Examining Teaching Motivation and Classroom Practices of Public Secondary School Teachers in Ulanga Tanzania: A Self-Determination Analysis

Abstract

Based on self-determination theory, this study explored how much secondary school teachers in public schools were motivated to work in their careers and how their motivation related to classroom practices. The study adopted a quantitative study design. A study recruited 70 secondary school teachers (male=36 and female=34) from different public schools who were randomly selected and involved. The questionnaire was administered to 70 teachers, and all the papers were returned positively. Teachers’ motivation was measured using the modified Work Tasks Motivation Scale for Teachers (WTMST) (Fernet C. et al., 2008). The Teachers’ classroom practices were measured using an adapted vignette-based instrument, the Situations-in-School (SIS) Questionnaire (Alterman A. et al., 2019).  The score for autonomy motivation was computed by averaging the subscale of intrinsic and identified motivation, and the score for controlling motivation was calculated by averaging the subscale of introjected and external motivation. The result indicates that, to a large extent, secondary school teachers are autonomously motivated to work in their careers. It also found that teachers’ autonomy motivation allied significantly with structure (need-supportive) and control (need-depriving) classroom practices. Controlling motivation and motivation are significantly related to control and chaos (need-depriving) classroom practices. The study findings are crucial to educational stakeholders in addressing teachers' challenges to boost their motivation, which positively relates to their classroom teaching and, in turn, can affect students' performance. Conclusively, any change in the educational structure that promotes teacher motivation should result in improved levels of classroom teaching.