Are teachers motivated?: motivational factors for Chinese teachers and their international peers teaching in special and inclusive education

Author(s):

Yan Feng

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

SES F8, Pre Conf Parallel Session

Time:

2009-09-26

09:00-10:30

Room:

HG, HS 16

Chair:

Meinert Arnd Meyer

Contribution

Little is known, from international comparative studies on teacher career motivation in special and inclusive education (Sharma, Forlin, Loreman and Earle, 2006). The research from general education reviewed by Edmonds, Sharp and Benefield (2002, cited in Younger, Brindley, Pedder and Hagger, 2004:247) shows that teachers are attracted to the profession largely for intrinsic reasons related to the profession itself and to personal fulfilment. Similar findings from other research (Hausstatter, 2007; Watt and Richardson, 2007) align with the findings that teachers present with more altruistic motivation and made positive choices about their career path to teaching. Cross cultural variations are important contextual determinants on teachers’ career decisions (Deng and Holdsworth, 2007; Liu, 2008; Mitchell, 2005; Norwich, 2008). The variations have long-term consequences on teachers’ professional life, well-being and their social situation. Government policies, social and environmental factors, economic disparities, ideologies, life experiences and social status of people with special educational needs play a decisive role. Moreover, given a dramatic decrease in teacher shortages and significant improvement in teacher quality in China, there are still concerns of educational provision in special and inclusive education. This may continue to affect critically the services for students with diverse educational needs. Due to the nature of special and inclusive education, are there any differences in the motivational factors for teachers in their career choice? In specific, are there any differences in career motivation for Chinese teachers from those for their international peers? The queries led to a current PhD study on teacher career motivation in special and inclusive education in China. As little is published about special teachers in China, the research design was based largely on an analytic review of the existing literature on career choice research from a wider world as a comparison of the research context in China. The paper reports the findings from the research conducted within the theoretic framework that career motivation is context-specific and culture-driven. Multi-dimensional factors contribute to the differences of career motivation. Motivation Theory of Self-Determination (SDT) by Ryan and Deci (2000) is applied to distinguish intrinsic motivation from extrinsic and/or amotivation (unwillingness) for an understanding of the continuum of the regulations. It aims to seek teachers’ self-determination (Ryan and Deci, 2000) in career motivation by encouraging Chinese teachers’ voices to construct new knowledge for future international comparative studies of this nature. The recognition of historical, socio-political, economic and cultural differences between the countries has been a paramount consideration for this research.

Method

The research was purposively focused and selectively in a city in the Eastern part of China renowned for its economic strength, and education aspirations in special and inclusive education. Mixed research methods (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007) allowed the researcher to collect data from a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire survey administered to three cohorts, namely, student teachers in a university (N=565), teachers from seven mainstream schools of different educational levels (N=326) and teachers from two special schools (N=37). Teacher narrative stories, observations and school documents were further triangulated for validity and reliability with semi-structured, in-depth interview data, which were audio-recorded, transcribed and interpreted verbatim, from mainstream teachers (N=22) and special school teachers (N=22). Interpretative and descriptive approaches were used in data analysis. A consideration of the ethical issues surrounding this research such as informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity, and reciprocity and bias has been previously reported (Feng and Jament, 2008).

Expected Outcomes

Despite the similarities in career motivation perceived by teachers in China and elsewhere, the key findings from the research and evidence from the international literature are a): Chinese teachers in my research were more extrinsically motivated and many were regretful for their career choice and would like to change to other professions if possible; b): Some Chinese special school teachers showed their initial unwillingness in the profession. However, their extrinsic motivation became less controlled and more autonomous as they acquired knowledge and skills in special and inclusive education. Not much evidence about the amotivation or unwillingness on teacher motivation to distinguish from passive compliance to active personal commitment is reported in literature. Generalisations are yet to be drawn due to the incomparable nature of education systems and cultural contexts. The implications can illuminate special and inclusive teacher education and the attraction, recruitment and retention of teachers within China and internationally.

References

Burgess, Robert G. (ed.) (1989) The ethics of educational research. London: Falmer Press. Clandinin, J., & Connelly, F. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2007) Research methods in education. London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Deng, M. and Holdsworth, J. (2007) From unconscious to conscious inclusion: meeting special education needs in West China, Disability and Society, 22(5), 507-522. Edmonds, S., Sharp, C. & Benefield, P. (2002) Recruitment to and retention on initial teacher training: a systematic review. Slough: NFER. Feng, Y. (2008a) Teacher motivation in special education in China. Paper presented at British Educational Research Association (BERA) Conference, Hariot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, September 3-8. Feng, Y. (2008b) ‘Making special education inclusive’: Chinese mainstream teachers’ perspective. Paper presented at European Educational Research Association (EERA) Conference, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden, September 8-12. Feng, Y and Jament, J. (2008) Can ethical guidelines be international?: Students’ dilemmas researching education in China and India, Research Intelligence of British Educational Research Association (BERA) September, 104, 24-25. Hausstatter, R. (2007) Students’ reasons for studying special needs education: challenges facing inclusive education, Teacher Development, 11(1) 45-57. Liu, Z. Q. (2008) Human capital externalities and rural-urban migration; evidence from rural China. China Economic Review, 19, 521-535. Mitchell, D. (ed.) (2005) Contextualising inclusive education: evaluating old and new international perspectives. London: Routledge. Norwich, B. (2008) Dilemmas of difference, inclusion and disability: international perspectives and future directions. London: Routledge. Oppenheim, A. Z. (1992) Questionnaire design, interviewing and attitude measurement. London: Pinter. Paine, L. and Fang, Y.P. (2007) dilemmas in reforming China’s teaching: assuring ‘quality’ in professional development. In: M.T. Tatto (Ed.) Reforming teaching globally. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education: Symposium Books. Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: classic definitions and new directions, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54-67. Sharma, U., Forlin, C., Loreman, T. and Earle, C. (2006) Pre-service teachers’ attitudes, concerns and sentiments about inclusive education: an international comparison of the novice pre-service teachers, International Journal of Special Education, 21(2), 80-93. Watt, H. and Richardson, P. (2007) Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: development and validation of the FIT-Choice scale, The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), 167-202. Wu, Z. (2004) Being, understanding and naming: teachers’ life and work in harmony. Chapter 2. International Journal of Educational Research, 41, 307–323. Younger, M., Brindley, S., Pedder, D. & Hagger, H. (2004) Starting points: student teachers’ reasons for becoming teachers and their preconceptions of what this will mean, European Journal of Teacher Education, 27(3), 245-264.

Author Information

Yan Feng

university of Northampton

school of education

Northampton

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