Questionnaires

2.6 THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION TOOL

The data collection tool used was a questionnaire. The two questionnaires were set up around the themes relating to the sub-foci, mentioned in Chapter 1.4.

The respondents are educators, SMTs and principals. Conducting research is also an ethical exercise and respondents were assured that the information obtained would be treated as confidential and the results would be used for research purposes only.

2.6.1 Questionnaires

A questionnaire is a data collection tool that is used for data analysis and interpretation (Struwig and Stead 2001). The purpose of the questionnaire is to find and list information obtained from principals, SMTs and educators and to

compare it with the evidence from the literature study which can be used for the advancement of knowledge.

The aim of the questionnaires is to acquire information from SMTs, educators and principals about the morale issues of educators at their schools. The objectives of the questionnaire are to obtain the following information:

• the SMTs’, principals’ and educators’ opinions of morale;

• SMTs’, principals’ and educators’ opinion regarding the causes of low morale among educators; and

• SMTs’, principals’ and educators’ views on how low morale can be dealt with.

The first section in the questionnaires focuses on respondents’ biographical data in order to get some background information about them. The second part of the questionnaires focuses on the respondents' view of what they think morale means in order to be able to define the concept. The third section of the questionnaires focuses on the causes of low morale of educators. Viewpoints of educators, SMTs and principals are important because this will allow the researcher ways to develop suggestions for dealing with low morale and morale in general. Partly-structured questions were posed to the respondents and they could choose an answer and/or give their own response.

The types of questions used in the questionnaire were:

• Open-ended questions;

• Multiple-choice questions;

• Dichotomous questions;

• Scaled-response questions; and

• Ranking questions.

These are the types of questions asked in the questionnaire to get maximum and varied data from respondents regarding the research problem.

Two different questionnaires were set up for the respondents, one for the educators and the other for principals and SMTs. The two questionnaires helped the researcher to assess and compare the responses of management with that of the people who are managed by them and it will help authenticate the research by validation.

2.6.1.1 Questionnaires that was given to educators

Section A of both questionnaires (Questions1-4) deals with the biographical information of the respondents regarding age, gender, years of teaching experience and rank. This will guide the interpretation of their responses and it will give the researcher information on why the respondents approach questions differently and will also allow for assessments about the diverse responses.

Section B, C and D of both questionnaires were designed by consulting various literature sources. Questions 5, 6, 7 and 8 appear in both questionnaires.

Questions 5 and 7 are scaled-response questions.

Question 5: High morale is present in the job when a person’s needs are satisfied. The question to ascertain whether the respondents understood the meaning of the concept and also to get feedback from them about whether they thought high morale equated to their needs being satisfied. The other reason for this question was to establish whether the majority agreed or strongly agreed. If the majority were in the category of “agree and strongly agree”, it would mean there is a relationship between the respondents' responses. If the majority disagreed and strongly disagreed, it would mean that there would be no relationship between the respondents' responses. If the majority of the respondents agreed and disagreed, the majority of them would be unsure.

There would be no agreement between the respondents.

Agree 1 Strongly Agree 2 Disagree 3 Strongly Disagree 4

In Question 6 the respondents had to give a reason for their choice in Question 5. This gave them the opportunity to express their ideas in their own words and it allowed the researcher to collect additional information related to the focus of the question. This question was prompted by page 30 and 31 of the literature review because according to Bentley and Rempel high morale is linked to concern and excitement for the job.

Question 7: High morale is evident in the job situation when a person shows interest in his/her job and is enthusiastic about it. This question was informed by issues raised on page 29 and 31 of the literature review.

Agree 1 Strongly Agree 2 Disagree 3 Strongly Disagree 4

In Question 8 the respondents had to give a reason for their choice in Question 7 and in this way the researcher could establish whether the respondents understood the concept. It allowed for further elucidation of the concept and for the researcher to establish whether interest and enthusiasm towards a job, according to respondents could be linked to high morale.

The questions asked were to gather data on the respondents’ views and perceptions of the concept of high morale. The questions were guided by literature sources (refer to page 30, 31 and 32 of Chapter 3).

The following is a list of dichotomous questions that were asked

10. Do you feel your needs are satisfied in this job situation? Y ¹ N ² 11. Are you still interested and enthusiastic about your job? Y ¹ N ² 18. Are you excluded from important aspects of decision-making? Y ¹ N ² 19. Do you think SMTs and principals only are best qualified to make

decisions at your school?

