TEACHER MOTIVATION & TEACHERS’ WORKING CONDITIONS

Professor Vinayagum Chinapah Institute of International Education

Department of Education, Stockholm University

UNESCOThe 9th Policy Dialogue Forum,

Siem Reap, Cambodia3-7 December, 2016

GLOBAL AND REGIONAL EVIDENCE

WHAT GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL REFORMS TELL US ? WE NEED A HOLISTIC APPROACH- 3E

EQUITYRights-Based

EXCELLENCESurvival of the

Fittest

EFFICIENCY

Value for Money

All children and youth should have an equal opportunity to learn the skills and acquire the knowledge required to succeed in school and life regardless of ethnicity, sex, geography, disability, race or socioeconomic status. Excellence is equated with a high standard of performance, rather than one who is better than others. To excel means to surpass and to stand out from the rest.Educational resources should be used to promote society’s objectives as fully as possible . A system which cultivates all the talent in a society is genuinely efficient and effective.

Educational reforms cannot substitute for social reforms. The former must be part of the latter if they are going to have a lasting impact.

FOCUSING ON LEARNING IS OUR CHALLENGE

NOT TESTINGLEARNING TO KNOW• mastery of learning tools• learn to understand• every human experience• broad general education

with specialization in a few subjects

LEARNING TO DO• adapt education to

equip for the needs of the work place

• certified skills to personal competence

• Informal economy• innovations

LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER

• Diversity and Awareness• Xenophobia• not just tolerance but acceptance

and understanding• Human rights• Swedish Perspective: Lifelong

Learning• Move from physical to knowledge

based (ICT)

LEARNING TO BE• Complete development of the

person• Self knowledge and relationship• Social progress• Imagination and creativity

Can Teachers Alone Make the Differences Needed in Students’ Learning?

Earlier SurveysTHE MODEL

LEARNERS’ VOICETeacher’s Traits and Learning Outcomes

SIGNIFICANT FACTORS

Human Traits Professional Traits

Good Knowledge of the Subject-Matter

Sense of Humour Fairness Towards Everyone Good and Interesting Person Understands Student’s Needs Positive Attitudes to Teaching

Schooling & Learners

Do like57%

Not quite28%

Very much15%

Love for schooling

Bad marks43%

Teacher2%

Principal3%

Examination52%

Fear of schooling

No41%

Yes59%

Feeling of boredom in school

MAJOR PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS TODAY

WHAT LEARNERS & TEACHERS SAY TELL

20 October 2016 LEARNERS

STRESS- STRESS

& STRESS

TEACHERS

RESOURCES

STRESS

RESPECT

TEACHERS VOICESTeachers’ Opinions on School Reform

The Reform (Lärarlyftet) for Teachers• Raise the level of SKILLS among

Teachers so as to Improve the Quality of Educational Services.

• (1) Certification - Degree in Education.• (2) Eligibility – Only Certified Teachers

for Permanent Employment• Reform is a long process • More positive towards subject-study plans as tools for

planning ones’s teaching.• Support the new Grading System as being just and fair.• Recommend future research how effective is the new

standards for the subject-study plans. • Witness more stress (administrative burden) and need

more support to students.

Why is Shanghai the

best?

Traditional Factors1. High parental expectations for education• Long-term educational expectations• The ”American Dream” and Chinese

expectations2. Students’ belief in the power of effort• No essential distinction between people• Belief in success through hard work3. The traditional personnel selection mechanism• The imperial examination system• The current examination system• The national college entrance

examination in modern times• Idioms derived from the imperial

examination

Modern Factors1. Openness of the Chinese Education System• International educational exchange• Introduction of overseas educational

theories• Teachers equipped with educational

theories2. Curriculum and teaching reform in Shanghai3. On-the-job teacher training4. Improvement of comparatively poor schools in Shanghai5. Special allocation of financial resources for compulsory education6. Reform of high school enrollmentSource: Zhang & Kong (2012)

Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations from Learning Outcomes Surveys

Gabon

Niger Mali

Guinea

Senegal Burkina Faso

Sao Tome & Principe

Cameroon n

Comoros

Madagascar

Botswana

Liberia

Malawi

Mauritius Mozambique

South Africa

Uganda

Zambia

Namibia

Create more school libraries, extend the duration of basic education and

reduce repeating Botswana, Mozambique, Senegal

Enhance the role of the school heads and encourage them to participate in in-service training

South Africa, Niger (MLA II), Mali (MLA II), Senegal

Encourage parents to participate in school life, school

meeting, and to help in homework

South Africa, Mali (MLA II), Botswana, Gabon, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Senegal

Reduce number of pupils class

South Africa, Niger (MLA II), Botswana, Senegal, Mozambique

Provision of adequate logistics: materials and resources for improving

teaching and learning processes Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius,

