Some Thoughts on Education - Reformation & Counter-Reformation

Thanks to Prof. Rhodora Nicdao, Ph.D., for the opportunity to learn these things. 

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A. Highlights of the historical period

	Period:     14th, 15th, 16th & 17th Centuries
CONTEXT	Protestant Reformers toward Education							Counter-reformation (Catholic Reformers)
	The period of Renaissance brought in Humanism which ushered changes that ushered in calls for reforms in the Church-dominated countries of Europe. Prominent leaders were Martin Luther (1483 -1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564).							Reactions or responses within the Catholic Church to the call for reforms accelerated by protestant revolts. Education was the vehicle embarked on by the Catholic reformers – teaching orders and congregations established, parish schools reorganized, Catholic children were trained and seminaries for training of priests put up. Most notable orders during the period concerned with teaching of the boys: ·       Society of Jesus founded by Ignatius of Loyola ·       Brethren of Christian Schools established by Jean Baptiste de La Salle ·       Jansenists who were followers of Dutch bishop Cornelis Jansen who establiahed the Little Schools of Port Royal ·       Education for the girls promoted by Archbisop Fenelon of Cambrai, a modern theorist on the education of women which encouraged girls’ schools run by nuns: ·       Order of Ursulines ·       Sisters of Notre Dame ·       Sisters of St. Joseph
	Protestant Reformers diverged in fundamental issues in dogma with those of the Catholic Church as follows:
	·       Individual authority to interpret the Bible ·       Individual judgment to determine truth in Scriptures to guide duty and conduct ·       Only abiding faith in God’s mercy  (inner piety and good will enough) to be saved			·       Authority of church as infallible on faith and moral practice ·       Collective judgment in determining truth to guide duty and conduct ·       Rituals through masses, penance or charity and good works (renounce self or the world) to be saved
	The divergence created ideals that affected the way education was provided in Europe under the hegemony of the Catholic Church.  Such principles as the state and church must provide for educational opportunities or that the church, state and home must work together to educate the youth emerged.  These principles were departures from the ideal of the Medieval period.							Culmination of reform efforts inside the Catholic church culminated with the Council of Trent (1545-1563).
AIMS	·       Provide religious and moral character education to make a person live a worthy life on earth in preparation for a glorious life hereafter. o   Religion as highest interest to achieve in life o   Education should also provide adequate training in duties of home, occupation, the church and the state (able to discharge all duties) o   Development of physical, mental and moral powers for personal salvation and society’s moral regeneration ·       Emphasis of training of children by parents in the right way (“good parenting which means teaching children to know and fear God is the way to heaven” ·       Aims for the 3 Ideals of hybrid of religious morality and the classics (ideals of the past) o   Intelligence (influenced by Greek, Roman periods & of Humanism) §  Elegant expression §  Rational inquiry §  Public service o   Social virtue (influenced by chivalry) §  Good manners §  Social service o   Piety (Christian influence) §  Personal piety							Ultimate aim is religious moralism. Preparation for a pious life on earth for a glorious life hereafter. Similar goals with the Protestant Reformation – religious moralism (chaste and pious moral character with loyalty to the Church and attain salvation of their souls) Differ with Protestant Reformers on immediate objectives: 1. subjection of individual to institutional control vs. protestant individual interpretation of the Bible 2. obedience to the authority of the Church vs. protestant exhaltation of individual reason and faith In practice, the Protestant reformation did not differ in objectives with the Catholic reformers because protestant education did not adhere to the ideals of their founders in education as clearly seen in their actual methods in education.  Aims of Jesuit schools were to train leaders to advance the cause of the Church – fluent Latin readers and speakers, disciplined and loyal to the Church and competent to teach the Christian way of life. Aims of Lasalle brothers were to provide Christian education to the children of artisans and the poor.  Together with the Jansenists, the formation of young boys and girls to be guardians of Christian homes and responsible members of a Christian society.
