Education Governance and Teacher Motivation

A Presentation byDennis Sinyolo, Ph.D.

Senior Coordinator, Education and Employment

Education Internationalat 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 motivationear

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)

ear

Yetear

Yetear

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?

NoYes

Involve teachers and civil society in the entire policy making process

Are you consulted on decisions affecting your professional life?

Satisfiers and dissatisfiers Yet

Satisfiers Dissatisfiers • Autonomy• Being valued• Being trusted• Being listened to• Time for learning, teaching andplanning• Collegiality• Initiative• Creativity• Contact with pupils• Scope for innovation andexperimentation

• 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

Recommendations1. 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 clear political will and commitment to the achievement of SDG 4 and all education targets by investing in teachers and teaching

Conclusion: a key reminder:YetearA“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!