Education Governance and
Teacher Motivation
A Presentation by
Dennis Sinyolo, Ph.D.
Senior Coordinator, Education and Employment
Education International
at the
9th Policy Dialogue Forum
Organised by the International Task Force on Teachers
4-7 December 2016, Siem, Reap, Cambodia
Presentation Outline
• Teacher motivation and demotivation factors
• Recommendations for improving teacher motivation
ear
Target 4.c
By 2030, substantially
increase the supply of
qualified teachers, including
through international
cooperation for teacher
training in developing
countries, especially least
developed countries and
small island developing
States
Goal 4
A reminder of existing commitments
Ear"We will ensure that teachers and educators are
empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained,
professionally qualified, motivated and supported within
well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems”
(Incheon Declaration).
“Follow closely and help disseminate the results of studies
that capture intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of teacher
motivation, which is an important component of teacher
professionalism” (Mexico Declaration).
“F
Are teachers motivated?
Yes and No
Signs of demotivation:
1. High attrition rates – average of 4% in sub-Saharan Africa
(Sinyolo, 2007; Sinyolo, 2013); nearly 50% of teachers in the
US leave teaching or change schools within the first 5 years of
their teaching career.
2. Moonlighting – teachers are often forced to do something
else in order to supplement their meagre incomes
3. Absenteeism – mainly due to structural and systemic issues
e.g. issues related to teacher pay – irregular pay days, late
payment of salaries, teachers forced to travel to a nearby
town to collect salaries etc.
4. Teachers discouraging their own children from becoming
teachers (Sinyolo, 2007)
Yet
ear
Yet
ear
Social/policy dialogue: The missing link?
“Set up/strengthen mechanisms for institutionalised social
and policy dialogue with teacher organisations” (Education
2030 Framework for Action).
Teachers and educators are not only implementers of education
policy, but change agents with in-depth knowledge of the reality
of the classroom, the school and the local community.
Teachers and educators are generally not consulted when education
reforms are made!!!
Source: EI Survey, 2015
82%
18%
Are you consulted on decisions affecting your professional life?
No
Yes
Involve teachers and civil society in the entire policy making process
Satisfiers and dissatisfiers
Yet
Satisfiers Dissatisfiers
• Autonomy
• Being valued
• Being trusted
• Being listened to
• Time for learning, teaching and
planning
• Collegiality
• Initiative
• Creativity
• Contact with pupils
• Scope for innovation and
experimentation
• Control
• Feeling of not being in control
• Lack of time
• Isolation from colleagues
• Prescribed or inflexible curriculum
• Bureaucracy
• Testing
• Policy initiative overload
• Pressure to meet targets
• Lack of parental support
• Poor student behaviour
• Stress
Adapted from MacBeath, 2012
Recommendations
1. Set up/strengthen mechanisms for social/policy dialogue – enact and
implement legislative frameworks that are in line with international norms,
labour standards and instruments
2. Improve teacher salaries and working conditions – teacher remuneration
should be comparable to that of professionals with equivalent
qualifications in other professions
3. The TTF should develop a comprehensive teacher motivation and support
framework for use by countries
4. Provide effective induction and mentoring programmes for beginning
teachers and free CPD for all teachers and educators
5. Professionalise teaching:
 strengthen teacher education and training (pre and in-service)
 establish teacher professional bodies (councils, boards etc.)
 develop and implement professional codes of ethics
 develop and implement professional teaching standards
 develop Global Guidelines on Professional Teaching Standards)
Recommendations (cont.)
6. Promote the establishment of teacher networks and communities of
practice
7. Strengthen school leadership:
 provide training and CPD to school leaders
 promote inclusive/distributed leadership - empower teachers to
exercise leadership
 create a positive and supportive school climate
8. Ensure implementation of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning
the Status of Teachers (1966) and the UNESCO Recommendation
concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel (1997)
9. The TTF should, together with EI and the ILO, develop guidelines and
promotional materials on the use of the above Recommendations on
Teachers
10.Governments, donors and the education community should demonstrate
Conclusion: a key reminder:
Yet
earA“Teachers also have socio-economic and political rights,
including the right to seek decent working conditions and
adequate remuneration. Governments should make teaching
an attractive, first-choice profession with continuing training
and development by improving teachers’ professional status,
working conditions and support, and should strengthen policy
dialogue mechanisms with teacher organisations” (Education
2030 Framework for Action).
Thank you!