TYPE	There were varied types of education that concurrently existed in the period.  In the whole, however, the varied training is geared toward work which suited appropriately to the social system prevailing during the period, the rise of Capitalism. The types included: ·       Moral training ·       Social training ·       Civic training ·       Vocational training ·       Domestic training ·       Minimal training on Physical development and music in as much as it advances religious instruction ·       High education for church & state leaders							Religious and moral Instruction by schools. Vocational and domestic training primarily left to homes and parents Intellectual training in higher education which assisted service to the Church. For the Jesuits, training for mission work, pastoral duties, ministering to the sick or the poor. Attention to physical training  through sports and games was remarkable among the Jesuits during the period of counter-reformation. Emphasis on professional training of teachers – graduate schools of Law, medicine, Theology were developed especially by the Jesuits. Both the Jesuits and Lasalle brothers were noted for their careful selection and training of teachers.
	Home: -most of the  practical training in trade whether professional, commercial or industrial -by apprenticeships and home duties		Home & School -- Vernacular-primary (elem) level: -most of the moral training -compulsory (all social classes, boys & girls)				School-- Higher level: -for ministry and magistrate training (pastors or civil servants)
CONTENT	·       Mainly the study of the Bible especially in the elementary (common-vernacular level) o   Religion as the heart of the curriculum o   Bible as the principal textbook o   Supplement: catechesis by Luther, hymns and Aesop’s fables ·       Developing the basic reading skill ·       Practical arts of trade & home (Luther firmly believed in vocational training) ·       Humanistic subjects and Protestanism							Curriculum for the elementary schools run by the Lasalle Brothers covered the 4 Rs – reading, writing, elementary arithmetic and religion (emphasis on religion). Jesuits developed the broadest curricula in Secondary and higher education. ·       Studia inferior -corresponds to the German Gymnasien and the English Latin grammar schools -study of Latin, selected Latin classics, Greek literature, prescribed textbooks, history geography, science, mathematics studied as means to understand classic authors -study of language, literature and supplementary subjects  correlated to religious and moral training ·       Studia superior -corresponds to the protestant universities -scholastic philosophy (based of Aristotle) especially in the Jesuit college, study of Latin classics, logic, rhetoric, theology (based on Aquinas), oriental languages Jansen schools were considered advanced schools in the study of literature (survey of classical literature), Latin grammar, Mathematics, logic, teachers lead by example of pious lifestyle.
	Primary-vernacular level curriculum	Secondary level curriculum				Universities
	Religion Reading Writing Singing Physical training Trades and crafts House duties	Preparation for the clergy Latin Greek Hebrew Dialectic Mathematics Logic Rhetoric Eloquence History Natural science Music gymnastics				Biblical interpretation (replacing Theology) Medicine Law Philosophy Scientific studies
AGENCIES	·       Home (family) o   Luther believes that the foundation of the social order is the family esp. in the training of children, discipline and keeping a sound family life) o   Calvin insists on church-supervised homes where parents are compel to send children to schools (homes are even subject to inspection by the church) ·       Civil authorities o   The state is mandated to establish and support schools (in protestant countries, Theocracy is the system as when the religion of the ruler is the religion of the subjects) o   Laws are enacted to support the schools (which should conform to the pastor’s ideas) ·       Teachers o   They were considered as instruments of educations o   High value placed on teachers and the teaching profession o   Most teachers were university educated or ministers o   School masters were closely supervised and guided by the Protestant church (attendance to regular worship and loyalty to government is expected)							AGENCIES & ORGANIZATION Three types of schools: Elementary (mainly under the auspices of the Lasalle Brothers), Secondary and higher school (championed by the Jesuits particularly and the Jansenists).  