Job satisfaction and organisational commitment have been found to both be inversely related to such withdrawal behaviours as tardiness, absenteeism and turnover (Yousef, 2000). Moreover, they have also been linked to increased productivity and organisational effectiveness (Buitendach &amp / de Witte, 2005). This is furthermore postulated to have an influence on whether employees will have a propensity to remain with the organisation and to perform at higher levels.<br /> <br /> According to Bishay (1996), the teaching profession ranks high on the success list of a society. In conjunction with this, &ldquo / teachers' organisational commitment and general job satisfaction&rdquo / (Howell &amp / Dorfman, 1986, p. 37) have been identified as important to understanding the work behaviour of employees in organisations.<br /> <br /> Job satisfaction amongst teachers is a multifaceted construct that is critical to teacher retention and has been shown to be a significant determinant of teacher commitment, and in turn, a contributor to school effectiveness. Research, however, reveals wide&ndash / ranging differences in what contributes to job satisfaction and group differences according to demographic factors (Shan, 1998).

Job satisfaction and organisational commitment have been found to both be inversely related to such withdrawal behaviours as tardiness, absenteeism and turnover (Yousef, 2000). Moreover, they have also been linked to increased productivity and organisational effectiveness (Buitendach &amp / de Witte, 2005). This is furthermore postulated to have an influence on whether employees will have a propensity to remain with the organisation and to perform at higher levels.<br /> <br /> According to Bishay (1996), the teaching profession ranks high on the success list of a society. In conjunction with this, &ldquo / teachers' organisational commitment and general job satisfaction&rdquo / (Howell &amp / Dorfman, 1986, p. 37) have been identified as important to understanding the work behaviour of employees in organisations.<br /> <br /> Job satisfaction amongst teachers is a multifaceted construct that is critical to teacher retention and has been shown to be a significant determinant of teacher commitment, and in turn, a contributor to school effectiveness. Research, however, reveals wide&ndash / ranging differences in what contributes to job satisfaction and group differences according to demographic factors (Shan, 1998).

This study explores and attempts to shed light on what motivates teachers and how teacher motivation is affected by a principal's leadership style. The worldviews of pragmatism and critical realism were used as the basis for exploring teacher motivation in a South African school. A primary school in the Eastern Cape of South Africa was chosen for the case study. Three data gathering tools, a leadership questionnaire, teacher survey, and interviews were used to generate data on teacher motivation and the interaction between leadership style and teacher motivation. In regards to teachers, religion, social justice, and self-efficacy were all identified as motivators. The principal was strongly charismatic in her leadership and along with transformational and social justice leadership played a major role in influencing teacher behaviors. Self-determination theory was identified as helping to explain different levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and thereby to better understand varying degrees of teacher motivation. There are many difficulties in South African education and around the world in general and this study is premised on the belief that if teacher motivation can be studied and advanced there will be an improvement in education and learning. This thesis was limited in its scope and ability to fully explore the different levels of ontology as outlined by the critical realist and this is identified as a possible future course of action for not only studying teacher motivation but getting to the 'heart of the matter'.

This dissertation is a narrative account of a self-study undertaken with the primary aim of positively influencing the morale of colleagues in my school department. It addresses an area of personal and professional concern where my values were being denied in my practice. As a Head of Department, I was worried that the low morale of my colleagues would negatively impact on the quality of teaching and learning at school, and on their own mental health. Situated within self-efficacy theory, my study reflects the values I attach to human dignity, respect, fairness, honesty perseverance and caring. These values were applied as the living standard by which I judged the quality of my leadership practice. I describe how I used an Action Research methodology as a living transformational process to reflect on my own leadership in terms of how I could influence the development of positive morale in the department. My findings offer new conceptualisations about how teachers can take action to improve the emotional climate of the school. I am claiming that the significance of my research is grounded in my ability to facilitate an improvement in the low morale of myself and my colleagues in order for us to ultimately contribute to self and school improvement.