Y ¹ N ²

20. Have you ever thought of leaving the profession? Y ¹ N ² 25. Does the principal provide recognition to you for a job well done? Y ¹ N ² 26. Do you think that recognition from the principal will contribute to high

morale?

Y ¹ N ²

29. Do you think that the public expect too much of you as an educator? Y ¹ N ² 31. Do you get the necessary support from parents? Y ¹ N ² 33. Are the parents involved in the education of their children? Y ¹ N ² 37. Do you think that being part of the decision-making will increase your

morale?

Y ¹ N ²

39. Do you think that community involvement in your school would contribute to high morale?

Y ¹ N ²

41. Does it affect your morale if the education dept. does not supply you with the necessary resources?

Y ¹ N ²

42. Does it affect your morale if management provides you with assistance to resolve personal issues?

Y ¹ N ²

43. Will realistic opportunities for growth and advancement contribute to higher morale?

Y ¹ N ²

Questions 20, 31,37, 39, 41, 42, 43 are yes/no questions that are followed by 21, 32, 38 and 44 respectively where respondents must give a reason for their answer or motivate their answer. These questions were prompted under the guidance of the literature study (refer to pages 36, 37, 38, 45 and 48 of Chapter 3) to get further clarification from the respondents regarding, what is morale

(questions 10 and 11), causes for low morale ( questions 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 31 and 33), how can low morale be dealt with (questions 37, 39, 41, 42 and 43) and to establish whether the factors mentioned above currently affect the morale of educators and why. It also gives the respondents an opportunity to express their opinions in their own words. Questions 10 and 11 are followed by,

“If no why?” Questions 26 and 29 are followed by, “If yes why?” This was done to gain further explanations and to get the different view points of the educators in their current job situations.

The following multiple choice questions were asked where respondents must choose between alternatives:

Question 9: Low morale at work arises from:

Personal experiences ¹ Job related experiences ²

Question 14: If I am not satisfied and happy with my work situation, I

Take a passive attitude towards my work. 1

Discuss the problem with the principal. 2

Talk to a colleague. 3

Talk to a SMT member. 4

Ignore it. 5

Other. 6

Question 16: The major factor influencing morale of teachers at this school is:

The management style of the principal 1

Low motivation in learners 2

Public criticism of educators 3

Other……… 4

Question 23: Which of the following according to you is the best way to deal with low morale of educators?

Involve the educators in decision-making processes at the school 1

Proactive teacher education workshops 2

If appreciation is shown toward teachers for a job well done 3 Principal should manage conflict appropriately 4

Other……… 5

Question 28: Which of the following has an impact on your morale status at the school?

Unfavourable working conditions 1

Management style of the principal 2

Ineffective administrative structures 3

No possibility for advancement (promotion) 4

Question 34: Which of the following statements describes your sense of belonging toward the school best?

You feel that you belong 1

You feel detached from the group/ cannot fit in 2

Question 35: Which of the following have the most negative impact on your morale status at the school?

Vandalism of the school 1

Physically aggressive learners 2

Socio-economic context within which the school is located 3

Abolition of corporal punishment 4

The researcher was prompted by pages 30, 31, 32 and 33 of Chapter 3 in the literature study to formulate questions 9 and 14 because it speaks about the different factors that affect educator morale. The aim of this was to understand the morale status of educators and to find out whether they understand it.

Questions 14 and 16 were followed by, explain your choice. Questions 16, 28 and 35 touch on the factors that affect low morale and also the causes of low morale of educators and it will help the researcher come up with suggestions for improvement. I was lead to ask these questions (16, 28 and 35) because they were mentioned in previous studies (refer to pages 33, 34, 36, and 37 of Chapter 3) and they put emphasis on the sub-foci. Question 23 deals with how low morale can be dealt with.

The following types of questions are ranking questions:

Question 13: Rank the following causes of teacher morale on a scale from 1-5 (1. Indicating very high frequency and 5 very low frequency)

Management style of the principal 1 2 3 4 5

Lack of educational resources 1 2 3 4 5

Relationships among peer groups 1 2 3 4 5

Conflicting personalities in the job situation 1 2 3 4 5

Poor working conditions 1 2 3 4 5

Question 22: How do you rank you own morale status?

Low ¹ High ² Very High ³

Question 13 elicits responses that speak to the causes of low morale among educators. The question was asked to establish the status of educator morale and also for educators to evaluate themselves according to their work situation.