All were church supported and controlled. Jesuits showed genius for organization of schools. They considered most effective institutions of learning. ·       Ratio Studiorum (Plan of Studies, 1599) – details of administration of schools, courses and programs of study, selection of training of teachers, techniques for teaching and methods of discipline (the first and complete Manual of Education at that time). ·       Heirarchical organization of authority from the General to the Provincials and within the schools from Prefect of Studies to Prefect of Discipline, House Prefects, Teachers and Monitors. ·       Clear and systematic groupings of students: o   Secondary school: §  5 classes – Infirma, media, suprema, humanitas, rhetorica §  those training to be Jesuit priests take on 2 years novitiate o   Higher school §  3 year arts course (faculty of philosophy) §  2 year teacher training (juniorate) §  5 years practice teaching (regency) §  for priesthood, 4-year theology follows §  ordination and tertianship year Lasalle Brothers had a counterpart manual to run the elementary schools– Conduct of Schools. ·       Organized special training schools for teachers (1685), required for all teachers to undergo before any assignment ·       Expanded educational activities eventually to industrial schools, reform schools, commercial schools, secondary schools and colleges. Jansenists organized school for boys under the “Gentlemen” and schools for girls under the nuns.  Schools were kept small and classes limited to as few as six pupils.
ORGANIZATION	·       There were three (3) parallel systems or organizations providing education together with the home ·       Not sequentially ladderized but parallel more like a dual-system of education ·       Gymnasium system started by Strum in Germany has the beginnings and influenced the organization of most European education until now ·       Gymnasium by Strum has 10 class organization with 1 class covering 1 whole year much like our present day grade level (so like 10 grades) ·       Calvin Academy also organized by 7 classes or grades ·       Laid the ground for modern day educational system (elementary, secondary and university)				Common-vernacular (elementary) -emphasizes reading, writing, religion
					Classical Secondary -humanism together with religion and morals -Saxony system which was a plan laid out by Calvin is organized by levels starting from beginners, Latin grammar and advanced level.
					University -Humanism - Medicine, Law, Philosophy, Scientific studies
METHODS	·       Method used is called Ciceronianism which are formal methods ·       Elementary level methods consist of reading by pronunciation, memorized catechesis, Gospels and Epistles, hymn and psalms ·       Secondary level methods mainly are memorization of the classics ·       Luther’s ideal methods are heavily influenced by teachings of Cicero, Quintillian, Plato and Aristole.  In Luther’s imagined method, education should be: o   Where study is pleasant o   Classrooms are attractive o   Lessons adjusted to capacity of the child o   Promotion is according to ability (most bright especially) ·       In practice, Protestant methods of education were very formalistic o   Rigid teaching o   Harsh discipline o   Divorced from outside-the-classroom realities o   Mostly religious indoctrination							All teaching orders made distinct contributions to development of educational method (pedagogy). ·       Jesuits – geared to doing small amount of work at a time, doing it well and making sure it’s retained (not many but much and with mastery); prelection and repittion emphasized o   Prelection – teacher taking his pupils over the work of the lesson to be mastered next (like a comprehensive course syllabus discussion) – explaining the general meaning of the lesson, matters of syntax and grammar, then all historical, geographic, literary and allusions to the rhetorical elements and the moral lessons; adapting lessons to abilities and interests of students; questioning used to enlist active participation in the lower classes, lectures in higher classes. o   Repitition – “repititio mater studiorum est”; first part of the day’s lesson repeats the previous days lesson, each week ending with the review of the week’s work; the last month of the year given to review of the year’s work ·       Jesuits were pioneers in development of devices for motivation: o   Utilizing desire to please parents and teachers, sense of duty, stimulating natural instincts of rivalry and emulation (pupil-pupil rivalry along equal ability, rival groups, camps and honor societies) ·       Lasalle Christian Brothers were the first to grade elementary school pupils into classes according to ability ·       Jansenists taught reading using phonetics or using beginning sound, insisted on the method of understanding first then memorization; motivation methods were auto-emulation (appeals to surpass past efforts) ·       Discipline was emphasized in all the Catholic Reformation schools and carefully supervised. o   Daily devotions o   Firm Jesuit discipline methods with corporal punishment as a last resort for extreme misconduct administered only by the Corrector (not the teacher); disciplinary powers delegated to pupil officials (a type of student governance system) o   Jansenist discipline relied on affection of the child and the zeal of the teacher never on any corporal punishment o   Lasalle Christian Brothers’ schools employed corporal punishment to enforce discipline under clear and specific conditions and extent.