The purpose of this study was to understand and measure principal leadership practices and teacher morale as it relates to student achievement in Mitchell County at two elementary schools, four middle schools, and one high school. First, a review of the related literature attempted to define teacher morale as much as possible given that it is an ever-changing individual characteristic. Second, the researcher tried to understand teacher morale and distinguish between high and low elements and characteristics of teacher morale. Third, the researcher examined the difficult task of measuring the morale of teachers in public education today. Fourth, an attempt was made to understand what role school leaders play in the development of teacher morale and how their specific behavior affects the morale of teachers. Lastly, student achievement was reviewed using the North Carolina End-Of-Grade tests. All of these variables were examined to determine if there was a connection or pattern to high or low student achievement based on teacher morale. This quantitative study was conducted using a survey-design method. The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used to measure factors contributing to teacher morale. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) was chosen to measure leadership practices that best supports great accomplishments in organizations. The North Carolina End-Of-Grade/End-Of-Course tests were used to measure student achievement. Overall results for Mitchell County Schools showed that there was a moderately high level of teacher morale. Satisfaction with teaching led the way in contributing to higher morale whereas the issue of teacher salary was found to lower morale. School leaders in Mitchell County proved to inspire a common vision as well as encourage teaching from the heart more so than found in existing research. Teachers from two of the seven schools rated their principals higher in leadership practices than the principals themselves; this is contrary to presented research. Many significant relationships existed between perceived leadership practices and teacher morale factors. All factors of teacher morale as measured by the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire had a positive correlation with the End-Of-Grade/End-Of-Course test scores.

The aim of this research was to determine the motivation levels of Zimbabwean rural secondary school teachers, and to identify and discuss the factors that influence their motivation so that management interventions could be designed to enhance teacher motivation. A quantitative research design, involving the descriptive sample survey method to collect data by means of self-administered structured questionnaire was adopted. The sample consisted of 175 rural secondary school teachers in Bikita District. The information was statistically analysed with the aid of a computer after which it was interpreted. Results indicated that teachers were not highly motivated and satisfied with their jobs, and that their motivation was affected by several aspects of their work. Working conditions emerged as a primary demotivator while interpersonal relations was a principal motivator. The data also showed that certain biographical variables affected teacher motivation significantly. Subsequent to these results recommendations to enhance teacher motivation were made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

From the wave of policy reforms of the new Minister of Education and Human Resources for a "World Class Quality Education", stakeholders have been ascribing the poor quality of learner performance to a lack of motivated teachers. This study focuses on the factors that impact on teacher motivation in the Flacq district of Mauritius and on the role of the principal in enhancing teacher motivation. An empirical investigation based on qualitative research was conducted following the literature study on these two themes. Motivational factors pertain to the school-based personal and professional needs of the teacher. Due to centralised school governance and instructional leadership tasks being delegated to the School Management Team, principals are not effective teacher motivators. Recommendations relate to transformational, distributive and participatory leadership strategies for optimal instructional principalship. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational management)

