Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

5-18-2014

Abstract

For years motivational theorists and educational researchers have studied the complex phenomenon known as teacher motivation. With decreasing teacher morale and higher student achievement standards, educational leaders must seek to better understand teachers' perceptions on teacher motivation and how administrators' perceptions may differ from those of teachers'. In this study, a quantitative approach was used to examine if there were statistically significant differences between teachers' and administrators' perceptions of teacher motivation. Teacher demographics--included sex, ethnicity, generation, and length of service--were also analyzed to examine if those participant demographics make any significant difference in teachers' perception.

Using a widely-known motivational theory, a 26 item survey was created and then completed by 184 teachers and 15 administrators from an ethnically diverse, suburban public school system in Georgia. Each survey item was organized into one of seven subscales: Recognition, monetary reward, professional growth, interpersonal relations, job significance, sense of achievement, and working conditions. Results were analyzed to find if statistically significant differences existed between teachers' and administrators' perceptions of teacher motivation.

Findings showed that significant differences existed between teachers' and administrators' perceptions of teacher motivation in three of the seven subscales. Statistically significant differences occurred in teachers' perceptions of teacher motivation between/among different categories of sex and ethnicity. Teachers and administrators scored all seven subscales to be above average showing the strength of each as teacher motivators. However, teachers and administrators ranked the seven subscales in different orders showing that teachers and administrators perceived the subscales to be different in strength.

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