Abstract:

This article introduces results of the quantitative research study focused on professional motivation towards performance with junior pedagogical staff reflecting their motivation type. The group of pedagogical staff includes teachers, pedagogues for learners with special educational needs (SEN), pedagogues specialized in social matters, assistant pedagogues, leisure time pedagogues etc. These professions are both of wide variety and common features: high risk of burn-out syndrom within the performance, low financial evaluation, relatively low social prestige (in comparison to other professions requiring university education), gender imbalance in favour of females, high-quality personal characteristics required for work in these professions. These requirements lead us to conducting a research study focused on discovering the impact of various personal characteristics and motivation factors required for the position of pedagogue.

In the theoretical part, the background and frameworks are defined which closely relate to the work motivation and to specific requirements for performing the above mentioned positions. In the empirical part, research results are presented which were collected from the sample of 240 pedagogues aged 25–30 years. The main objective of the research study was to discover whether personal and motivation factors required for the position of pedagogue relate to the type of motivation according to the Plaminek typology which detects two scales based on the vitality theory, part of the self-determination theory (see Deci, Ryan, 2008): effectiveness – usefulness and stability – dynamics. In the research two standardized inventories were applied:
(1) Achievement Motivation Inventory [Dotazník motivace k výkonu – LMI (Leistungsmotivationsinventar)] by Schuler and Prochaska and
(2) Motivation Type Inventory [Dotazník motivačního typu] by Plaminek.

Collected data were processed by ANOVA test; if post-hoc analysis was required, the Tukey HSD-test was exploited. Statistic results discovered numerous statistically significant differences in achievement motivation towards the position of pedagogue which relate to the motivation type of respondents. The level (strength) of 17 factors was detected which provide impact on the achievement motivation of the pedagogue. At the same time it was discovered the achievement motivation rate is lower compared to the population standard. Further on, statistically significant differences were detected in the preference level of single motivation factors in relation to the motivation type of respondents. With respect to the specific group of respondents, strong differences were found out in motivation factor preferences with achievement- and individual type of work-motivated respondents, as proved by statistically higher preference of competitiveness, self-control, demandingness, internality and dominance with the researched type of pedagogues.

Keywords:

Pedagogue, motivation, junior teacher, Achievement Motivation Inventory, Motivation Type Inventory, ANOVA, Tukey HSD-test.