Assignment #5 The Final paper

F21.EDUC.926EOE
Fabrizio Foffi

Does school culture impact teacher motivation in

certain international schools in Bangkok?

School culture plays a critical role in the effective management of

schools. A key element of school success is also determined by
motivation of teachers, which mainly affects the teaching and learning
process. Sociologists started to credit the importance of school culture
at the beginning of last century but, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that
researchers were able to find direct connections between school
culture and its educational outcomes. School culture generally refers to
the traditions, standards and beliefs that define staff and students as
part of the school experience. An effective school culture routine needs
support from school leaders who implement clear rules, practices and
data plans to help to deliver instruction successfully. Students, parents,
administrators and staff contribute to the culture of their school and
affect the community in which the school is located and the principle
on which the school is established. Teacher motivation invests an
important role in the promotion of teaching and learning excellence. A
recent study conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, involved faculty/teaching
staff and academic and non-academic support staff personnel from few
selected International schools (Alvarez, 2019). The first part of the
study involved the completion of a questionnaire divided in two parts:

Dimensions of teachers and dimensions of school culture; the

questionnaire uses an assessment scale from 0 to 10 with 0 as the
lowest choice possible and 10 as the highest choice. The scale 0-10 was
represented by a numerical row. Participants had to mark the scale that
best describes their opinion and return the questionnaire to the
researcher.

The second phase involved the pilot testing for validity and reliability
and the third phase the floating of the questionnaire. Finally, the survey
data were analyzed using the Social Science Statistical Package.

Findings from the research shown that in the areas of the drive, control,
challenge, “drive” of the teachers had the highest level among the
others. The level of school culture in the areas of collaboration,
Support, Professional development, was high and “support” dimension
was the highest level reported. This suggests that participants strongly
evaluated the support that they receive from their colleagues.

Support and collaboration in this study are the most significant factors
which motivate teachers to work and stay in a school. Teachers are
directly motivated by their personal motivation, regardless of whether
their time at school is short or long. Support and collaboration were
also found to be aspects of the School's culture that for a large part
influence teacher motivation.

The results of this study provide useful information. The level of

teacher motivation is higher in the area of drive, which means that
teachers are inclined to be responsible and to assume the role of
teacher leaders. According to (Angela Lumpkin, 2014) teacher leaders
are innovative, organized, collaborative and confident facilitators of
learning.

Teacher leaders need to demonstrate best practices in all three key

areas of the curriculum, teaching and evaluation, understanding deeply
school cultures, sustaining change, and the development of colleagues
in a variety of settings.

When teachers, support each other, they develop relationships based

on trust and empathy. These regular interactions are important to
building long-term professional and mentoring relationships. When
educators feel supported, they can better offer the same support to
their students (The importance of teacher collaboration, 2017).

School culture can be divided into two basic forms: positive and
negative culture. Positive school culture relates to professional
satisfaction, students' learning and general well-being. Schools with
toxic culture generally discourage collaboration, maintain hostile
relationships with staff, have standards that promote inaction, and
blame students for poor outcomes.

In regards to school culture examination the highest level among other

dimensions was “Support” along with “Collaboration”, which had a
significant impact on teachers’ motivation. I strongly believe that
teacher collaboration is a key element in the adoption of innovative
practices, and collaboration between and within schools can be
effective in improving the quality of education.

Teachers who have a strong sense of efficiency and believe in their

ability to reach goals are more likely to engage in structured strategies
for collaboration and improvement (Runhaar et al., 2010; Thoonen et
al., 2011). The positive effect of teacher participation in decision
making is also remarked by (Devos et al. 2014); in a study on the
relationship between principals and teaching staff, results show that
the organizational commitment and motivation of teachers is not solely
due to the leadership of principals, but also by assistant principals and
individual teachers with a leadership role as well.

I believe that collaboration between teachers is an asset that positively

affects the entire school community; research also shows that
professional collaborative activities might have a positive effect on
student achievement (cf. Lee and Smith, 1996).

On the bases of the results of this study, it is advised to promote more

activities among the school’s staff to further motivate teachers and to
improve their skills. It also recommended keeping supporting the
dimension of school culture, promoting opportunities for extra team
activities and communication within the members of the institution.

In my opinion, other aspects not related to the interpersonal

relationship can impact teachers' drive. Professional development, for
instance, can increase motivation; (Darling Hammond and McLaughlin
1995) suggested that staff development should provide occasions for
teachers to reflect critically on their practice and to shape new
knowledge and beliefs in content, teaching and learning.

Even though teachers can express the desire to educate and share
knowledge with students, increasing their motivation, other extrinsic
factors like work autonomy, job security, can cause demotivation
instead.
Stress, a lack of autonomy in the classroom, a sense of efficacy, and a
career structure providing opportunities for professional development
and advancement, can as well result in job dissatisfaction (Dörnyei &
Ushioda, 2010).

Findings from a research conducted on EFL teachers in Thailand

reported that workloads it is in one the most relevant problem among
those instructors (Prapaisit, 2003). Further study research might
investigate on how school culture can affect students’ achievements
and how school culture can affect teachers’ instructional practices.

In conclusion, results from the research discussed in this essay, reveal

that teachers are strongly motivated by their personal drive, regardless
of the surrounding environment. Other elements which can also
influence teacher motivation are Professional developers, work
autonomy and work overload as shown by some evidence.
Collaboration and reciprocal support are definitely key components to
build up a positive school culture, stimulate teachers and to maintain a
positive learning environment.
 References
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