It will also be easy to link the causes of low morale to the morale status of the educators. This question was guided by pages 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the literature study. In Questions 13 and 22 the researcher attempts to measure the mind-sets and opinions of the respondents (educators).

In this questionnaire open- ended questions that were asked are listed below.

Question 24: What are the main causes of your morale status at the school?

Question 36: Of what value is a high level of morale among educators to the learners?

Question 45: How do you think management can best deal with low morale of educators?

Question 46: If you have any other concern that affects your morale but is not covered in this questionnaire, please write it down. The rationale on which these questions are based is the eliciting of various responses from the respondents and it will give the researcher grounds to formulate certain recommendations.

The questions were asked to obtain current information from respondents on causes and ways of dealing with low morale of educators.

2.6.1.2 Questionnaire that was given to principals and School Management Teams

The following dichotomous questions were asked in this questionnaire

9. Do you think the exclusion of post level 1 educators from decision- making processes contributes to low morale?

Y¹ N²

19. Are there teachers at your school that are assigned subjects that they do not specialise in?

Y¹ N²

22. In your opinion are the educators at your school still excited about the profession?

Y¹ N²

25. Do you think that if parents support teachers with the discipline problems of their children it will contribute to high teacher morale?

Y¹ N²

26. Does a high attendance of parents at parent meetings contribute to high teacher morale?

Y¹ N²

28. Will the assistance of educators to resolve personal issues contribute to high teacher morale?

Y¹ N²

Refer to pages 36, 37, 38, 43 and 45 of chapter 3 in the literature review on which the questions are based. In all the questions above respondents must either give a reason for their choice or motivate their answers. It gives respondents a chance to express their answers in their own words and to get further revelation from the respondents about their views regarding the issues at hand.

The following multiple choice questions were asked where respondents had to choose between alternatives:

Question 14: Which of the following would you say is the biggest cause of low educator morale? Select one:

Conflicting personalities among staff members (difficult relationships)

1

Lack of educational resources (poor working conditions) 2

Personal problems of educators 3

Poor discipline among learners 4

Other

(specify)………

5

The question was motivated by pages 33, 34 and 36 of the literature review .The question above is followed by “give a reason for your answer”. This further clarifies why the choice was made.

The ranking questions that were used in the questionnaire were:

Question 11: How do you rank the morale status of the educators at your school?

Low 1 High 2 Very High 3

This question overlaps with question 22 on the educators’ questionnaire. It is to establish whether principals and SMTs know the morale status of educators at their schools and also to compare the different responses.

Question 16: How frequently do you acknowledge post level 1 teachers for a job well done?

Never 1 Always 2 Sometimes 3

Question 17: How frequently do you acknowledge them in front of other staff members?

Never 1 Always 2 Sometimes 3

Acknowledgement of educators for a job well done is one way to deal with low morale among educators according to literature (see pages 46 and 47 of Chapter 3)

Question 18: Indicate teacher absenteeism at your school:

2-9 teachers per week 1 10-17 teachers per week 2

18+ teachers per week 3

Teacher absenteeism is listed as an indicator of low morale among educators according to the literature review page 41 and 42. It will enable the researcher to establish the morale status of educators from the sample audience.

The rest of the questions on the questionnaire are open-ended questions and are listed below.

Question 13: What gives you an indication that the morale status at your school is high or low?

Question 24: What measures do you have in place to keep beginning teachers motivated and excited about teaching at your school?

Question 30: In your opinion, who or what are the main causes of the morale issues among the staff (if any) at your school?

Question 31: How do you deal with low morale of educators at your school?

Question 32: If there are other factors impacting on educator morale that are not covered in this questionnaire, please write it down. These questions were asked

to get the different view points from principals and SMTs about the causes of low morale and how they currently deal with low morale among educators.

2.6.1.3 The pilot questionnaire

Pilot questionnaires were issued to establish whether instructions were clear and understandable. Two SMT members and three educators were used to pilot the questionnaires. The educators and SMT members checked the clarity of the questions and commented on them. The educators commented that the questions were easy to understand and that the questionnaires did not take long to answer. The questionnaires were well balanced, easy to read and enough space was provided to write the responses. The SMT members commented that the questions were clear and relevant to the work situation for which it was intended. Simple and understandable language had been used.

In document Good practice guidelines for improving educator morale (Page 24-36)