Education Governance and Teacher Motivation

  • 1.
    Education Governance and TeacherMotivation A Presentation by Dennis Sinyolo, Ph.D. Senior Coordinator, Education and Employment Education International at the 9th Policy Dialogue Forum Organised by the International Task Force on Teachers 4-7 December 2016, Siem, Reap, Cambodia
  • 2.
    Presentation Outline • Teachermotivation and demotivation factors • Recommendations for improving teacher motivation ear
  • 3.
    Target 4.c By 2030,substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States Goal 4
  • 4.
    A reminder ofexisting commitments Ear"We will ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, professionally qualified, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems” (Incheon Declaration). “Follow closely and help disseminate the results of studies that capture intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of teacher motivation, which is an important component of teacher professionalism” (Mexico Declaration). “F
  • 5.
    Are teachers motivated? Yesand No Signs of demotivation: 1. High attrition rates – average of 4% in sub-Saharan Africa (Sinyolo, 2007; Sinyolo, 2013); nearly 50% of teachers in the US leave teaching or change schools within the first 5 years of their teaching career. 2. Moonlighting – teachers are often forced to do something else in order to supplement their meagre incomes 3. Absenteeism – mainly due to structural and systemic issues e.g. issues related to teacher pay – irregular pay days, late payment of salaries, teachers forced to travel to a nearby town to collect salaries etc. 4. Teachers discouraging their own children from becoming teachers (Sinyolo, 2007)
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Yet ear Social/policy dialogue: Themissing link? “Set up/strengthen mechanisms for institutionalised social and policy dialogue with teacher organisations” (Education 2030 Framework for Action). Teachers and educators are not only implementers of education policy, but change agents with in-depth knowledge of the reality of the classroom, the school and the local community.
  • 8.
    Teachers and educatorsare generally not consulted when education reforms are made!!! Source: EI Survey, 2015 82% 18% Are you consulted on decisions affecting your professional life? No Yes
  • 9.
    Involve teachers andcivil society in the entire policy making process
  • 10.
    Satisfiers and dissatisfiers Yet SatisfiersDissatisfiers • Autonomy • Being valued • Being trusted • Being listened to • Time for learning, teaching and planning • Collegiality • Initiative • Creativity • Contact with pupils • Scope for innovation and experimentation • Control • Feeling of not being in control • Lack of time • Isolation from colleagues • Prescribed or inflexible curriculum • Bureaucracy • Testing • Policy initiative overload • Pressure to meet targets • Lack of parental support • Poor student behaviour • Stress Adapted from MacBeath, 2012
  • 11.
    Recommendations 1. Set up/strengthenmechanisms for social/policy dialogue – enact and implement legislative frameworks that are in line with international norms, labour standards and instruments 2. Improve teacher salaries and working conditions – teacher remuneration should be comparable to that of professionals with equivalent qualifications in other professions 3. The TTF should develop a comprehensive teacher motivation and support framework for use by countries 4. Provide effective induction and mentoring programmes for beginning teachers and free CPD for all teachers and educators 5. Professionalise teaching:  strengthen teacher education and training (pre and in-service)  establish teacher professional bodies (councils, boards etc.)  develop and implement professional codes of ethics  develop and implement professional teaching standards  develop Global Guidelines on Professional Teaching Standards)
  • 12.
    Recommendations (cont.) 6. Promotethe establishment of teacher networks and communities of practice 7. Strengthen school leadership:  provide training and CPD to school leaders  promote inclusive/distributed leadership - empower teachers to exercise leadership  create a positive and supportive school climate 8. Ensure implementation of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966) and the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel (1997) 9. The TTF should, together with EI and the ILO, develop guidelines and promotional materials on the use of the above Recommendations on Teachers 10.Governments, donors and the education community should demonstrate
  • 13.
    Conclusion: a keyreminder: Yet earA“Teachers also have socio-economic and political rights, including the right to seek decent working conditions and adequate remuneration. Governments should make teaching an attractive, first-choice profession with continuing training and development by improving teachers’ professional status, working conditions and support, and should strengthen policy dialogue mechanisms with teacher organisations” (Education 2030 Framework for Action).
  • 14.