Conceptualizing Basic Psychological Needs (BSPN) and Motivation Regulations as Antecedents for Guided Teachers’ Work Commitment And Satisfaction

Abstract

Guided teachers in Malaysia is carefully selected by the school, district education agency and the state education department. The selection is based on their low teaching competency. The guided teachers or known as GDB will be guided through mentoring by the School Improvement Specialist Coach (SISC+). It is found that amongst the important element that determine teachers’ competency are work commitment and satisfaction. Although the guided teachers programme has been conducted for 6 years (2014-2020), but the current literatures only focusing on the mentoring and the teachers’ perception on the SISC+. There is still limited study that focusing on the GDB work commitment and satisfaction after receiving mentoring from the SISC+ even though those two elements are imperatives to be studied. Henceforth, the aim of this article is to provide arguments on potential solutions to tackle on the said problem. It is argued that motivational capacity is paramount in enhancing work commitment and satisfaction. This study embarks to describe and conceptualize the important of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in affecting both the work commitment and satisfaction of the guided teachers. It includes the discussion on Basic Psychological Needs (BSPN) and Motivational Spectrum. Initially, the article will discuss on the guided teachers work commitment and satisfaction and follows by the discussion and conceptualization of SDT. The effect of SDT including BSPN and motivational spectrum on commitment and satisfaction will be discussed next. The article shall contribute to the discussion and deliberation on teachers’ motivation, work commitment and satisfaction Keyword: Guided Teachers, Motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Work Commitment, Education, Malaysia Introduction Teachers and teaching profession are always in the centre of community attention. This is mostly contributed to the fact that teachers are directly impacted by any policy changes or new direction constructed by the government. Teachers are also viewed as a medium to implement any macro decision made in regards to education at the federal level. Scholars in education have been indicated that practices conducted by the teachers in the classroom International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 1 0 , No. 11, 2020, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2020 HRMARS 781 significantly determined their teaching quality (Bassi, Meghir, & Reynoso, 2019; Glasser, 1986). In the context of Malaysian education landscape, the teaching quality envisioned by the ministry of education in Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2015) can only be achieved if all the teachers throughout the country are able to carry high competency in teaching (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2013b). Competency in teaching is directly associated with the teacher’s individual capacity and capability in the classroom. It comprises of their personal, professional and social skills such as personality, comprehension in pedagogical structure of teaching, subject-matter expert and integration with the surrounding community (Hatlevik, 2017; Siraj & Ibrahim, 2012). Teaching competency is also define as the capability of teaching effectively in the classroom (De Ketele, 1996; Hollins, 2015). Empirical studies have shown that teacher’s teaching competency in the classroom as one of the essential factors in determining student success rate (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Haycock, 1998; Wahyuddin, 2017). In a society that value education as an imperative antecedent of socio-economic development, the students' success is one of the crucial contributing factors. Therefore, it is not surprising that every year the Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) continuously underline efforts and plans in order to improve the teaching capacity amongst Malaysian teachers. This can be identified in the MOE efforts to establish School Improvement Specialist Coach (SISC +) in 2014 to assist the teacher to improve students' academic performance particularly in Band 4-6 within MOE classification (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2013a). The SISC + is responsible for guiding low-skilled teachers in the teaching and learning process in the classroom. As of 2018, a total of 28,000 guided teachers (GDBs) are placed under SISC + throughout Malaysia (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2018) This initiative by SISC + is seen to enhance teachers' ability to implement teaching and learning in the classroom (Izab, 2015). Coordination and operation of SISC+ programme begin with the government approached senior teachers with excellent teaching performance and experience as the coaches. There are several different coaches in each district in each state in Malaysia. There will be different coaches for different subjects’ fields for both primary and secondary schools. These shall ensure the quality of these coaches. The selection of low competency teachers as participants of these programme were made by the school administration. There will be extra attention given on low-achieving school which were based on their performance in the annual public examination. However, after four years (2014-2018) of the implementation of mentoring and mentorship of the GDB, findings in the empirical studies had only focus on the impact of mentoring and guiding on the quality of teaching. Lack of attention is given on the impact of these mentoring and guiding on teachers' work commitment satisfaction. For instance, a study conducted by the Radhiah Said, Brahim, & Md Sabil, (2016) which examines the impact of mentoring and guiding by SISC+ on Malay Language GDB teachers' teaching competency in Samarahan, Sarawak. The study found that this program is quintessential and relevant to help teachers implement high-quality teaching and learning. In addition, a study conducted by Leng, (2015) looking at GDB teachers in mathematics by using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) theory found that GDB planning and practice had no difference before and after guidance and mentoring by SISC +. Thus, it shows that there is still huge room for study in association with understanding the GDB work commitment and satisfaction. There is still limited research that focuses on aspects of GDB work commitment and satisfaction after receiving guidance from SISC + despite the vitality of this aspect. Moreover, it is argued that commitment and satisfaction International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 1 0 , No. 11, 2020, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2020 HRMARS 782 aspects contribute to teachers' achievement, absence, burnout and turnover (Kosnik, Beck, & Lin Goodwin, 2016; Reyes, 1992). Hence, to overcome the limitation, this study aims to investigate on the antecedent aspect of the guided the teachers. Namely, this study tries to answer two important question. First, does motivation has the capability to affect guided teachers’ work commitment and satisfaction. Second, what are the factors that could influence the teachers’ motivation. Answering these two questions enable a comprehensive understanding on this programme. Furthermore, it contributes in enhancing literatures within the realm of guided teachers in field of education. To answer these two questions, this study will be using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the underpinning theory. The study will first conceptualize Basic Psychological Need (BSPN) to be the underlying foundation that has influence on the teachers’ motivation. Furthermore, this study will scrutinize the concept of motivation into several element based on the explanatory capacity of SDT. Thus, discussing the elements capacity to influence the teachers’ commitment and satisfaction. Henceforth, this article structure is as follows: First, the article will introduce SDT and discuss elements within BSPN. It will then continue by discussing motivation elements and concept of work commitment and work satisfaction within teaching realms. Next, it will show how BSPN elements are able to influence motivation and how motivation elements would be able to influence the teachers’ commitment and satisfaction. Theoretical and conceptual framework towards the end of this article. It will discuss the concluding remarks and way forward in the final section of this article. Self Determination Theory Self Determination Theory (SDT) is a theory that evaluate individual trustfulness towards its environment. The theory itself focus on the nature of motivation which is “Why the behaviour occurs?” (Tremblay, Blanchard, Taylor, Pelletier, & Villeneuve, 2009). Foundation of this assumption is that human is an active, mentally expanding, and has a natural tendency to “integrate physical (action) with the sensory and integrate themselves within the larger social structure” (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p. 229). Besides, it is also a study on human inner-tendency and natural psychological needs which both turn to be foundational for integrating personal motivation with personality. The study also looks on the properties that enhance the positive process (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Based on the past empirical studies, there are three essential properties know as basic psychological needs (BSPN). There are autonomy, competency and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2002). These three are the foundation to optimally enhance individual functionality, contribute to growth tendency, integration of social constructive development, and individual well-being. There are several studies employed SDT technique to evaluate the effect of environment on obstructing and weakening self-motivation, social function and individual well-being. Nevertheless, SDT is not only meant to investigate only on positive development but also it tested social environment which might has contradiction value on the positive tendency. Besides, SDT main focus is to provide a different approach on motivation which is by identifying different motivation constructs with each of them will have specific effect on individual performance, learnin