Knowledge ProductsDiscussion PapersSustaining the Teacher Workforce: Evidence on Teacher Motivation Across Southeast Asia

Sustaining the Teacher Workforce: Evidence on Teacher Motivation Across Southeast Asia

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DP 2026 04
Abstract

There has been a global shortage of teachers, impacting the quality of education. This challenge prompted SEAMEO INNOTECH to explore teacher motivation to stay in the profession. Initially conducted in the Philippines, the research expanded across Southeast Asia and evolved into the Regional Teacher Motivation Study. The first phase of the study identified three core and five contributing motivating factors that influence teachers’ motivation, forming the Southeast Asian Framework on Teacher Motivation in Staying in the Profession (SEA-TM). The second phase of the research aims to examine the relationship between the different motivational factors and teachers’ motivation to stay. Quantitative data were gathered using survey questionnaires that were distributed to ten participating countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. As the second regional paper, this discussion paper reports the results from the correlational analyses conducted to determine the relationships between each factor and the teachers’ level of motivation to stay. The relationships of specific indicators, such as salary, working conditions, professional development, and career progression, with teachers’ level of motivation to stay were also explored. Finally, a hierarchical regression analysis was performed to develop country-specific models that predict teachers’ motivation to keep teaching. The results show that all eight factors are associated with teacher motivation to stay. Indicators related to salary, working conditions, professional development, and career progression have positive but very weak associations with teacher motivation. Finally, Perception of Government Policies was a predictor of teacher motivation in all countries, while the predictive power of other motivational factors varied across nations.

More Details

Issue:

DP-005

Page Range:

46

Issue Date:

2026

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