Niger MLA I, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon, Liberia

Increase the ratio inspectors/teachers and

teachers/pupils Gabon, Niger MLA II, Senegal South Africa

Create a system for the local production of

school materials (books, tables),

conceive and revise school textbooks Comoros, Sao Tome & Principe, Burkina Faso,

Mozambique

Reduce or take in charge the school fees and develop access to schools

Mali and Niger

Raise awareness: local radios, newspapers and televisions

programmes used to orientate parents/guardians and children

Burkina Faso, Liberia, South Africa

Encourage girls’ education and reduce pupils’

absenteeismMali (MLA II), Burkina Faso

Research and Policy-MakingHow Do They Relate for Classroom Teaching and

Learning? • Every school must be developed into a good school.• The system must ensure access to competent teachers.• Schools and employers need to have a long-term focus.In order for schools to make a difference to all children and pupils, it is important that research is not seen as remote from what takes place in schools. In order to make a difference, teachers and principals must be able to combine knowledge that has resulted from research with knowledge that only the teachers themselves have about what works here, specifically with this particular cohort of pupils. General principles and specific practice meet in this type of learning.

FOCUSING ON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Implications for Teacher Motivation and Teachers’ Working Conditions

Key Findings / Challenges Lack of policies and programs for professional development and leadership training to improve teaching and learning

Differences in availability of training programs for school leaders and the teaching personnel

Several countries were found to be lacking policies and programs for professional development and leadership training.

Inequitable and low salaries to boost teacher motivation and working conditionsi

Significant differences across the regions Low salaries deter many from working as teachers or school

leaders In the situation of teachers quitting, school leaders often cover

the work of the missing teachersInconsistency of information and appropriate data in this field

Lack of national and regional information and data related to the policies of school leadership and their implementation in many countries of the regions.

Community involvement to improve policies and practices at local levels (participatory model)Structural incentives and reward systems to revitalize the professionImplementation of monitoring and evaluation systems for quality and efficiency.

University-School Partnerships Practicum - CPD- Action Research Some Lessons Learned for Novice

Teachers

Key Findings / Challenges Practicums

Establishing and maintaining institutional partnerships between universities and partner schools.

Provide greater opportunities and create learning communities for student teachers.

Further exposure and use of technology and modern teaching methods for in-service and pre-service teachers.

Continuous Professional Development of Teachers (CPD) Create innovative CPD programs (corridor talks, learning walks,

action research ..) to mitigate against resistance at Faculties of Education.

Provide relevant mentorship programs for novice teachers to encourage them to build a long-term professional career.

Provide better CPD training opportunities to promote teachers’ career advancement.

Action Research Collaborative action research initiatives be promoted to improve

teaching and learning among teachers, supervisors, school leaders and other relevant stakeholders.

Closer links be established action research, practicum and CPD. Establish action research at school levels to empower teachers,

school leaders and the learning communities for QEFA

QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL (QEFA)A Framework of Action

Well-trained teachers and active learning techniques Adequate facilities and learning materials A relevant curriculum that can be taught and learned

in a local language A learning environment which is gender-sensitive

and safe System for assessing learning outcomes, including

knowledge, skills, attitudes and values Participatory governance and management Healthy, well-nourished and motivated students Respect for and engagement with local communities

and cultures

Regardless of gender, wealth, location, language or ethnic origin, quality education for all (QEFA) implies

RECOMMENDATIONSRegions are highly diverse within and between. Countries

have their own unique characteristics and a unique set of challenges that require different policy decisions and

prioritization.

Training and Capacity Development• Inventory of needs and modalities for training across the three

areas of (i) practicum; (ii) CPD; and (iii) action research. • Mobilizing adequate resources to improve training and further

upgrading of school personnel, i.e. from school principals, tutors, to class and school teachers across the three areas identified.

• Large-scale capacity development programs for practicums, CPDs and action research to boost teacher motivation and improve teachers’ working conditions

• Training and upgrading of young and female school leaders, mentors and teachers, ToT programs, university-based programs

Research, Information and Data Banks• Research and studies on the effectiveness of the factors

influencing the quality of learning through teachers’ motivation and improved teachers’ working conditions within and across countries of the region

• Information and data banks that could be used for having relevant and effective priorities and strategies for QEFA with a focus on teacher motivation and teachers’ working conditions.

Advocacy & Dissemination of Evidence-Based Information QEFA

Capacity Strengthening

Capacity Sharing

Capacity Sustaining

Capacity Searching

SDGsGoal No. 4

Prof. Vinayagum Chinapah, PhDProfessor

Institute of International Education (IIE)Department of Education

Stockholm UniversityTel:  0046-8-161064  and mobile:  0046-7346-

04906  Fax: 0046-8-153133

email: vinayagum.chinapah@edu.su.se

Thank You!