A Study on the Work Motivation of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in China

Abstract

Teachers are the foundation of education and the source of its development. In reality, the low sense of professional achievement and high work pressure have led to low motivation and burnout among teachers, which is particularly prominent among primary and secondary school teachers. In order to stimulate the vitality of the majority of primary and secondary school teachers and enhance their work motivation, the state has introduced a series of teacher incentive policies. In this study, 1418 teachers in primary and secondary schools were researched through questionnaires using descriptive statistical analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study found that overall teachers were more motivated to work and more organizationally motivated than individually motivated; the mean value of the former was 4.021 out of 5 and the latter was 3.837. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences between individual and organizational motivation in terms of teaching experience, highest level of education, being a classroom teacher or not, job title, administrative position, and participation in rotations. In this regard, it is important for teachers to raise their awareness of the policy, to remain true to their original intention of teaching, and to actively communicate with students, colleagues, and school leaders as a good way to increase their motivation.