Teacher morale: More complex than we think?

Abstract

The literature suggests that teacher morale is at an all time low in Australia (Hicks 2003, Smyth 2001) with teachers feeling undervalued, frustrated, unappreciated and demoralized (Smyth 2001 Senate Employment, Education and Training References Committee (SEETRC) 1998). In this paper the author utilizes the data gathered in a recent study into teaching excellence awards (Mackenzie 2004) as the medium to explore and discuss the issue of teacher morale and to provide some tentative suggestions for improving morale as proposed by the study participants. If we accept a reciprocal relationship between teacher morale and student learning (Ramsey 2000, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2000), students in some schools may not be getting the best possible value from teachers affected by low morale. Participants in the Mackenzie (2004) study agreed that morale was generally lower than in previous times, although many suggested that morale was positive in their own schools. This suggests that morale may be more complex than has been previously understood, with three levels of morale operating concurrently for teachers, a concept which is explored in this paper.

A secondary school teacher’s experiences as a victim of learner cyberbullying

“…In a study on the status of teacher morale in Australia, Mackenzie (2007) found Australian teachers considered the status of education and the teaching profession as lower than that of other professions. Mackenzie (2007) stated that the low status of teachers was due largely to the community's lack of understanding of what teaching entailed. People were generally unaware of the pressure on and workload of teachers and believed that anyone could teach if they wanted to (Mackenzie 2007).…”

“…Mackenzie (2007) stated that the low status of teachers was due largely to the community's lack of understanding of what teaching entailed. People were generally unaware of the pressure on and workload of teachers and believed that anyone could teach if they wanted to (Mackenzie 2007). Teaching children on a daily basis was considered easy and no more than slightly better than child care, thus leading to the low status accorded to the teaching profession (Mackenzie 2007).…”

COVID 2019 outbreak: The disappointment in Indian teachers

“…The disappointment here is not due to the lethargic attitude of teachers but the fear of getting infected and being a carrier for the family and neighbors. This if continued can bring the teacher's morale down and a teacher's moral is very complex as the research has proved very well how it affects the student learning process (Mackenzie, 2007). A frustrated and demoralized teacher have proved to have a negative behavior towards the students community (Greenwood and Soar, 1973).…”

Prestige, Status, and Esteem and the Teacher Shortage

“…This phenomenon appears to have originated from perceptions that the training preservice teachers receive at the postsecondary level is far less rigorous than training for other fields of study (Ingersoll & Merrill, 2011;Hargreaves, 2009;Hoyle, 2001). These views regularly lead members of the public to perceive teaching as a career that ordinary individuals with a general understanding of mathematics and literacy can perform (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015;Hargreaves, Cunningham, Hansen, McIntyre, & Oliver, 2007;Lankford et al, 2014;Mackenzie, 2007).…”

“…Motion pictures and television shows also play a role in eroding the teaching career's esteem (Mackenzie, 2007). Frequently, media skew the perceptions of teachers by inaccurately stereotyping the workforce (Mensah, 2011).…”