B. Analysis

1. How was learning defined in the period of Reformation and Counter-reformation?

Learning during the period of Reformation and counter-reformation was mainly moral education, dictated by both the Protestant and Catholic Churches.  They aim to influence or form the person to live righteously as preparation for spiritual existence.   Teaching is dependent on the Church ministers and priests as sources of knowledge (morality, truth, God) and learning was mainly the formation of the conscience. 

Training in the functional abilities was largely the duties of the home through apprenticeships and guilds.  Higher learning is mainly elitist as access to the classicl works of literature and Philosophies were accessible to those intending to be ministers or priests.  education or higher learning, education for the masses is mainly the skill to read religious materials.

The venture of the Jesuits into higher education and the charism of this teaching order of “finding God in all things” also brought higher education to achievements and the rise of scholars in math and science.  Although firmly loyal to the church and prescribing strongly what to be learned and taught, the attitude of using things learned in as much as it serves the work of mission promoted a conducive climate for higher education.

2. Describe the educated person during the period.

An educated person is one who has learned how to read in Latin or Greek and can explain the classic work of Philosophers of Greece and Rome.  An educated person necessarily has to come from a higher social class.  For the common people, an educated person is one who is able to understand the language used in the Bible and catechetical text much as access to elementary school is universal and most often compulsory. 

3. Social class determined the degree of access that a person can have whether he reaches to university education or not.  Artisans can access up to elementary education only while sons and even daughters, especially in the period of Counter-reform, of nobility can go as far as university education (daughters however may reach only to as far as secondary education).  Opportunities of girls to be educated is limited in the higher level as mainly this level of education is intended to prepare ministers or priests, who are of course male.  The female is still predominantly trained in the lower levels of education for domestic duties.

4. Curriculum in both the Protestant Reform schools and the Catholic reform schools (Jesuits, Lasalle, jansenists) were common in emphasizing religion and character education.  The development of higher education though opened specializations in Mathematics, Science, Law, Medicine and Theology or Religion.

5. Protestant reform schools eventually reduced to the unitary indoctrination of students in its teaching methods despite Luther’s ideal of a “pleasant, conducive and interesting classroom adapted to the child’s level of ability”.  In the counter-reformist schools a more systematic and planned methods of teaching emerged.  The pride of working in a Jesuit school sets in me knowing that the Jesuits pioneered several methods of teaching still in use to this day and contributed significantly to the development of educational pedagogy both in practice and theory.  Modern educational research has in fact affirmed the undying methods laid down by St. Ignatius through the framework and approach of the Spiritual Exercises applied to education.

6. The Reformation schools greatly contributed to the organization of contemporary education in the way it structured education by grades or classes.  The Gymnasium of Germany and the Calvin Academy pioneered in this effort.  In a sense, the reform and counter-reform period highlighted the role of education both in sustaining or maintaining the church and the state.

Much of the set-up now in contemporary education progressing from elementary to secondary to university or higher education has its beginnings and consolidation during the Reform-Counter Reform period.  The kind of education that the Jesuits and the Lasalle Brothers began and codified in the 14^th to the 17^th centuries are very much present and institutionalized in today’s education in the world.  Many timeless practices still prevail.

C. Illustration.

In Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, the Jesuit tradition of Ignatian education is very much embraced.  Curricular planning and implementation is abundant with the same principles that built the Reformation schools of the early Jesuits.  Ignatian Pedagogy is practiced still with the emphasis on ensuring the interplay of experience-reflection-action in the learning experience design and implementation.

www.ignatianspirituality.com

The animation in the sports and the arts by the Jesuits in the early years of Counter-reformation especially are very much the same spirit that is the climate of the school now, mens sana en corpore sano, “a sound mind in a sound body” is the same guide for the school until now.

The way discipline is handled, firm and concerned of the child, and closely supervised by Prefects is the same framework, system and spirit as the early Jesuit schools.

One important realization for me in this study of the period which fortunately included an appreciation of early Jesuit education is the value of two methods of teaching specifically prelectio and repititio.  Both principles are still observed in our teachers’ lesson design and somehow in its implementation but as far as a structure for it is concerned, it is not very much in place anymore. 

In the prelectio of early Jesuit schools, it involved the teacher taking his pupils over the work of the lesson to be mastered next (like a comprehensive course syllabus discussion), explaining the general meaning of the lesson, matters of syntax and grammar, including all historical, geographic, literary and allusions to the rhetorical elements as well as the moral lessons and, more importantly, adapting lessons to abilities and interests of students.  Prelectio is comprehensive and gives the student a clear big- picture view of the lesson.  This is a practice we need to strengthen in our lesson design and practice. 

