the students
themsel ves gave up and walked out. The rest of the teachers left shortly after that
-and by 1:30 pm - the school was
deserted" (p.l). It is alarming to see that more than three quarter of the teachers did not show up to work.
Presently in Belize, there is no data
on teacher motivation that would have
helped principals in secondary schools to
be equipped to better manage their
employees. Thus, the searcher places
of teachers in secondary education institution in Belize. A better understanding of the motivational strategies which will help principals in secondary schools in Belize and finding solutions to the problem
of teachers not being motivated. The
research questions for the case study are: 1 . What are the motivational strategies used
by principals in secondary education to motivate teachers?
2. What are the challenges faced by
principals in motivating teachers? 3. How does administration manage staff
members who are not motivated? The study identify the motivational
strategies used among secondary
institution principals, similarities and differences in motivational strategies,
effectiveness of the motivational
strategies, and other factors which is
significant in assisting principals and the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Belize.
Literature Review
Empirical studies have examined
many factors in an attempt to find which ones promote motivation. Motivation is a word we use to describe and account for how we do things and as Robins & Judge (2007) states; it is the processes that
account for an individual's intensity,
direction and persistence of effort toward
attaining a goal. On the contrary the
study of motivation does not come with a clear definition to mark its domain and boundaries. Motivational theories attempt
to explain how effort is generated and
channeled. Theories of work motivation is plentiful, even though some theories share common processes and constructs, there is no single, inclusive and widely accepted explanation of work motivation.
Some of the theories that have been examined is displayed in Table 1 such as
Maslow's hierarchy of need theory,
McGregor Theory X and Theory Y,
Herzberg two-factor theory, expectancy
theory, equity theory, McClelland theory of needs and Marston DISC Theory to have a better understanding of the human
needs and what motivates them to
perform better. Nevertheless the review
reveal the following behaviors of
motivating human: must first fulfill their needs at the lower level of the hierarchy which is physiological needs before they can move up to the other level; their
attitude towards work can determine
success or failure and the more positive reward given to them the more likely they will be greatly motivated.
Harvard Business School Press
(2005) state that, "clearly, motivating people to be their best requires complex
approaches and a deep understanding of
human nature" (p. 17). However, we
have to bear in mind that what works best for one person will not work for another. Individuals are unique and have different
needs, behavior and, way to take our
problems and challenges, and with this
issue it is important to realize that what
motivate one person may not motivate
the other in the same way, but maybe for some persons with different status.
nature and quality of the teachers' motivation" (Diamantes, 2004, p. 2). According to Ladew (1998) "the first critical question to ask yourself when you become a supervisor is whether you're going to manage the people who report to you or lead them," (p. 8). The author also state that research after research shows that one gets the greatest end result when they manage assets and lead people. The writer even went further to mention that
many organizations have been
unsuccessful because they believe that
business is built on management and that leadership takes care of itself. Leadership must come first; that means you must be knowledgeable about how to be a leader before you can succeed as a supervisor. As Ubben & Hughes (1992) mentioned, "Principals make a difference. But what is it that principals do that makes the difference?" According to Adair (1990 p. 5), "leadership and motivation are like brother and sister." It is difficult to think of a leader who does not motivate others.
In conclusion, it can be seen that developing countries in education needs
to focus and place importance on
motivating and value teachers if they
want to have a quality education system. This can be done in two ways firstly, by
principals along with the help of
government in compensating teachers
intrinsically or extrinsically. Secondly,
principals must demonstrate their
leadership ability depending on the
situation they encounter. As a result the environment will be a better place for teachers which will increase performance
and low staff turnover in secondary
institutions.
Methodology
This chapter describes the
framework, methods, case study and
procedures used to collect data in the research.
The research framework (Figure 1) of the study was developed in accordance with the purpose of the study of the literature review. The researcher tries to establish the role of the different factors
that would influence principals III
implementing strategies to aid in the
increase of teachers' performance.
