FACTORS INFLUENCING TEACHERS’ MOTIVATION

Abstract

The quality of human work and the effort one will make are influenced by various motivational factors. This work aims to examine how the relationship with the principal affects the work of teachers in primary schools. In the theoretical part, content and process theories of motivation, modern strategies and the process of motivation in practice, and the organisation and motivation by managers in the school system are presented. After the theoretical analysis of the topic had been completed, empirical research began in January 2023. The goal of the research was to determine the influence of mutual relations with the principal at school, the working conditions, and the possibility of professional advancement on teacher motivation. The research was conducted on a random sample (N = 215) of classroom and subject teachers from five counties of the Republic of Croatia. The assumption of the research was that the years of service in education and the type of work (classroom or subject teaching) influence the interpersonal relations of teachers and principals in the form of motivation for work, the working conditions, and the possibility of professional advancement. The results of the research show that teachers are more motivated to work if they are satisfied with the principal’s management of the school and when their mutual communication is of high quality. Considering the years of service, it can be concluded that teachers with more than 20 years of service are the most motivated. It is assumed that the reasons for this are many years of experience in working with children, communication inside and outside the school, and a stable private life. With regard to the type of work, the results are the same for most of the questions asked; that is, principals do not make a difference in their relationship with classroom and subject teachers.