Teacher Motivation Perceptions of Indigenous Stakeholders in the Maldives

<p>Teachers form the largest investment in a school and can instrumentally exert the strongest direct influence on student outcomes. A school is as good as its teachers, and hence retention of successful teachers is imperative. Teachers’ motivation to remain carrying out the tasks associated with teaching enthusiastically make a vast difference in terms of student achievement, thereby attracting other teachers, students and parents to the school. At their best, the teachers effectively tap into the hopes and talents of young people to help them grow into productive citizens. The scrutiny of the sources of motivation is presumed to help make informed decisions to enhance teachers’ motivation to remain in teaching. The study reported here aimed at exploring the stakeholders’ perceptions of the motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers to remain as teachers in the small islands state of the Maldives. This empirical case study employed qualitative methods of data collection from indigenous groups of stakeholders that included central level policy-makers, school principals, leading teachers, successful teachers, parents and students. In total, 32 participants contributed data through 29 interviews, 29 questionnaires, and three focus group discussion meetings. Analysis of data via a grounded theory approach with a sociocultural constructivist lens indicated that a dynamic interplay of factors contributed to the understanding of what motivated these teachers to remain teaching. Overall, it was revealed that the participants’ perceptions of what motivated successful teachers to remain as teachers were largely influenced by the cultural aspects and the specific island life characteristics. It was clear that the motivational influences to stay in the teaching profession were contextual, inter-related, inter-dependent and multifaceted, and the ‘double S of motivation’ – salary and status – was also evident. It was revealed that a successful teacher is angel-like in the context, and hence, what constitutes success as a teacher in these islands was basically dependent upon the teacher’s ability to win the hearts and minds of the people through catering for the “curriculum, culture, and community”. Thus, the desires of achieving community approval for their deeds and remaining in healthy relationships with other stakeholders were perceived to be motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers. These findings highlight the importance of conducting habitual, specialised and localised studies to understand teachers’ motivational influences as they are context specific. This implied the need for educational policy-makers, school managers and supervisors of teachers to understand the complexity of contextual motivational influences to maximise teachers’ positive impact upon student development. In light of this, the challenges to sustain teachers’ motivation in these uniquely vulnerable islands are also discussed. To conclude this study report, which was limited only to the perceptions of indigenous stakeholder groups, on the motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers to remain teaching in a country where there is a high proportion of foreign teachers – particularly at higher levels of schooling – future research ideas and recommendations that might motivate, sustain and increase motivation are also outlined. The RICH theory of motivation is also proposed as a framework to be validated for use in studying motivation of teachers in similar settings.</p>

Teacher Motivation Perceptions of Indigenous Stakeholders in the Maldives

<p>Teachers form the largest investment in a school and can instrumentally exert the strongest direct influence on student outcomes. A school is as good as its teachers, and hence retention of successful teachers is imperative. Teachers’ motivation to remain carrying out the tasks associated with teaching enthusiastically make a vast difference in terms of student achievement, thereby attracting other teachers, students and parents to the school. At their best, the teachers effectively tap into the hopes and talents of young people to help them grow into productive citizens. The scrutiny of the sources of motivation is presumed to help make informed decisions to enhance teachers’ motivation to remain in teaching. The study reported here aimed at exploring the stakeholders’ perceptions of the motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers to remain as teachers in the small islands state of the Maldives. This empirical case study employed qualitative methods of data collection from indigenous groups of stakeholders that included central level policy-makers, school principals, leading teachers, successful teachers, parents and students. In total, 32 participants contributed data through 29 interviews, 29 questionnaires, and three focus group discussion meetings. Analysis of data via a grounded theory approach with a sociocultural constructivist lens indicated that a dynamic interplay of factors contributed to the understanding of what motivated these teachers to remain teaching. Overall, it was revealed that the participants’ perceptions of what motivated successful teachers to remain as teachers were largely influenced by the cultural aspects and the specific island life characteristics. It was clear that the motivational influences to stay in the teaching profession were contextual, inter-related, inter-dependent and multifaceted, and the ‘double S of motivation’ – salary and status – was also evident. It was revealed that a successful teacher is angel-like in the context, and hence, what constitutes success as a teacher in these islands was basically dependent upon the teacher’s ability to win the hearts and minds of the people through catering for the “curriculum, culture, and community”. Thus, the desires of achieving community approval for their deeds and remaining in healthy relationships with other stakeholders were perceived to be motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers. These findings highlight the importance of conducting habitual, specialised and localised studies to understand teachers’ motivational influences as they are context specific. This implied the need for educational policy-makers, school managers and supervisors of teachers to understand the complexity of contextual motivational influences to maximise teachers’ positive impact upon student development. In light of this, the challenges to sustain teachers’ motivation in these uniquely vulnerable islands are also discussed. To conclude this study report, which was limited only to the perceptions of indigenous stakeholder groups, on the motivational influences for successful indigenous teachers to remain teaching in a country where there is a high proportion of foreign teachers – particularly at higher levels of schooling – future research ideas and recommendations that might motivate, sustain and increase motivation are also outlined. The RICH theory of motivation is also proposed as a framework to be validated for use in studying motivation of teachers in similar settings.</p>

