This study explored the phenomenon of motivation that is experienced by primary school teachers. The research was located within the specific context of a qualitative interpretivist study. A phenomenological research design was used to highlight how teachers understand their lived experiences of the phenomena. Motivation is something that lies within the human condition and that can only be observed through the behaviour of others. The aim was to understand what motivate primary school teachers. A variety of studies about motivation was consulted and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser’s Choice Theory (1999) were covered to provide a theoretical lens for the research. Phenomenology focuses on the understanding of a phenomena that is specific to being human and can only be describe and analyse according to the meaning that people give to it. In this qualitative research methodology, I have mainly used the convenience sampling technique to select the participants. Individual interviews were conducted with seven selected participants. Three of the remaining ten participants were selected by means of snowball sampling. The criteria used to choose the participants included Afrikaans and English speaking primary school teachers from three primary schools. The selected participants were teachers aged between 25 and 55 years who were exposed daily to motivation and had to make life choices. Data on how these teachers viewed their situation were collected using phenomenological interviews. The aim of interviewing the teachers personally was to explore their own views of the realities of their lived experiences and how they perceived the world around them. The empirical investigation showed that primary school teachers are currently experience a reasonable level of motivation. Several significant factors that contribute towards the motivation of teachers were identified, namely a positive attitude, faith, passion, job satisfaction and recognition. There were several factors that contribute to the demotivation of teachers, namely the lack of recognition by management or poor managers, inadequate remuneration, poor inter-personal relationships amongst staff members, insufficient resources and a lack of recognition. A variety of studies about motivation was studied and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser’s Choice Theory (1999) inter alia will be covered. From the findings of this study, it is clear that different circumstances, needs and wants of individuals have an impact on the motivational levels of teachers and that every individual makes daily choices on how he or she needs to react upon these.
Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verskynsel van motivering wat deur laerskool onderwysers in hulle daaglikse leefwêreld geopenbaar word, te analiseer en te ontleed. Die navorsing is geleë binne die spesifieke konteks van ‘n kwalitatiewe interpretivistiewe studie. ‘n Fenomenologiese navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om te verstaan hoe onderwysers sin van hulle leefwêreld maak en dit interpreteer. Motivering is iets wat binne in die mens lê en wat net waargeneem kan word in die gedrag van die mens. Fenomenologie fokus op die begrip en verstaan van ‘n fenomeen wat eie aan menswees is en daarom net beskryf en verklaar kan word vanuit die betekenisse wat mense daaraan gee. Hermeneutiek word as die ontologiese vertrekpunt gebruik wat gaan oor die wese van die mens. ‘n Fenomenologiese benadering waar ervarings, emosies en gewaarwordinge waarneem word, is as die teoretiese lens vir hierdie studie gebruik om motivering deur die oë van onderwysers te verken. In hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing maak ek hoofsaaklik van gerieflikheidssteekproef trekking gebruik om die deelnemers te werf. Individuele onderhoude is met sewe geselekteerde deelnemers gevoer. Drie van die 10 deelnemers is deur middel van ‘n sneeubal steekproef trekking gewerf deurdat ek bestaande deelnemers gebruik het om my na nog drie potensiële deelnemers te verwys. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit Engels- en Afrikaanssprekende laerskool onderwysers met ouderdomme wat wissel tussen 25 en 55 jaar. Data is ingesamel deur middel van individuele gesprekke wat met elke deelnemer gevoer is. Die empiriese ondersoek het getoon dat laerskool onderwysers tans ‘n redelike mate van gemotiveerdheid ervaar en dat daar verskeie faktore is wat bydra tot die motivering van onderwysers, naamlik positiewe ingesteldheid, geloof, passie, werkstevredenheid en erkenning. Daar is egter oor faktore wat bydra tot die demotivering van onderwysers naamlik, gebrek aan leierskap, gebrek aan beloning, swak interpersoonlike verhoudinge onder personeel, onvoldoende hulpmiddele en gebrek aan erkenning. Verskeie studies oor motivering is bestudeer en die teorieë van Herzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) en Glasser se Keuseteorie (1999) sal onder andere hier bespreek word as teoretiese lens van die studie. Uit die teorieë wat bestudeer is, en die data wat ingesamel is, het daar pertinente temas na vore gekom wat moontlik ‘n invloed op die motivering van onderwysers kan uitoefen. Die belangrikste temas dui op die noodsaaklikheid van goeie bestuur, beloning en erkenning deur die leerlinge, religieuse oriëntering, erkenning deur die bestuur van onderwysers, ‘n netjiese en skoon skoolomgewing, voldoende leermiddele, positiewe ingesteldheid en die wil om ‘n verskil in ander se lewens te maak. Uit die bevindinge van hierdie studie blyk dit duidelik dat verskillende omstandighede, begeertes en behoeftes van individue inwerk op die motiveringsvlak van onderwysers en dat elke individu daagliks die keuse maak en besluit hoe hy of sy daarteenoor wil reageer. Die bevindinge bewys ook dat onderwysers graag ‘n verskil in die lewens van hulle leerlinge wil maak. Hierdie studie dui ook moontlikhede aan vir toekomstige navorsing op die gebied van motivering. Op grond van die empiriese studie, word ‘n aantal aanbevelings in Hoofstuk 5 gedoen vir ‘n aantal rolspelers in die daaglikse dramaklas van onderwysers.
