Motivation and teaching in special education: a study with teachers of the Distrito Federal

Abstract

The study of motivation at work is a recurring theme, but little explored in relation to teacher motivation and to a lesser extent also in a work context as peculiar as special education. Considering the social relevance of teaching this type of education and its specificities, this study aimed to investigate the motivation and their conditioning factors of special education teachers. Participated research 33 special education teachers from public schools of the Federal District, responding to measure Motivation at Work, composed of sections that evaluate three components of motivation dimensions to work: Section I evaluating the valence (which is valued by the individual); Section II directed the evaluation of instrumentality (perception of work as a way to reach your goals); and Section III measuring the Expectancy (perception of how your efforts are rewarded by the current job). Motivation of the General scores obtained for the sample showed a level of motivation considered high ( = 89,36), but the individual scores indicated a significant variation ( = 20,70; s2 = 428,50), and when grouped participants per level was obtained 60.61% of high scores; 36.36% of mediated scores and 3.03% of low scores. A detailed analysis of the scores for sections and items of the instrument indicated that high levels of motivation of the participants suffer negative influence of working conditions. The evaluation of items related to autonomy, relationship with managers and participation in organizational decisions, had greater potential for reducing the overall motivation of these professionals.