Research Approach
This study utilized qualitative
research to investigate the participants under study for the development of the data gathering that address the research
questions. Qualitative research was
conducted in order to explore and analyze
the motivational strategies used by
principals in secondary institutions in
Belize. The researcher used two
methods of data collection. This was in the form of open-ended questionnaires for teachers and structured interview for principals and member of the MOE.
of teachers in secondary education institution in Belize. A better understanding of the motivational strategies which will help principals in secondary schools in Belize and finding solutions to the problem of teachers not being motivated. The research questions for the case study are:
1 . What are the motivational strategies used by principals in·secondary education to motivate teachers?
2. What are the challenges faced by principals in motivating teachers? 3. How does administration manage staff
members who are not motivated? The study identify the motivational
strategies used among secondary
institution principals, similarities and differences in motivational strategies,
effectiveness of the motivational
strategies, and other factors which is significant in assisting principals and the Ministry of Education (MaE) in Belize.
Literature Review
Empirical studies have examined many factors in an attempt to find which ones promote motivation. Motivation is a word we use to describe and account for how we do things and as Robins & Judge (2007) states; it is the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. On the contrary the study of motivation does not come with a clear definition to mark its domain and boundaries. Motivational theories attempt to explain how effort is generated and
chamieled. Theories of work motivation is plentiful, even though some theories share common processes and constructs, there is no single, inclusive and widely accepted explanation of work motivation.
Some of the theories that have been examined is displayed in Table 1 such as Maslow's hierarchy of need theory,
McGregor Theory X and Theory Y,
Herzberg two-factor theory, expectancy theory, equity theory, McClelland theory of needs and Marston DISC Theory to have a better understanding of the human
needs and what motivates them to
perform better. Nevertheless the review
reveal the following behaviors of
motivating human: must first fulfill their needs at the lower level of the hierarchy which is physiological needs before they can move up to the other level; their attitude towards work can determine success or failure and the more positive reward given to them the more likely they will be greatly motivated.
Harvard Business School Press
(2005) state that, "clearly, motivating people to be their best requires complex approaches and a deep understanding of human nature" (p. 17). However, we have to bear in mind that what works best for one person will not work for another. Individuals are unique and have different needs, behavior and, way to take our problems and challenges, and with this issue it is important to realize that what motivate one person may not motivate the other in the same way, but maybe for some persons with different status.
Table 1. Comparison Factors among Motivational Theories
Maslow's McGregor Herzberg Expectancy Equity McClelland Marston hierarchy Theory X Two-Factor Theory Theory Theory DISC of needs and Theory Theory -Physiological -Safety -Social -Esteem -Self-Actualization TheorvX -Dislike work -Threatened -Forced -Controlled -Punish TheoryY -Self-directed -Self-control -Responsible -Innovative -Promotion -Growth -Achievement -Recognition -Responsibility -Improve performance -Outcome desire -Value on outcome -Need for achievement -Need for Power -Need for Affiliation -Decisive -Influential -Steady -Complaint -Treated fairly (output, returns, inequity)
Education in developing countries is at a critical stage, as international efforts are stimulated towards the success of internationally agreed targets to expand and improve education as part of the
Education For All (EFA) movement.
"Motivation cannot be done to someone -it cannot be controlled or commanded
into being; it is a complex human
dynamic that, at best, we can aim to understand and work to inspire" (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2001). As a result it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that teachers perform to the best of their abilities. In order to get this task done government must take notice of a number of factors that affect teachers' performance. Teacher compensation is vital but not the only factor in teacher motivation; Educators may be compensated through salaries or other cash payments, food, training, or
special assistance such as shelter, transport or agricultural support. Neves de Jesus & Conboy (2001) stated that there are three reasons why teachers motivation is important first for the effect on student motivation, secondly the advance of educational reform and finally for the satisfaction and fulfillment of teachers themselves. Beyond the level of personal well-being, such feelings of satisfaction are consistently associated with lower levels of organizational absenteeism and turnover.
