The Effectiveness of Motivational Practices in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Pakistan: A Case Study of Two Administrators

Abstract

This empirical study investigated the efforts of two Pakistani school administrators in dealing with the issues related to teachers’ motivation. This study exclusively examined how the two administrators embedded in their practices different ways of increasing the productivity of their staff. The researcher used the following three lenses to examine the motivational behavior adopted by the school leaders: 1) degree of teachers’ empowerment; 2) nature of rewards and recognition to honor teachers; and 3) pattern of communication between administrators and school staff. The study maintained that the private school administrator, unlike his public school counterpart, had a more updated knowledge in the field of education due to his exposure to professional development programs. This knowledge, which gave him a better understanding of the link between the motivational level of the teachers and the teachers’ productivity, led him to initiate certain measures. Unfortunately, only a limited quantity of research explores different dimensions of school leadership in the educational context of Pakistan. Therefore, this study attempted to address related issues, such as the recruitment of school leaders and the availability of professional development opportunities.