The effect of classroom teachers' motivation levels on performance levels

Classroom teachers, who form the basis of education, have important power in the quality and future of education. High motivation and performance of the classroom teacher will ensure that the education process is successful and well-equipped generations will be raised. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between classroom teachers' motivation levels and performance levels. Motivation is one of the important elements that affects a person's effectiveness and efficiency in individual and social life. In order to investigate the effect of motivation levels of classroom teachers on their performance, this study was carried out with the participation of classroom teachers working in the central district of Iğdır province. Relational screening model was used in the research. The population of the study consists of 316 classroom teachers working in public primary schools in the central district of Iğdır province in the 2022-2023 academic year. 245 classroom teachers from 35 primary schools participated in the research. "Work Motivation Scale" and "Employee Performance Scale" were used as data collection tools in the research. According to the results of the research, classroom teachers' intrinsic motivation levels, which are the sub-dimensions of the motivation variable, were found to be "very high", their extrinsic motivation levels were found to be "high", while their performance levels were found to be "high". The motivation and performance levels of classroom teachers did not show a significant difference according to gender, age, professional seniority, length of time working in the same school, and educational background. When the relationship between classroom teachers' motivation levels and performance levels was examined, a positive significant relationship was found between intrinsic motivation and performance, while a weak positive relationship was found between extrinsic motivation and performance. It was also understood that classroom teachers' intrinsic motivation significantly predicted their performance.