Principal's Role as Motivators in Secondary Institution
Education leader is an important part of the education environment, "it is with the educational environment that the organizations members interact and therefore the principal can determine the
nature motiva Accof( critical becom going I you or state tl that on they m writer I many unsucci busines leaders] must C( knowle, before As Ubt "PrinciI is it th differen 5), "lea brother think 01 others. In develop to foct motivati want to This car principa governn intrinsic. principal leadershi
nature and quality of the teachers' motivation" (Diamantes, 2004, p. 2). According to Ladew (1998) "the first critical question to ask yourself when you become a supervisor is whether you're going to manage the people who report to you or lead them," (p. 8). The author also state that research after research shows that one gets the greatest end result when they manage assets and lead people. The writer even went further to mention that
many organizations have been
unsuccessful because they believe that business is built on management and that leadership takes care of itself. Leadership must come fIrst; that means you must be knowledgeable about how to be a leader before you can succeed as a supervisor. As Ubben & Hughes (1992) mentioned, "Principals make a difference. But what is it that principals do that makes the difference?" According to Adair (1990 p. 5), "leadership and motivation are like brother and sister." It is difficult to think of a leader who does not motivate others.
In conclusion, it can be seen that developing countries in education needs
to focus and place importance on
motivating and value teachers if they want to have a quality education system. This can be done in two ways firstly, by
principals along with the help of
government in compensating teachers intrinsically or extrinsically. Secondly,
principals must demonstrate their
leadership ability depending on the
situation they encounter. As a result the environment will. be a better place for teachers which will increase performance and low staff turnover in secondary institutions.
Methodology
This chapter describes the
framework, methods, case study and procedures used to collect data in the research.
Research Framework
The research framework (Figure l) of the study was developed in accordance with the purpose of the study of the literature review. The researcher tries to establish the role of the different factors that would influence principals in implementing strategies to aid in the increase of teachers' performance.
Research Approach
This study utilized qualitative research to investigate the participants under study for the development of the data gathering that address the research questions. Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore and analyze the motivational strategies used by principals in secondary institutions in
Belize. The researcher used two
methods of data collection. This was in the form of open-ended questionnaires for teachers and structured interview for principals and member of the MOE.
-Salary -Rewards -Bonuses -Benefits -Self actualization -Promotion -Fair treatment Principals' motivational
strategies that influence teachers level of motivation
D
-Principal & coworkers relationship -Working conditions -Communication Sampling SizeThe researcher used random
sampling to draw a sample from the given; this gave an equal chance of being selected for the study. The purposeful sampling techniques were used to collect data from a member of MOE in Belize. The researcher targeted 14 principals in secondary institution from the six districts in Belize. The principals were chosen from three areas of management: government, special aided and grant aided. From these three management
sector half was randomly selected from each part. Purposive sampling was used to gather data from the member of MOE, since the participant have more affiliation with principals in secondary institution in Belize. The last set of participants was 12 teachers chosen from the institutions where the 14 principals were selected from. After the selection of the 12 teachers a teacher list was used to choose the teacher that appears at the middle of the list to be the participant.
Validity and Reliability
According to Johnson & Christensen (2004), "reliability and validity are the
two most important psychometric
properties to consider in using a test or assessment procedures" (p. 132). Therefore since the researcher conducted a qualitative research the questions were develop by the researcher. As stated by Johnson & Christensen (2004), when qualitative researchers speak of research validity they are usually referring to a research that is plausible, credible, trustworthy and therefore defensible.
Thus the researcher used expert
validation to ensure the reliability of the instruments. Another strategy that will be use in this study is data triangulation which is said to be one of the best strategies was used by the researcher in this study to enhance internal validity.
This method involves diverse data
sources which consist of the participants to explore the same phenomenon.
