Published on January 29th, 2025.
| Received: 14-Noe-2024Revised:25-Dec-2024Accepted: 30-Dec-2024Online first: 01-Jan-2025 |
Abstract
Ternopil National Pedagogical University,
Department of Psychology, 2, Maksyma
Kryvonosa Street, 46000 Ternopil, Ukraine
Email:
The success of every organization is contingent upon the efficient work performance of its human resources. Several elements influence the quality of job performance, including efficiency, ability, motivation, and organizational involvement (Manalo & Apat, 2021). The creative abilities of employees have a crucial role in driving organizational innovation, enhancing effectiveness, and ensuring long-term survival (Ivcevic et al., 2021).
The fulfillment of an organization's goals is dependent on the collective efforts of its people (Armstrong, 2023). Aspin & Chapman, (2007) explains that an educational institution is a place where people can acquire knowledge, skills, values, and all the other things they need to become socially competent. Additionally, educational institutions impart useful life skills that might lead to financial gains. Lau, (2010) posits educational institutions have two main staff groups: academic staff, including teaching professionals, and non-academic staff, including administrative and support workers.
Also, academic staff interact with stakeholders like students and parents, while non-academic staff provide non-academic assistance to improve service delivery. The development of the skill sets of future generations is at risk if educational institutions do not hire highly motivated individuals. Every organisation has the same fundamental challenge: inspiring the people who work there to fulfil their sacred duty of passing on their knowledge to the generations to come (Liu et al., 2014).
According to Greenberg & Baron, (2003) organizational leaders can enhance employee motivation and performance by creating a trusting and empowered environment, incorporating motivational aspects into roles, and understanding employee motivation throughout the process. Furtherly, Mackay, (2010) asserts that employee self-confidence and conviction in their capabilities are essential for success, since contradictory emotions can result in diminished motivation and performance. Ihensekien & Joel, (2023) advances that Maslow's motivation theory posits that humans are motivated by five primary needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. This study uses Maslow's theory to show that employees in educational institutions strive to satisfy their needs, leading to increased motivation and fulfilment. Capunitan et al., (2023) contends that this satisfaction would also elevate their enthusiasm and devotion, aiding educational workers in achieving outstanding performance.
The inquiry concerns the difficulties encountered by the institution in comprehending the factors that influence the professional development of staff in educational settings. This research investigates factors promoting or hindering professional self-development motivation in educational institution workers, focusing on identifying those that facilitate motivation and those that inhibit it.
The study used scoping review method. The first to explain the purpose of a scoping review and provide methodological advice on the subject were (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005). They provide four typical justifications for doing a scoping review: 1) Assess the current level of research activity on a chosen subject; 2) Determine if a systematic review is necessary and/or feasible; 3) Compile and disseminate research results; and/or 4) Identify significant gaps in the literature. Six levels of behaviour are suggested by the Arksey & O’Malley, (2005) to help writers through the scoping review process: this study aimed to identify factors facilitating and inhibiting professional self-development motivation in educational institution employees through a process that involved defining the research topic, locating relevant literature, selecting studies, organizing data, summarizing findings, and consulting experts.
A comprehensive literature search was performed across five databases, including Google, PDF search, Google Books, ScienceDirect, and JSTOR. The researcher prioritised the five databases because to their convenient accessibility. In addition, the author ran additional searches for informational purposes in Dimensions AI and Google Scholar to complement the search completed in the five databases. Further records were discovered by examining the reference lists of qualifying papers. The most recent search was conducted on 06/09/2024. The author worked along with authorities at the Sam Jonah Library, University of Cape Coast, to do an extensive literature search, guaranteeing the discovery of abundant and relevant material.
The author conducted a rigorous screening process to select papers for analysis, involving three stages: evaluating titles and abstracts, thoroughly examining the entire text, and assessing eligibility. Only studies meeting inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction, and the author gathered results to compare and resolve any inconsistencies. A reviewer (TG) was approached when there was ambiguity and a need for better comprehension and clarity.
The author extracted the data. The gathered data included information on the authors, year, country, research design, population, sample size, facilitators, obstacles, interventions, and results. The author addressed any ambiguities and uncertainties and then forwarded the work to a reviewer (T G). In order to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the data for this scoping study, a specialist from the education and research department at the University of Cape Coast was contacted in the relevant field. Ultimately, the author reached out to colleagues in the same or a related area to examine and endorse the retrieved data before to proceeding with data synthesis and analysis.
Using the collected information, the author created a qualitative synthesis. To prepare for the synthesis, the author reviewed the extracted data four times, each time paying close attention to key phrases, themes, and subthemes to help him comprehend and make sense of the data. The author found recurring words, themes, and subthemes by reading the extracted data three times. The study's results were a description of the themes and subthemes that had been found. In addition, a table was used to display the studies' features, including their designs and the kind of research population. Before sharing the findings, the reviewer (TG) examined and approved of them.
