Teachers’ Motivation in Maldives – Influenced by Cultural Aspects

Abstract

Internationally the demand for effective teachers has grown, because effective teachers strongly influence student outcomes. This largely depends on the levels of teachers‟ motivation to carry out the tasks associated with teaching. Hence, the sources of teachers‟ motivation are under continuous scrutiny as the sustenance of motivation at a high level is imperative. The research reported here explored stakeholders‟ perceptions of the motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers to stay on in Maldives, a small island state in the Indian Ocean. This case study employed qualitative methods of interviewing, focus-group meetings and questionnaires to collect data from school principals, leading teachers, successful teachers, parents, and students. Analysis of data via qualitative approaches indicated that the participants‟ perceptions of what motivated successful teachers to remain as teachers were largely influenced by cultural aspects that were contextual, inter-related, inter-dependent and multifaceted. These findings highlight the importance of conducting habitual, specialized and localized studies to understand teachers‟ motivational influences. This implied the need for educational policy-makers, school managers and supervisors of teachers to understand the complexity of contextual motivational influences to maximize teachers‟ positive impact upon student development. The scope of this study is limited to the perceptions of natives even though a large proportion of expatriate teachers including Sri Lankans are in service. Future research could include foreign teachers‟ perceptions to create a wider spectrum for a fuller understanding of the motivational influences for teachers to stay in these uniquely vulnerable islands.