The reliability is based on the assumption that the triangulation method is effective because the interviews were
taped and the questionnaires are
transcripts which are used to track the process of the data and also saved for future reference if needed.
a. Data Collection
Upon the completion of the
instruments the researcher sent an email with the consent letter attach to the
sample size requesting their active participation for the in-depth study. This was followed by a request to seek the appropriate interview time, date and place. The interviews were conducted by the researcher in Belize by recording the information using an audio tape for which permission was granted by the interviewees.
After conducting the interviews which lasted for a month the researcher then transcribed the data. The transcribe text and data from questionnaire was categorized and theme based on the research questions, thereby trying to establish any emerging pattern. The data collected was analyzed and compared among the selected participants in each group in order to present findings that gave rise to the literature review, research framework and the research questions to be answered.
Strategies that Relate to Research Framework
The summary of Table 2 shows
strategies that are used to influence principals' in motivating teachers which are related to the theoretical framework of the study. The information gathered from the participants claimed that all participants believe that their role is important to the society and they do their
Table 2. Strategies that Relates to the Research Framework
Strategies Research findings
Recognition Self actualization
Promotion Fair treatment Respect
*
Salary Rewards Bonuses BenefitsPrincipal and coworkers relationship Working conditions
Communication
best to meet the expectation of the mission statement of the organization.
The study also showed that the
participants understood clearly what the term "teachers' motivation" means. They understand that it is having the internal drive and enthusiasm about their career and their physical work environment. According to the results, we can conclude that the occupation of a principal is not just being and instructional leader but that they also take on duties of other profession such as nurse, counselor,
accountant, parents etc. Although
bombarded with all these multi-task they still have yet another larger task of motivating teachers which is an area of major concern for principals if the institution should be a successful one. Nevertheless the principals take on the job enthusiastically in seeking solutions to the problem. For this reason principals
employ several strategies in achieving one of their goals of motivating teachers, both intrinsically and extrinsically so that teachers can love what they are doing; these strategies take two forms: monetary and nonmonetary.
As the findings revealed, the most
common strategy employed IS
recognition this is classified as a nonmonetary form. Principals believe that recognition is the best form of motivation for teachers because teachers feel that they are appreciated by the organization for a job well done. The literature also stated that "some experts argue that nonmonetary rewards can have a far more motivating influence than monetary form" (Harvard Business School Press, 2005). We must however take into account that the nonmonetary form is not the only motivator that will
performance. Principals also believe that monetary form plays a vital role as one principal mentioned that money makes the world go round. However because of the lack of financial resources especially in government institutions, only some of the institutions can apply this form of strategy. The analysis also reveals that principals did not use salary as a strategy motivator because teachers are paid according to their qualification and also it was mentioned that teachers should not look at an increase in salary as a moti vator because a salary increase is usually nullified by heavy taxation.
As these principals take on the task in motivating teachers in some form it can be viewed that they are faced with a number of challenges such as untrained teachers, individual personality, and no love for the profession etcetera. Yet with all these challenges principals never give
up. Instead they use a number of
interventions such as: one on one discussion, spiritual support, seeking help from others etcetera, to motivate their teachers.
From teachers perception they
agreed that principals are doing their best to motivate teachers but there are some areas that they believe principals need improvement, such as being consistent, supporting teachers, respecting decision
among others. Most important they
believe that principals need to separate their personal and professional lives in the workplace. On the other hand the member of MOE states that there are several reasons why principals are faced
with this dilemma in motivating teachers. These are because:
1 . Some of them are chosen for the post of being a principal because they are seen as senior in the workplace.
2. They are seen as a role model for students because they attend church regularly.
3. They have some connection with
someone in MOE.
4. They lack the leadership ability because the people responsible for choosing principals wrongfully taught that they had the leadership abilities.