Repititio is another principle that needs deepening in our contemporary practice.  The early Jesuit schools employ repetition by recap of previous day’s lesson as the first part of the day’s lesson then a recap of each week’s lesson as an ending lesson and the last month of the year as review of the year’s work.  There is a clear cycle and conscious effort to recall and master the lessons for the day, week, month and year.  This cycle is further strengthened by the method of “questioning to enlist active participation” of students or in contemporary parlance, to draw out what students learn which is the checking for understanding or use of formative assessments (a modern way of trying to see how much students have learned while we’re teaching).

Taking the context of our time, circumstance and culture, these principles still hold promise and value for us at Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu.  If we want a do more for supporting the learning and growth of our students, re-envigorating, re-articulating and distinctively manifesting these principles in our teaching practice will enrich our Ignatian nature as a school.

-30-

Things haven't changed after all, dirt-poor, people and garbage still combine.

Claims of progress and change fly out the window in the face of these hard realities of our people.  Thanks to progressive thinking media persons like this reporter and biting reality can still make it to the mainstream news.




will a social deluge happen soon? how will it be led?

Better than news on TV :)

mEnabling mLearning (how are we catching up or lagging behind?)

NGLC (next generation learning challenges) 

http://nextgenlearning.org/next-gen-tools

http://www.upsidelearning.com/free-elearning-ebooks.asp

Designing eLearning For iPads from Upside Learning

What Motivates Teachers? (Motivation 3.0)

(Motivating the motivators toward extra-ordinary performance and commitment)

A critical paper submitted to the class on School Administration and Management: Theory & Practice under Prof. Gin Yap-Aizon (ED 221).

“If you have to ask me the keys why Singapore system is successful – we have very good teachers, we have very good school leaders!”  These are the words of Lee Sing Kong, dean of the National Institute of Education who speaks passionately about Singapore education.  Springboarding from these words, I ask the question of how we can replicate the same outcomes in terms of teaching commitment and performance among our own teachers.  Apparently, teachers anywhere as part of mankind are governed by the same universal theories of motivation.  Although, an important particularity I remember though is cultural inclination of Filipino teachers to prefer the positive-affective-negative-cognitive approach as far as receiving feedback is concerned which could be a factor for motivating teachers. (Prof. Aizon, ED 221 class)

Theories of Motivation

Abrahom Maslow categorized motivation drivers according to needs categories that fall into an hierarchy.  The baser needs include physiological and safety and security then moves up to belonging and esteem to the higher order needs of self-actualization.    Only when the basic lower level needs are satisfied can higher order needs be pursued. Hence, if any of these needs are not met then the person gets demotivated.  In the following table, I have applied this Maslownian hierarchy to how I perceived they are satisfied at SHS-AdC.

(Table 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in SHS-AdC Context)

MOTIVATIONAL NEEDS
Needs	Provided or not provided in schools through
SELF-ACTUALIZATION	Professional Development opportunities – trainings, masteral studies, benchmarking and educational tours Promotion Goal Achievement Spiritual Development Programs – Spex, recollections & retreats, Spiritual Direction
ESTEEM	Loyalty Awards Position Titles and Labels Office/Space assignments Merit recognitions/ Status symbols Parking Space allocations (Autonomy-influence, authority, decision-making), EIP – tablet, MacPro
BELONGING	Subject Area Assignment/Work Teams Mentoring Group Friends, Colleagues Informal Affiliations – Prayer groups, Cliques/Barkada, Ceremony sponsorships – ninong/ninang
SAFETY & SECURITY	Tenure Housing Occupational Health & Safety Medical Insurance & Benefits – Principal & Dependents Sick Leave PERAA Due Process
PHYSIOLOGICAL	Salary 13th month Allowances Uniform Tuition benefit for dependents SSS, Medical Insurance	Coop membership & savings Availability of Transportation Service Merit pay/increases/Christmas bonus Honoraria Vacation Leaves Flexi Schedules
MA-EdAd                                                                                                                                                                Loyola Schools Graduate Education Program                                                                                            Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU)