At each and every point in the process, the author sought advice. Before moving on to the methods portion of the protocol, a specialist in education studies research who is also a professor at the University of Cape Coast's Department of Education examined and approved the introduction.
Prior to submission to the journal, he also examined and gave his approval to both the methodology and the full work.
The search technique employed in the present review was authorised after consulting with the expert and authority at the Sam Jonah Library to collect more data for the research.
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| Self-development | Google, | English | (2000-2009) | 1024 |
| Factors that facilitate motivation in employees | PDF search | English | (2010-2015) | 320 |
| Factors that inhibit professional self-development | Google Books, | English | (2016-2020) | 322 |
| Employees of educational institutions. | ScienceDirect | English | (2016-2020) | 447 |
| Professional self-development motivation | Google scholar | English | (2021-2023) | 269 |
| Total | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2,382 |
The table on literature strategy indicates five primary databases, Google, PDF search, Google Books, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar turned up 2,382 results at the conclusion of the search. Four hundred and fifty-five records were subjected to further screening after the elimination of 200 records. Fifty full-text records were thoroughly reviewed for eligibility. Nineteen documents were ultimately examined in this scoping examination.
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| Published in English | Published in any other language apart from English |
| Published between the years (2000 to 2023) | Reviews, abstracts, commentaries, letters to editors, literature reviews |
| Research articles published in peer-reviewed journals | Research that does not specifically address professional self-development motivation in employees. |
| Studies focusing on professional self-development motivation among employees in educational institutions. | Research that examines self-development motivation in professionals from sectors outside of education |
The table outlines the criteria for including and excluding research studies related to professional self-development motivation among employees in educational institutions
The diagram shows that the research design examined comprised of 3 mixed method,10 quantitative and 3 qualitative papers.
Reviewed studies showed that key facilitators influencing professional self-development motivation among employees in educational institutions include internal factors such as a personal growth mindset, organizational support through leadership and professional development resources, and technology-enhanced factors like access to digital resources and including online course. Conversely, the study revealed inhibitors to self-development motivation are identified as personal factors like a lack of self-awareness, organizational challenges such as conflicting priorities.
This scoping study sought to delineate the characteristics that either promote or hinder professional self-development motivation among employees in educational institutions. I found factors such as personal growth mindset, organizational support through leadership, professional development resource and also some inhibitors such as lack of self-awareness, organizational challenges such as conflicting priorities.
Suman, (2023) indicates that the core principle of a growth-oriented mindset is the conviction that intelligence and abilities can be developed via effort and good strategies, rather than being fixed traits. Mesler et al., (2021) advances that educational leaders and teachers are essential for fostering growth mindset ideas among their students. In several instances, educational leaders and educators may already be engaged in projects that advocate for growth mindset ideas.
Additionally, Mesler et al., (2021) argue that there exists a broad spectrum of methods for fostering growth mindset thinking and attitudes, ranging from extensive national policies and global educational initiatives to specific classroom practices.
Newman et al., (2018) acknowledges that to motivate employees to engage in more innovative behaviours, researchers have found several antecedents of innovative behaviour based on employee qualities such as creative self-efficacy. Liu & Tong, (2022) implies that workers who have a growth mindset are better at addressing problems and are less worried about making mistakes, which encourages innovative activity.
In order to achieve institutional goals, universities must have strong leadership in place to influence staff conduct. An educational institution's objectives are unique (Liu & Tong, 2022). Newman et al., (2018) posited that leadership inside educational institutions is distinct from leadership in other sectors. Okolie et al., (2021) believes that good leaders should encourage their staff to pursue new opportunities and assist them in learning new skills. By knowing what their team members want, they are able to give the tools they need to accomplish exceptional results and comprehend the motivations of top performers.
Lots of organisations are concerned about the actions they should implement to achieve enhanced performance levels through their human resource (Okolie et al., 2021). There are businesses that hold the view that workers' motivation, attitude, and behaviour have a major impact on their output (Lee & Raschke, 2016). Mansaray, (2019) demonstrated that the most effective methods for managing and achieving organisational objectives or missions while minimising resource utilisation and leveraging existing human resources are the provision of sufficient motivating incentives for employees. Conversely, diminishing motivation may present specific challenges for specific employees who arrive at the workplace with a variety of expectations, attitudes, and perspectives, leading to a reduced level of commitment to the organisation (White & Bryson, 2013).