Therefore if all these negative ways of choosing a principal are eliminated it is believed that teachers motivation will be soaring through the ceiling and principals would spend less time in that area of motivating teachers. This then will lead to the school and MOE accomplishing the vision and mission of education. Significance of Five Motivational
Theories
From the analysis we can conclude that there are five motivational theories that are significant to the study as indicated in Table 3 which emphasize that employees as human beings has different needs. Apter (1982), cited that Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory hypothesized that within every human being there exist five needs: (1) physiological, (2) safety,
(3) social, (4) esteem and (5)
Maslow's hierarchy of needs -Physiological -Safety -Social -Esteem -Self-actualization McGregor Theory X and Theory Y Theory X -Dislike work -Threatened -Forced -Controlled -Punish TheoryY -Self-directed -Self-control -Responsible -Innovative
where presented in the study as ways to motivate teachers. The result also supports Herzberg Two-Factor theory belief (Robbins & Judge, 2007), that an individual's relation to work is basic and that one attitude toward work can very well detennine successor failure.
Nevertheless most of the facts gathered from the research showed that the leaders of that institution contribute a great deal to teachers' performance and
meeting the overall goal of the
organization. Nonetheless there is still room for improvement when it comes to treating workers fairly. As referred to in the literature review, equity theory states that people will work when they believe that there is a positive outcome from their behavior (Werner & DeSimone 2006); therefore the lack of unfair treatment can contribute to staff low motivation. The data also support (Vroom, 1964) expectancy theory which also states that people choose
Herzberg Two-Factor Theory -Promotion -Growth -Achievement -Recognition -Responsibility Expectancy Theory Equity Theory -Improve performance -Outcome desire -Value on outcome -Treated fairly (output, returns, inequity)
their behaviors and effort levels after considering whether their behaviors and effort will improve their performance.
From the data collected principals and the MOE member identify that there are some teachers who are self-motivated but on the other hand there are some teachers that are not self-motivated. Therefore, in order to get these teachers motivated they must apply some negative reinforcement. According to Adair (1990),
McGregor Theory X is labeled as
negative which assumes lower-order needs dominate individuals and Theory Y is labeled as positive which assumes higher-order needs dominate individuals. Hence it can be seen that in secondary institution principals have both Theory X and Y teachers.
However, the data disclosed that principals' do not pay much attention to their teacher's behavior but place greater emphasis on the goals of the institution.
after and
As the literature bring to light that we have to bear in mind that what works best for one person will not work for another (Harvard Business School Press, 2005). For this reason it is important for a principal to not only focus on the goals of the institution, but also emphasis must be place on employees to identify and classify the type of employees in the institution and also the causes of their behavior. This will help principals to effectively work with teachers in using the right strategy to motivating them to increase their performance and make the environment a better place to work. Emerging Data from Results
After collecting the results and
analyzing the information it was
interesting to find out emerging data from principals, teachers and the member of MOE on the research topic which was not mentioned in the literature review.
pals here ated orne lted. hers ltive
~90), Principals are not Consistent in GivingRecognition The first emerging data from the findings is that teachers believed that some principals are not consistent in giving recognition. Teachers deemed that principals does not give recognition frequently, that it will be offered sometimes and in other instances it will take a long period of time for it to be offered again. Principals must bear in mind that teachers are human being as well and need to be treated equally and as Irder ryY lmes lals. dary :yX that n to ~ater tion.
not like George Orwell's 'animal farm' where some are more equal than others. In doing so teachers will feel like they are appreciated for a job well done which will give them that sense of motivation in the workplace.
Some Principals Lack Vision and Management Ability
A second data that emerged from the findings is some principals lack vision and management ability. This is so for several reasons, these being: 1) because some principals were chosen for the post because they are seen as the senior person in the institution in regards to years; 2) they are seen as role models for students since they go to church regularly; 3) they know someone in the MOE; and 4) they are not able to transfer the information learnt to the real world. As a result of this some principals are not able to lead and manage their institution effectively and
cause some teachers to become
de-motivated.