The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of disciplinary problems educators experience in schools, their causes, as well as their impact on the morale of educators. The researcher made use of a quantitative approach whereby questionnaires were completed by educators from five secondary schools in the Zebediela area. In total, 89 respondents completed the questionnaires. They were from both genders, with various years’ of teaching experience, and generally well qualified. The results indicated that there indeed existed disciplinary problems in the schools. These problems were caused by factors relating to the learners, to their parents, the educators, as well as to the school principal. The impact of a lack of discipline on educator morale included anger, irritability, tiredness, loss of control, and expressing the wish to leave the teaching profession. The study made recommendations for managers on how to improve the situation, and also for further study. Some limitations of the study were also identified. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the factors that affect the job satisfaction of principals of previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the North West Province. The aims of the study were to determine empirically, through quantitative and qualitative means, the factors that influence the job satisfaction of the principals, and to make recommendations of ways to improve their job satisfaction. In the quantitative phase the research design was a survey. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample of 30 principals of 30 secondary schools conveniently situated and accessible, in rural villages and townships. Thereafter a phenomenological approach was used to select eight principals from the same sample. The aim was to, by means of interviews, find clarity on the trends observed in the quantitative phase. The researcher purposefully selected participants representing a maximum variation regarding gender, geographical location, and years of experience as a teacher or a headmaster. The results indicated that the factors that enhanced the job satisfaction of the selected principals related to the nature of their work in the sense that it was stimulating, important and varied. Their interpersonal relationships were also gratifying. These relationships referred to cooperative staff, appreciative colleagues and supervisors, well-behaved learners, and supportive parents. Specific factors also brought about job dissatisfaction. In particular, the majority of the principals were frustrated with poor management on the part of the Department of Education. This was linked to a lack of autonomy of the principals, excessive bureaucracy, and poor policies. The principals believed that these policies exacerbated the problems they already had with ill-disciplined learners, the poor work ethics of some educators, unsatisfactory matriculation results, pitiable physical working conditions, and uninvolved parents.Results from the research also showed that the principals thought their workloads were not aligned to their salaries, and that reward systems were needed. Recommendations to enhance the job satisfaction of the principals of the identified secondary schools were made to the SGB and other school managers, as well as to the Department of Education, and recommendations for future research were also put forward. Finally, a number of limitations of the study were pointed out. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MEd )--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This qualitative study explores the effect that staff deployment has on the morale and professional attitudes of educators who have been identified as being in excess at their schools. The study was done by doing interviews with teachers who have been affected by rightsizing and redeployment and principals who have had to manage the process. The Department of Education goes through an annual process of determining the school‘s staff establishment for the next academic year. This determination is based on the number of learners enrolled at the institution. The CEMIS statistics are used to determine the number of learners enrolled at the school and the schools‘ staff establishment for the next academic year. If a school‘s learner numbers have increased since the last survey, the school will gain some teaching posts. Conversely, if the learner numbers have dropped a number of educators at the institution, as determined by the education department, have to be identified and declared in excess. Change associated with staff redeployment can have a negative impact on the morale and motivation of teachers. A school‘s functioning and ability to supply quality education can also be compromised as a result thereof. This is especially true when schools do not have the financial resources to employ additional teachers out of school funds. The problem is researched by exploring the ‗lived experiences‘ of selected teachers at primary schools in two of the education districts that fall under the WCED. Educators who were selected to participate in the study were individuals who had been declared in excess and who were redeployed or who were awaiting redeployment. Teachers were given the opportunity to relate their individual experiences. Their accounts of the process reflect how these experiences affect behaviour, professional attitude and general health. My discussion of their perceptions pays particular attention to their perceptions of how their general health and well-being were affected. Two principals (who managed the process at their respective schools) also shed some light on their experiences of the effects of downsizing. It seems that whilst there are cases where the process of rightsizing and redeployment is handled with the necessary care and circumspection, this is not always the case. Too often rightsizing and redeployment are handled in a clinical way, which creates the impression that the principals are biased and unsympathetic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie ondersoek die effek wat personeel ontplooing op onderwysers het wie oortollig verklaar word by hul skole. Dit beoog ook om vas te stel tot watter mate die persoon se professionele gedrag en moraal geaffekteer word hierdeur. Tydens die studie was data ingesamel deur onderhoude te voer met onderwysers wie oortollig verklaar is, en prinsipale wat hierdie proses moes bestuur. Jaarliks gaan die Departement van Onderwys deur 'n proses waar skole se onderwysvoorsiening vir die volgende jaar bepaal word deur die aantal leerders wat by die skool ingeskryf is. Die stelsel wat deur die WKOD gebruik word om leerder inskrywings by skole te bepaal, word die Sentrale Opvoedingsbestuur en Inligting Stelsel genoem. Fundameteel tot die proses is die feit dat indien 'n skool se leerdertal vermeerder het sederd die vorige opname, sal die skool addisionele onderwysers win. Indien die inskrywingstotaal egter gedaal het, word die aantal onderwysers wat aan die skool voorsien word verminder. Verandering wat deur die onderwyser herontplooiing teweegbring word kan 'n negatiewe uitwerking op die moraal en motivering van onderwysers het. Die funksionering van skole en hul vermoeë om gehalteonderrig te voorsien kan ook negatief beïnvloed word daardeur. Dit is veral skole wat dit nie kan bekostig om addisionele onderwysers aan te stel en uit skoolfonds te besoldig nie, wat die swaarste getref word hierdeur. Die probleem word nagefors deur te kyk na 'n paar onderwysers in primêre skole in twee opvoedingsdistrikte wat onder die WKOD werksaam is. Onderwysers wat deel vorm van die studie is persone wat oortollig verklaar is en verplaas is, of wie nog wag op verplasing. Hierdie studie het onderwysers se ervaringe van die herontplooingsproses bestudeer. Onderwysers was die geleentheid gegee om hul ervaringe met die naforser te deel en sodoende lig te werp op hoe die proses hul gedrag, professionele houding en algemene gesondheid geraak het. Die naforsing het getoon dat terwyl daar gevalle is waar die proses van regstellende aksie en herontplooing met die nodige sorg en omsigtigheid hanteer word, is dit nie altyd die norm nie. Hierdie proses word ten tye op 'n kliniese wyse hanteer en dit skep die indruk dat die prinsipaal onsimpatiek is en nie neutraal staan in die proses nie.