Allen et al., (2019) stated that employees participate in professional development in order to maintain and improve their professional competence, knowledge, and skills. This, in turn, facilitates their professional advancement, ensures safe practice, enhances client services, and maintains customer confidence. Zumrah et al., (2013) contend that career advancement is not based on years worked but on an employee's ability; therefore, it seems reasonable that a firm would prefer to hire people whose skills improve with each passing year. Organization takes steps to assist individuals in advancing their careers and enhancing their skills through training and education (Zumrah et al., 2013). Further, employees that participate in training and development programs are more likely to have a positive outlook and be competent in their roles, according to (Zumrah et al., 2013). Ford et al., (2018) assert that investing in training and development and applying the results to work practices leads to noticeable improvements in employee performance. Involving employees in performance reviews with incentives and recognition motivates them, as noted by (White & Bryson, 2013). Benefits such as promotions, financial incentives, professional development opportunities, and health insurance are essential components of employee motivation programs.
digital resources are crucial in higher education institutions for interactions with clients, competitors, and external providers, facilitating digital transformation and providing unique value. (Alenezi, 2023). From this perspective, digital transformation encompasses multiple dimensions. Ghavifekr & Fung, (2021) emphasizes the significance of digital platforms and materials in teaching and learning, emphasizing the need for resources that align with modern educational practices.
However, Davis, (1989) argues that the integration of ICT in higher education relies on several elements, including the motivation of educators, the infrastructure available to them, the training programs for technology utilisation, their attitudes, self-efficacy, and social influence. Thoonen et al., (2011) posits that by encouraging educators to participate in professional development opportunities, teacher motivation has a knock-on effect on classroom instruction. Rao, (2016) advanced that the integration of technology into educational institutions is one area that may be the focus of such professional development opportunities. The impact of motivation on educators' openness to implementing new strategies is also addressed by several theories of motivation. Additionally, Sharma & Srivastava, (2019) indicated that the motivation for educators to use technology in instruction is influenced by the enjoyment gained from utilising ICTs, the feeling of accomplishment achieved through professional activities, and the fulfilment of personal expectations and responsibilities.
A more self-aware person is more likely to be able to self-regulate, more pro-social, and less anxious and stressed out (Donald et al., 2019). Self-awareness influences our actions and outcomes by influencing the veracity of our own and others' perceptions of us, as well as our internal states. Individuals who exhibit low levels of self-awareness are inclined to employ self-protective strategies, including denial, retreat, self-aggrandisement, and dread of failure (Aslan -Yilmaz, 2022). To buttress it, Taiwo, (2006) contends that employees within an institution have diverse requirements and expectations, making it unreasonable and irrational to presume uniformity among them. Organizational challenges like conflicting priorities and mismanagement of personnel lead to suboptimal performance. Utilizing new technology to reduce workforce may negatively impact employee motivation (Taiwo, 2006).
The study reveals significant gaps in the existing literature. Notably, there is a limited understanding of both internal and external factors that affect motivation, including the roles of leadership styles, digital resources, and organizational support. Additionally, empirical evidence regarding the impact of conflicting priorities and organizational challenges on motivation is scarce.
Investigate Personal Development Mindset: future studies should explore how personal development mindsets influence employee motivation within educational settings.
Examine Leadership Styles: research should assess the impact of different leadership styles on employee motivation and professional development. Evaluate Digital Tools: the effectiveness of various digital tools and resources in enhancing motivation and engagement among educational employees warrants further investigation. Analyze Training Programs: studies should focus on the role of training programs in fostering motivation and skill development. Explore Organizational Culture: understanding how organizational culture influences motivation and professional growth can provide valuable insights. Assess Employment Dynamics: research should consider the long-term effects of temporary and outsourced employment on employee motivation and commitment.
Explore Organizational Culture: understanding how organizational culture influences motivation and professional growth can provide valuable insights.
Assess Employment Dynamics: research should consider the long-term effects of temporary and outsourced employment on employee motivation and commitment.
In conclusion, this scoping review highlights the critical factors that influence professional self-development motivation among employees in educational institutions. It identifies key facilitators such as a personal growth mindset, strong organizational support, and access to technology-enhanced resources, which collectively foster an environment conducive to professional growth. Conversely, it also points out significant inhibitors, including a lack of self-awareness and organizational challenges like conflicting priorities, which can undermine motivation and hinder performance. The findings underscore the importance of effective leadership in cultivating a growth-oriented culture and providing necessary resources for skill development. Additionally, the integration of technology plays a vital role in enhancing employee engagement and performance. However, challenges such as workforce reduction and mismanagement can adversely affect motivation levels. Therefore, addressing these factors is essential for improving employee commitment and achieving the overarching goals of educational institutions. Future research should further explore the interplay of these factors to develop tailored strategies that enhance professional self-development motivation in this sector.
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
The author wrote, read, and approved the final version of the manuscript.
For this study, the author did not get any funding.
The writer acknowledges the following reviewers, Takyi Gyabaa (TG) and Professor Natalia Saveliuk (NS). The writer has nothing new to share.
All data produced or examined during this investigation are included in this published paper and its supplementary information files.
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