Large Group of Untrained Teachers Lastly, there is a large group of untrained teachers in the profession. Therefore these teachers are not able to function properly in the classroom because they lack the pedagogy and methodology skills. Hence this leads to teachers' low motivation. However, if principals and MOE wants to see teachers performing at their best it is imperative that principals hire teachers who are
qualified or encourage them to be qualified to teach the students of the future.
Therefore one can conclude that the duty of a principal in motivating teachers
to improve their performance is a
challenge because of the diverse
personality of teachers. However they must keep in mind that they should not give up because it is important to motivate employees through the effective use of monetary and non-monetary forms and a comfortable organizational culture to generate the excellent performance that enables secondary institution to meet its goals.
Despite the limitations of the study, there are a number of conclusions on secondary educational institution that can be drawn. First, as one can visualize, with only 24 hours in a day and the unlimited duties encountered by principals on a daily basis, that it is a difficult job to handle efficiently especially if they want the institution to be a success. Despite the magnitude of the task principals will not
meet their goals and the level of
institutional accomplishment desired if they overlook one of the ultimate factors, that is teacher motivation.
Second, the signs of low motivation displayed by teachers are areas of focal concern for principals in secondary education in Belize. The fact is that the task of teachers is critical and central to the development and success of students
and the institution. However, with all the countless strategies, which include both monetary and non-monetary forms and interventions utilized by these principals to overcome the challenges face by these leaders with the aim to motivate teachers, it still appears that there is minimal improvement in some teachers' behavior.
Third, principals of secondary institution and member of Ministry of Education are fully aware that motivating teachers is a challenge for many reasons. However from among them there are two major reasons that can be observed and can be damaging to the lives of students and the institutions: (1) the teaching profession is seen as a stepping stone for individuals; and (2), too many untrained teachers are in the classroom without the requisite methodology and pedagogy.
Fourth, incentives seem to be a concern in the profession of teaching. Probably this is the reason for these two events: (a) teachers showing no passion for the profession; (b) and they use the profession as a stepping stone. Hence if
the MOE does not find some way of
compensating teachers properly they will always face the problem of losing the money they spent for the training of teachers. Likewise they are also losing teachers which could be an asset to the education system.
It can be concluded, therefore, that the principal is still the leader of the school and must be held responsible to ensure that teachers are motivated in the
war teac for is a The rew gelli resu imp Alsc the diffl prin non mot bep pare recc foll< meIJ for insti recc this that imp secc a.F al
the lOth and Jals ers, mal .ary of ing lOS. wo md :nts ing for led the ng. wo ion the : if of {ill the of ng :he
workplace. Discovering what matters to teachers and how best to motivate them for sustained and improved performance is a complicated challenge for principals. The results have also shown that extrinsic rewards have been used by principals but generally do not produce the desired results; nevertheless it is still an important way of motivating employees. Also special attention must be given to the individual since they are motivated differently. Hence, it is important that
principals use both monetary and
non-monetary strategies if they want to motivate teachers. And the end result will be positive for principals, teachers, students, parents and the wider community.
This section provides
recommendations by the researcher to the
following groups: principals and
members of MOE who are responsible for teachers' motivation in secondary
institution in Belize. These
recommendations were generated from this research finding. The researcher believes that the following will be valuable to the improvement of teachers' motivation III
secondary institution in Belize. Recommendation for Principals in
Secondary Institution
a. Focus on Teachers as Individuals and not as a Group
Principals should focus on teachers as individuals and not as a group in order
to see what motivates each person and apply a strategy that will work for that person. It is evident that each institution has a diverse culture where each person is unique and has different needs and behaviors. Hence they are motivated differently depending on what they hope to achieve. In realizing each individual characteristics and motivators, the principals will see what strategies should be employed to elicit best results from their teachers.
b. Pay Attention to the External Environment
As principals of an education system it is important to pay attention to the external environment and address any situation that may cause teachers to be withdrawn from their responsibilities and objectives in the institution. Therefore it is important that principals make use of teachers' motivational survey each year so it can give them a better understanding of the needs of teachers.