Motivated Memory for What Matters Most

Aging is associated with declines in cognitive functioning and memory; however, research has shown that older adults can and do compensate for these declines in a variety of ways. This chapter discusses various theories of motivational shifts in older adulthood, older adults’ ability to selectively remember important information, and the importance of prior knowledge in the ability to compensate for declines in memory and cognition as a result of aging. Older adults can also use their metacognitive awareness to engage in strategies to improve memory for goal-specific information by selectively allocating attentional resources to what is most important. Intrinsic motivational influences on memory and cognition, such as emotion and curiosity, are also discussed. The chapter presents an overview of how metacognition, curiosity, emotion, goals, and strategic encoding can bias and enhance memory selectivity such that older adults are often tuned to remember what is most important.

Motivation and the Social Context of Aging and Decision Making

This chapter focuses on the role of motivation for understanding adult age differences in decision making. It begins by reviewing research on cognitive aging and decision making. It then reviews research that highlights older adults’ motivation to selectively allocate cognitive resources when making decisions and their motivation to draw upon life experience and emotion regulation strategies. Next, because age-related shifts in motivation accentuate a focus on meaningful social relationships, the chapter considers social aspects of aging and decision making. It discusses age-related differences in selection of social network members and considers factors that may motivate older adults to involve others in the decision-making process. It suggests how research on motivation and aging and decision making could be used to inform decision-making interventions. After suggesting directions for future research, it concludes by highlighting the implications of research on aging and decision making for understanding contextual and motivational influences on cognitive aging.

India's Women Entrepreneurship Program Initiatives: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

The transformation of Indian society's social content, in terms of increased educational status for women and various ambitions for a better life, necessitated a change in the life style of Indian women. In every walk of life, she has competed with man and successfully stood up to him, and company is no exception. These female leaders are confident and willing to take risks. With their efforts, diligence, and perseverance, they were able to survive and succeed in this cutthroat rivalry. The aim of this paper is to investigate the main factors that encourage women to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, as well as their role in growing women's entrepreneurial intentions in Indian micro, small, and medium businesses and the reasons for women's slow progress in India, suggestions for women's development, and schemes for promoting and developing women's entrepreneurship in India. The study discovers that antecedents such as motivational influences, perceived viability, and entrepreneurial ability play a significant role in the actions of women entrepreneurs. The results have been very significant in the few cases where training has been designed and delivered. This paper will discuss the current state of women entrepreneurs in India, as well as the obstacles and problems they face in establishing and managing their businesses in a highly competitive market. Primary sources, such as published studies, essays, and academic papers, are included in this paper's conceptual design.

Exploration of the Supraspinal Hypotheses about Spinal Cord Stimulation and Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation: A Systematic Review

Despite the established efficacy and effectiveness of Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), there is still no consensus on the supraspinal mechanisms of action of this therapy. The purpose of this study was to systematically review previously raised hypotheses concerning supraspinal mechanisms of action of SCS based on human, animal and computational studies. Searches were conducted using four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Web of Science), backward reference searching and consultation with experts. The study protocol was registered prior to initiation of the review process (PROSPERO CRD42020161531). A total of 54 publications were included, 21 of which were animal studies, and 33 were human studies. The supraspinal hypotheses (n = 69) identified from the included studies could be categorized into six groups concerning the proposed supraspinal hypothesis, namely descending pathways (n = 24); ascending medial pathway (n = 13); ascending lateral pathway (n = 10); affective/motivational influences (n = 8); spinal–cerebral (thalamic)-loop (n = 3) and miscellaneous (n = 11). Scientific support is provided for the hypotheses identified. Modulation of the descending nociceptive inhibitory pathways, medial and lateral pathways were the most frequently reported hypotheses about the supraspinal mechanisms of action of SCS. These hypotheses were mainly supported by studies with a high or moderate confidence in the body of evidence.