In one of the gatherings of Principals in a conference sponsored by a publishing company in Mactan last February 19 this year, the question was raised as to what motivates educators and their leaders.  Recurrent in the discussion is the issue of pay as something good and satisfying if principals have more of it.  However, in our small group composed of mostly sister of the Society of St. Paul, running a chain of St. Paul schools, they were saying that beyond monetary motivation for teaching, the greater goal of mission and finding personal meaning on the mission drives the passion of people to continue the work.  Teaching for several years, sister Norma, SPC, a nun on her 60s and assigned in Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, narrates that she has been in the work for more than 20 years, at salary way below the scrimping private schools in the city or in the public school system, is getting.  The same sentiment is echoed by the whole group that indeed, sometimes if the pay is never really enough, many serve in mission schools or in causes that matter to society, causes that are in the main service or civic oriented.  Clearly, a sense of commitment to the mission propels the motivation of many teachers and administrators in the Catholic schools.

Maslow’s theory does not fully explain the condition such as Sr. Norma portray where a sense of mission seem to be her greater driver in persisting in teaching and leading in a remote town in Zamboanga where pay definitely is not economically competitive compared to what we are getting in our school.  In the same way as, the motivation that drive our Jesuit partners to take on mission-schools’ work in areas such as Culion in Palawan or Zamboangaita in Bukidnon.

Herberg’s two factor theory, which moves forward Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can better explain probably this.  Herberg considers two major category’s of needs – maintenance and satisfiers.  Maintenance or hygiene factors are needs that are requisite to the work, these are the baseline requisites so to say, and in Maslow’s theory these are the physiological, safety, belonging and esteem needs.  These are not the motivators but are necessary to even let a teacher buy-in into the job.  What gives motivation to persevere are the satisfiers, the self-actualization needs.  When present, these increase teachers’ drives and passion to teach.  I think McGregor’s concept of regression in this theory of Existence-Relatadedness-Growth, where when teachers are not provided needs that are in one category tend to regress into the needs in another category as the more powerful driver helps to explain conditions where some needs are not met but teachers preserver in the job of teaching explaining why teachers in some schools chose to stay longer even if the pay is not as good as those in other schools.

(Figure 1. Summary of Motivation Theories)

Drive – The Motivation Paradigm

Dan Pink has so geniusly simplified past researches on motivation and summarized the science of motivation into these three drivers - Mastery, Autonomy and a sense of Purpose is the new motivation paradigm.  How will this look like for teachers?

Dan Pink’’s work of looking further into these needs and understanding perceptions and value people ascribe to what they do, I feel, offers even more update into the question of teacher motivation.  He says that we mainly have two drivers, extrinsic and intrinsic. 

Extrinsic motivators are things or acts done to the person – in the past, this has been extensively used in the form of rewards and punishments. To encourage a behavior, something desirable is given while to avoid or deter a particular behavior a consequence should follow or attached to it.

The whole concept of extrinsic motivators revolve around the idea and practice to B.F. Skinner’s conditioning which reinforces what you want people to do, not just punish what you want people to stop doing. (Coppola, 2004)

Rewards and punishment in a sense work for a while but only under certain conditions.  Rewards cannot be relied to sustain motivation, in fact Dan Pink says it is harmful to it as it narrows focus and creates a sense of addiction to a receiver (the same neural networks in the brain are activated when one receives a reward and when one satisfies a dopamine inducing addiction).  Punishment on the other hand is short lived. 

According to Hope Leyson, punishment only works well if it is given by contiguity to the violation or behavior you want avoided or if there is logical connection between punishment and behavior.  In a sense, punishments should be used to target a behavior then use gradually “expanding” reward for every step toward achievement of a desired behavior.  It still goes back to training to get or conditioning people to act in the way you would want them to.

To avoid the harms of reward and punishment (the proverbial “carrot and stick”), there should be fading too where the prompts or cues are gradually removed such that the behavior becomes a habit of choice even without the attendant reward.  If the association is permanent between the kind of behavior expected and the reward accompanying, a sense of attachment or expectation sets in such that behavior then becomes dependent on the reward, a sort of “addiction”. (Leyson, 2014).