c. Give Teachers Recognition, Respect and Support on a Regular Basis
It is important for principals to give teachers recognition, respect and support on a regular basis if they want to strive to get teachers' motivation soaring through the ceiling. In doing so, it will make teachers feel that they are recognized and appreciated for their hard work which will lead them to develop a sense of belonging to that institution.
d. Plan Professional Development Programs for Teachers Especially Untrained Teachers
Professional development programs
should be planned for teachers,'
especially untrained teachers in the areas
of stress management, classroom
management and team building. These
programs will help teachers to better cope
with students' behavior and also in
building better relationships with
co-workers so that the environment will be a happier workplace.
e. Principals need to Liaise and Share Information with each Other
The findings also indicated that
principals are not willing to share
information with other principals in other
secondary institutions. However if
principals are to overcome the problem of
teachers motivation in secondary
institutions they need to liaise and share information with each other. Hence it is important for principals to unite and help other principals who are searching for answers to the problem.
Recommendation for Members of MOE
a. Re-examined Selection and
Promotion Policy for Principals in Secondary Institutions
Selection and promotion policy for principals in secondary institutions need to be re-examined. The study reveals that some principals were not coping with the
heavy responsibilities entrusted upon
them. This calls for qualified and
experienced personnel to be promoted to
occupy headship positions when they
become vacant. Promotion or selection of
principals based on an assessment of
classroom competency alone is
inadequate. Competencies in leadership and organizational knowledge and skills among other appropriate qualities should
also be included in the criteria for
selection and promotion in order to
ensure that the beginning principals have
sound knowledge and skills in
educational administration.
b. A System of Mentoring Should be Mandatory for New Principals
Upon selection of a principal, a
system of mentoring should be
mandatory for the purpose of providing a proper induction into the responsibilities that they are expected to perform. The new principal will have regular contact
with the mentor. The mentor in this
situation could be a practicing principal.
c. To Keep Teachers for a Long Period of Time in the Profession it is Important to Create Attractive Benefit Packages
If members of MOE want to have teachers working in this profession for a long period of time then it is important that more monetary and non-monetary
rewards are given to them especially
creating attractive benefit packages. As a
md
I to
ley of of
satisfaction and a sense of belonging to the institution. Teachers will see the job
as a long-lasting career and not as a
stepping stone. IS lip Ills lId for to ve III
d. Provide Leadership Workshops for Principals
Provide leadership workshops for
principals because education is neither stagnant nor static. Hence in providing these workshops for principals it helps them to keep abreast of the changes in the role as a leader; therefore they will be
equipped with the knowledge and skills
to apply changes to their environment
when the needs arise.
e. Work Along with Principals of Secondary Institutions
Ministry should work along with
principals of secondary institutions to
ensure that teachers are identified in
order to get the proper training needed to be efficient in the classroom.
f. Establish Professional
Representative Bodies for Secondary Institutions
Ministry of Education should establish
professional representative bodies for
secondary institutions such as counselors
which help to ease the workload of
principals. Hence this will give principals more time to deal with other pressing issues that is important to the success of the institution.
Recommendation for Future Study
The following four recommendations are for future researchers to explore other areas in the field of education as it relates
to principals and their immediate
environment.
a. Research on the Role of the Secondary Institution Principals
There is a need to conduct further
research on the role of the secondary
school principals and their understanding
of the demands and challenges as
principals. This research then will help principals to be better equipped for the dynanlic educational environment.
b. Explore Teachers' Motivational Level from Teachers' Perspective
Researchers could explore teachers'
motivational level from teachers'
perspective to see how they view their
leaders when it comes to motivating
teachers. This information can be
compared with this research to see if
there are any sinlilarities between the
strategies used by principals and the
expectation of teachers in secondary
institutions.
c. Research on Effective Programs for Principals
Additional research can be done on
effective enhancement programs for
principals that may help them to become
better leaders. Probably programs or
be reviewed to determine if they can be effective to Belize.
d. Research on the Motivational Level
of Untrained Teachers
Additional research can be done on
the area of the motivational level of
untrained teachers in secondary school in Belize. Therefore the research could give
rise to the reasons for the lack of
motivational level in secondary schools
and suggestions could be given to
principals and to members of the
Ministry of Education to solve the issue.