Recreation and work in an emerging country: a combination of regulatory and motivational influences

The work can not be considered in isolation from the recreation as a process of an individual’s vital forces restoration. In emerging economies, recreational management needs an actualization at both the macro and micro levels. The purpose of the study is an analysis of the possibilities of combining the functions of regulation and motivation in the direction of increasing productivity and employment due to improved recreation. The research methodology is the Breton-Brennan-Buchanan model, within which homo economicus feels the influence from the government and adjusts the ratio of “work – leisure”. A modified view on this model is that the state is seen not only in terms of income maximization. If the collected taxes are returned to the individual, in particular in the form of qualitative recreation, then in this case the demotivation in the form of non-effective work is reduced. The paper substantiates the directions of recreational sphere activation in Ukraine, namely in relation to: increasing the motivational role of the state, along with its exclusively regulatory function; participation of enterprises in the processes of discussion and implementation of measures relevant to improving the quality of the recreational environment and infrastructure within the framework of public space renovation.

Organization of Remote Access to Education in the Convention of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Innovation, Opportunities and Quality

The article defines that the state is assigned the task of managing changes, especially in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, and this includes the purposeful development, adoption and implementation of organizational, regulatory, coordinating, controlling and motivational influences aimed at updating, innovative content, modernization or large-scale reform of education, as well as appropriate support for the processes of educational transformations that have already begun and are continuing. The essence and purpose of the concept of distance learning is analyzed. It is proved that this is an individualized process of acquiring knowledge, skills, skills and methods of cognitive activity of a person, which occurs through the interaction of remote participants in the educational process in a specialized environment using computer equipment and communication networks. It is noted that among the variety of prospects and advantages of this type of training, there are also significant disadvantages. It is noted that distance learning is based on the principle of flexibility of place, time, and pace of learning, especially during the COVID–19 pandemic. The ability to influence certain aspects of their learning increases students’ internal motivation. Independent responsibility for your own learning activities is formed gradually, so you should increase your autonomy in the learning process. Regarding the consequences of closing schools and switching to distance learning, there are interrupted learning, nutrition problems, stress for teachers, especially older people, parents ‘ lack of preparation for distance home education, deterioration of child care, economic losses, unforeseen burden on the health system, social isolation, difficulties in measuring and checking the assimilation of knowledge. It is determined that the crisis that brought the educational process to remote mode became a motive for revaluing the tools and tools of digital technologies introduced in educational institutions earlier.

Social Distancing in America: Understanding Long-term Adherence to Covid-19 Mitigation Recommendations

A crucial question in the governance of infectious disease outbreaks is how to ensure that people continue to adhere to mitigation measures for the longer duration of the pandemic. The present paper examines this question by means of a nationally representative cross-sectional set of studies conducted in the United States in May, June, and July 2020. It seeks to understand to what extent Americans continued to adhere to social distancing measures in the period after the first lockdown ended during the first wave of COVID-19. Moreover, it seeks to uncover which situational and motivational variables sustained (or undermined) adherence. Our findings reveal a mix of situational and motivational variables that contributed to adherence in the period after the first lockdown: individuals’ knowledge of social distancing measures, their practical capacity to adhere to them, their opportunities for not doing so, and their impulsivity (situational influences), as well as their moral alignment with mitigation measures against the virus, perceptions of its health threat, and perceived norms for adherence in their community (motivational influences). The results also reveal, however, that adherence among Americans declined during this period, as did important situational and motivational processes that sustained this. The findings show that adherence does not just originate in motivations and that situational variables play a central role. Moreover, they show that adherence is dynamic, as the core variables that sustain can change over a short period of time. These insights help to advance understanding of pandemic governance, as well as illuminating the interaction between rules and human conduct and compliance more generally. Moreover, they identify important avenues for policy to promote and sustain adherence to mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and in future outbreaks.