Abstract:

Research papers analysing the peculiarities of teachers’ professional motivation most often focus on the motives for choosing a teacher’s profession or the professional motivation factors of the already working teachers. There is little analysis of the factors motivating and demotivating the professional activity of teachers who have just started working in school, which are especially relevant and important in the initial stage of the professional activity, seeking that teachers successfully adapt in their profession and pursue their career at school. The results of many scientific studies reveal (Abrami et al., 2004; Leithwood, 2006; Han & Yin, 2016; Stranovská et al., 2018; Reaves, Cozzens, 2018; Börü, 2018; Uhrinová, Tirpák, 2020; Osman, Warner, 2020, etc.) that teachers’ motivation and in particular internal professional motivational factors lead to more successful performance of the activity, more responsible attitude to performed duties, seeking better performance and professional development, and that teachers’ performance depends on their motivation, abilities and working conditions. It is also emphasized that teachers’ successful professional motivation also determines better achievements of pupils.

It should be emphasized that the first years of the professional activity often become one of the most difficult periods requiring considerable energy and endurance from the teacher starting his/her career at school; therefore, motivation is especially important and significant. The motivated novice teacher implements his/her ideas more successfully, improves quality of performed tasks, makes the necessary decisions responsibly and independently, is able to adapt to changing conditions, and positively evaluates change at school. The success of education and the effectiveness of activities as well as the quality of work depend on the prevailing factors that can motivate but can also demotivate the teacher, which in turn leads to the encounter with problems that often also determine withdrawal from the profession.

The aim of the research is to reveal motivating and demotivating determinants of novice teachers’ professional activity.

The study involved 54 novice teachers who have worked at school for up to 3 years. Teachers from all Lithuanian higher education institutions who volunteered to participate in the study were surveyed. At the time of the survey, all study participants were studying at the higher education institution to acquire the teacher’s qualification or doing an internship in education. Data were collected employing a written survey that involved teachers starting their career at school, using an open-ended type questionnaire. Applying the data content analysis method, the study presents the analysis of answers provided in duly and exhaustively completed questionnaires filled in by 39 teachers.

The results of the qualitative research (which is not common in research on motivation) reveal professional motivation factors that ensure the novice teacher’s successful professional activity and suppress the performance of the activity. Teachers’ subjective experience allows to identify both internal and external motives relevant to the teacher’s behaviour, seeking success and personal results. The distinguished demotivating factors create conditions for identifying areas that deserve attention in order to create a coherent system of teacher incentive-motivation in educational institutions, which would determine more successful and efficient organizational activities.

Keywords:

Novice teachers, motivation, motivating and demotivating factors, professional activities.