Limitations of the Study
The study was delimited to
secondary school principals who had at
least two years experience, teachers in secondary education and member of the MOE who works directly with secondary
institutions in Belize. Therefore the
results of this research should not be
generalized to all teachers and principals in Belize. The research was delimited to
15 principals selected through random
sampling. The random sampling limited
the research to having majority of the
principals from the Belize district and none from the southern district of Toledo. Because the researcher had to return to Taiwan, time was a major limitation and
interviews had to be done within one
month. The distance in getting to the
teachers and principals for the interviews,
also made time delimitation. Also
because of time factor the researcher only
interviewed one person from the MOE.
Several attempts were made to get in
touch with the other two members but
these were unsuccessful because these
people were always busy and could not be reached. This was a major limitation
because the study could have been
strengthened by the increased
representation from this group which
would have given more contribution on
the government's education officer's
point of view.
Because of unavailability of
Belizean literature on this topic, the
researcher had to rely mainly on literature
not directly related to our Belizean
society. Hence no comparison was made between literatures and findings at the
end of the study. Nevertheless the
research instruments were used to obtain
results related to the Belizean
environment to give answers to the
research questions. Hence the researcher was limited to formulating questions for
the interview and the survey based on
arbitrary issues that arise in Belize; to
date there is little or no documented
studies on issues or problems that arise in secondary schools in Belize.
In conclusion the researcher hopes
that the information gathered on the topic "strategies used by principals to motivate
teachers in secondary institution in
Belize" will be beneficial to both
principals and members of the MOE in
solving the problem of teachers'
motivation in secondary institution for the betterment of education in Belize.
the ga, cor wo my eve WOJ gav thaJ sist, glVl the ach Inte Fun Tai, com like orgc Min CoIl to tc and than who mak grati Chm expe time this acco COlllJ
of :he Ire ~an lde :he the
nn
ler foron
to ted Jes pic ate III Jth in AcknowledgmentsI would first like to give thanks to the grateful one, the Lord Almighty who
gave me the strength and courage to
continue when I was tempted to give up. I would also like to give special thanks to
my husband who has supported me in
every way possible and to my two
wonderful angels Shad! and Tyrese who gave me the strength to go on. Special thanks also to my mom, dad, brothers,
sisters, and all my in-laws for always
giving me the love and support to reach
the end while on this long road to
achievement.
I wish to express my gratitude to
International Cooperation and Development
Fund (ICDF) and the Government of
Taiwan for granting me the scholarship to continue my studies in Taiwan. I would like to thank members of the following
organizations: Government of Belize,
Ministry of Education and Wesley
College for allowing me the opportunity to take leave from my duties as a teacher and to further my education. Also special
thanks to all my research participants
who contributed to my research project in making this a success for me.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my loving advisor Dr Wei-Wen
Chang for her continuous support,
expertise and guidance throughout this
time consuming project. Without her help
this thesis would not have been
accomplished. I will also like to thank my committee members Dr. Steven Lai and
Dr. Pai-Po Lee for their guidance on the right path to ensure that my thesis was of high-quality. Special thanks also to Lynn Wu, and Sophie Lee, and Katie Hu my
Taiwanese mom for being there every
step of the way when I needed help. Last, but not least to my professors in International Workforce Education and Development (IWED), classmates, all my wonderful and special friends in Taiwan, many thanks for helping and supporting me during these two years of my stay in Taiwan. From the bottom of my heart I thank you all for helping me to achieve my dream.
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