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, obtains drive or passion from the job of teaching itself.  Teaching in itself and the fulfillment it brings is the motivator.  Intrinsic motivation finds fulfillment in the work of teaching itself as satisfying (all activities involved in the work of teaching both the routine and challenging, its details and the big picture, in the bottom-line is motivating), so we should make the job interesting to raise or enhance teachers’ motivation.  I feel this is correct for as long as Herbergz maintenance factors, especially dignified salary and working conditions are present, lest you really loose good teachers. (Sergiovanni, 2007, Coppola, 2004 & Corrigan, 2011).

As a case in point, many sacrificing and passionate teachers are preserving in the public schools despite the problems that persist in the public school system, they believe that they can make so much difference.  And they commit themselves to the faith that the Filipino children can achieve and they get involve not only in the learning but in the lives of their students.  Many young teachers believe that it is alright to give their idealism to a worthy cause say educating students in the public school to help build the nation. (Ongkiko, 2013)

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”- Nelson Mandela

Teachers are the heart of education and how we develop and motivate teachers is therefore the heart of motivating learning. (NIE, 2014)  The country of Singapore understands this very well such that teacher training is really focused on by the National Institute of Education under its Ministry of Education.  Teachers do not worry anymore about basic needs, neither do they feel burdened by finding opportunities to grow as these are made available by the institute to teachers in their preparation and in their professional practice.  Teaching in Singapore, as in Finland, Shanghai, and Australia among the leading countries in PISA (Program for International Student Assessment, 2009 rankings) is accorded prestige and provided generous intrinsic motivators, conditions where the best teachers can thrive.

According to Bill Gates, in a study of American teachers, better teachers are not based on MA degrees (Master of Arts) or seniority.  Accordingly, after 3 years of teaching (the usual probationary years), teacher ability does not significantly change anymore.  It is in the first three years of teaching that determines a teachers’ level of ability and from thereon, that kind of ability and passion does not significantly change, the variation, Gates insists, is very small.  Having an MA does not make a better teacher.  What affects teachers to be better though is past performance.  Gates insists that feedback on teachers’ performance if used well to make teachers see how they are doing – where they are good at or where they falter and to move effectively towards things that work for the teacher, that’s where ability and skill prosper significantly.

Key to making education better is having great teachers. (Gates, Bill 2009).

Key to motivating teachers also is leadership style of school leaders. If a leader’s mood and accompanying behaviors are indeed such potent drivers of an organization’s success, then a leader’s premier task—we would even say his primal task—is emotional leadership. A leader needs to make sure that not only is he regularly in an optimistic, authentic, high-energy mood, but also that, through the actions he chooses, his followers will feel and act that way, too.  A leader who uses reflective analysis and sees how his emotional leadership drives the moods and actions of the organization, and then, with equal discipline, adjusts his behavior accordingly will be contributive to enhancing motivation of teachers.

Managing for effective results in teaching, then, begins with the leader managing his inner life so that the right emotional and behavioral chain reaction occurs. (Goleman, et al., 2001)

The emotional contagion

Research conducted by Alice Isen at Cornell in 1999, for example, found that an upbeat or happy environment fosters mental efficiency, making people better at taking in and understanding information, at using decision rules in complex judgments, and at being flexible in their thinking.  It is the same point I presented in class during my report that happiness leads to success, and then cycles.  (Soulpancake, 2013)

Taken as a whole, the message sent by neurological, psychological, and organizational research is startling in its clarity, emotional leadership is the spark that ignites a school’s performance, creating a fire of success or an arid place of ashes. In motivating others, the leaders’ moods matter that much. (Goleman, et al., 2001)

The kind of leadership that provides for collegial norms in particular fosters intrinsic motivation in teachers.

Intrinsic motivation insists that the work is motivation itself.  Believing in Herbergz’s two-factor theory and maintenance factors are provided, motivating teachers should then be primarily enhancing intrinsic motivation through leadership efforts in creating collegiality, a context enhancing greater interest of teachers in their trade.  Collegiality is not congeniality although it may include the latter.  Collegiality entails sharing, helping, learning and working together as part of the school’s professional culture.  This entails communication expectations for cooperation, setting the example for collegiality for teachers in improving the school, providing incentives, support resources and recognition for expressions of collegiality (here extrinsic rewards work well) and protecting teachers going against privatism (“kanya-kanya”) and isolation. (Sergiovanni, 2007).  Collegial principals are supportive and consider school-wide problems as concerns providing opportunities for collective problem-solving and learning.

Instrinsic motivation can also be enhanced if teachers have opportunity – the perception of future prospects for advancement, increased responsibility, status, prestige, increase challenge in work with increased knowledge, skills and rewards  (the self-actualization needs of Maslow).  Intrinsic motivation is further enhanced if teachers develop capacity or feel empowered – the ability to get things done, mobilize resources or to get and use whatever is needed to accomplish a result.  As in a classroom where effective teaching occurs, a school leader manages by differentiation, bringing different works together.

As opposed to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation that should be enhanced in teachers is based on the value received from the work itself of teaching.  These are feelings of competence, achievement, excitement, meaning and significance, enjoyment and moral contentment.  For Dan Pink, these are summarize into three categories – provide teachers opportunity and capacity for mastery of their work of teaching, autonomy or the academic freedom that schools should exercise say in their level that space to design and create their learning designs and style, and a sense of purpose – a sense of ownership that they are part of a bigger and noble cause or mission.

As in all groups, levels of maturity of teachers will be uneven, hence there will still be a need of extrinsic motivators (the constant prodding or rewards and the fear of punishment) to keep people in line.  But to move teachers from just giving a “fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” to individuals with extra-ordinary commitment and performance, a strong, inspiring and effective heart of education, leaders have to rely more and effectively on intrinsic motivation.

More than just being “nice” to teachers to avoid problems, Sergiovanni suggests that when we allow teachers to discover, explore, experience variety and challenge, to actively participate or provide involvement in tasks and high identity with task-enabling-work to be considered important or significant, or when we encourage feelings of competence and control and enhance feelings of efficacy, we build on teachers sense of mastery.  When we allow teachers to exercise autonomy and be self-determined we let them develop intrinsic motivation also.  When we allow teachers to experience a sense of emphasis on agreement with broad purposes and values that bond people together at work or  when we permit outcomes within broad purposes (or what we commonly call our vision-missions) that are determined by teachers themselves or allow them to that feeling of being origins of their own behavior rather than pawns manipulated or a high sense of being trusted, we provide the platform for teachers to be intrinsically driven by purpose.

Teachers with high intrinsic motivation fostered by efficacy and collegiality that builds on their mastery, and, who experience autonomy or academic-freedom, and have bought into the institutional or beyond-the-self purpose of education, will most likely exhibit extra-ordinary commitment and performance.  They in turn are the drivers of high student achievement.

April 14, 2015

-end-

REFERENCES

Sergiovanni, Thomas J., Getting Practical, “Enhancing Collegiality and Intrinsic Motivation”. pp. 12-133. 2007.

Coppola, Albert J., Scricca, Dianne B. & Connors, Gerard E., Supportive Supervision, “Becoming a teacher of teachers.”, 2004,

Corrigan, Michael W., Groove, Doug & Vincent, Phillip F., Multi-Dimensional Education, “ A common sense approach to Data-driven Thinking”, 2011.

Boyatzis, Richard, McKee, Annie & Johnston, Francis, Becoming a Resonant Leader, “ Develop your emotional intelligence, renew your relationships, sustain your effectiveness.”

Goleman, Daniel, Boyatzis, Richard E. and Mckee, Annie, Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance - Harvard Business Review, December 2001.

Soulpancake, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMHZ7mchVo, retrieved April 14, 2015

National Institute of Education, (NIE) Singapore, 2014 www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqZdxQKgvd0, NIE, 2014,  retrieved April 13, 2015.

Gates, Bill, 2014,  How to make great teachers, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnfzZEREfQs, part 1 & 2, retrieved December 25, 2014.

Ongkiko, Sabrina, Our return on Investment: TEDx Dilliman, 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOi4ZR57fA, retrieved April 13, 2015.

Leyson, Hope. Educational Psychology class (Ed 235), October 2014, Mandaue City.

Pink, Daniel H. Drive, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Penguin Group, USA, 2009.

Owens, Robert, 2011, Organizational Behavior in Education.

Letting her go

despite prodding to train her, she insists to have it her way...




Age 5, accomplished March 26, 2015 in front of a crowd.  both parents during their time were just mending the store or playing hide & seek at her same age.