Problem Background
Despite the recent efforts to improve education, there are still numerous issues and concerns in this field. Therefore, many providers of educational services face problems such as inconsistency in the training plan, the abilities of students, or insufficient education and qualifications of employees in this field. However, one of the most serious problems in this area is the insufficient payment of teacher labor. It manifests itself in the fact that the level of respect and honor of this profession has fallen significantly in society, which is reflected in not paying attention to this important aspect. Therefore, the educational problem that will be investigated in this scientific paper is the underpayment of teachers. Hanushek (2020) stressed that this issue is not being adequately addressed. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic was significant, because most of the teachers continued living below the poverty line.
Purpose of the Study
To achieve the most effective and useful results, first of all, it is necessary to determine what is expected to be obtained from the research work. Hence, the purpose of the study is the most important component for researchers. This aspect can provide an opportunity to further define the research methodology, population, and sample, and gain an understanding of what information and data researchers should use to conclude scientific work. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the problem of insufficient remuneration for valuable teachers in educational institutions. The need for this study is to provide information to stop the decline of motivation of teachers, lower academic performance, and increasing teacher turnover. Moreover, the purpose of the current research paper is to add new information to the existing knowledge about teachers being severely underpaid and propose effective methods for addressing the concern. In addition, carrying out scientific work in this field of activity of the society can have a positive impact not only on the professional side of the teacher’s work but will allow gaining an understanding of the value of the work of these specialists.
Research Question
Starting from the purpose of the study, the next step is the resolution of the question of the research. This aspect will significantly narrow the field of information study and will make it possible to obtain the most productive outcomes. It was determined that the research question should focus on several important indicators. Hence, information and data collected during the research will be used to define the main causes and negative outcomes of teachers not receiving high salaries, as well as to determine possible prevention measures.
Research question: What are the most effective measures in addressing the problem of teachers’ underpayment?
There will also be three sub-questions that will allow defining the necessary prevention steps:
- What are the key causes of the identified issue?
- Which adverse effects can be considered the outcomes of teachers being severely underpaid?
- What are the teachers’ attitudes, and how can they describe the identified situation?
Significance of the Study
The problem of insufficient pay for teachers has several serious issues and consequences. Hence, the main adverse consequence is that decreased motivation of teachers leads to worse and lower academic performance of students across the nation (Hanushek, 2020). Another undesirable outcome is the increasing teacher turnover, which again significantly reduces students’ good academic achievements (Qin, 2021). Therefore, the need to solve the issue becomes more apparent, and to do that, it is vital to conduct a study and gather all essential information about this problem. The significance of the study is to provide valuable information for teachers to increase their motivation and desire to continue working in the field of education. Moreover, the work will be useful for local school districts and other stakeholders in this area (Bracic et al., 2020). The importance of determining the degree of significance of research work is to ensure its relevance and relevance within the educational sphere.
Research Design
Generally, there are two major types of research design, namely, qualitative and quantitative, and each of them has its characteristics. For example, the former is defined as “an iterative process in which improved understanding of the scientific community is achieved by making new significant distinctions resulting from getting closer to the phenomenon studied” (Aspers & Corte, 2019, p. 139). At the same time, the latter “uses a rigorous and controlled design to examine phenomena using precise measurement” (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018, p. 209). This work is a case study within the framework of qualitative research since its main strengths are extended experience, the inclusion of existing knowledge, and current real-life situations (Sacred Heart University, n.d.). Nevertheless, the disadvantages are bias in the interpretation of the findings, and the case may fail to be representative of the issue under research.
Population and Sampling
The next step is to form a sample of the population for participation and examination in the framework of research. For this study, it is essential to conduct interviews with a vast number of different teachers who would help gain an understanding of the identified issue. For the sample in this research paper, a non-probability method will be utilized. None of the probability methods can guarantee the required variety in the selected participants. It is possible to say that purposive sampling should be quite informative and useful. However, it makes it possible to increase bias and personal judgment and limit the possibility of getting the most reliable and valuable information. The population will be formed based on the specific school district. To be selected for the study, the participants will need to work in public rather than private schools and have at least seven years of teaching experience. Moreover, for this particular study, interviews will be conducted with former and current teachers of different ages, genders, races, and courses.
Data Collection Methods
The study has one primary research question and three sub-questions, and to answer them, it is vital to select the most informative and appropriate data collection methods. The choice of an appropriate approach determines the effectiveness and efficiency of conclusions that will contribute to further study of the problem and finding its solutions. The main way to collect information in this work is to conduct interviews. There will be a face-to-face meeting to exchange information with the help of questions and detailed responses (Gill & Baillie, 2018; McGrath et al., 2019). The advantages of this method are its informativeness, clarity, and more personalized nature that allows to recipient of in-depth data and knowledge, has a high response rate, and makes it easier to reach various persons. However, interviews can be costly, affect the honesty of member’s responses, and require significant time resources, and interpersonal skills that can affect analysis. The second method that will be used in the work is document review, implying exploration and evaluation of various external and internal sources. Beta testing showed the effectiveness of interview questions; thus, they did not need changes.
Research Procedure
For interviews with the participants to be effective and informative, it is required to develop adequate questions in advance and make sure that they align with each research sub-question. Meetings will be conducted with different teachers to get an idea of their views on the situation. Therefore, researchers get the opportunity to get the most reliable information. At the same time, it is worth considering such aspects as bias and personal judgments, which can interfere with the results of research. First of all, it is necessary to obtain approval from the institution where the study is to be conducted. Further, it is also important to get IRB approval consider all possible ethical considerations, and make informed consent. Also, strategies to ensure validity and reliability are important for achieving the highest quality results.
Data Analysis
As part of this work, a thematic analysis will be conducted, implying familiarization with the data, themes search, review, naming, and report production. This method of studying the obtained data will contribute to the organization and ordering of the received information. Their grouping will provide an opportunity for a more detailed examination of the participants’ answers and the formation of full-fledged answers to the research questions and sub-questions set at the beginning of the study. Further, there will be a search for repetitions, an identification of items of interest, an exploration of whether the topics provide an answer to the research question and a report. The analysis will be carried out following the strategies of triangulation and researcher reflexivity.
Validity and Reliability
When conducting research, it is essential to identify strategies that will help achieve the most successful and effective results. Of particular importance are such characteristics as validity and reliability, which can be achieved only if the process of collecting and analyzing information is correctly constructed. The need for these indicators is that they ensure the correctness of the results of the study and increase the overall level of its quality. The first strategy to ensure validity and reliability will be triangulation. Thus, this method is one of the most effective as it provides an opportunity to use mixed approaches to study the problem (Flick, 2018). Another strategy useful for this research is researcher reflexivity. The peculiarity of this process is that it pays attention to and analyzes all the study components and their relations with the participants.
Researcher Bias/Researcher Role
Researcher bias during the examination can become a serious limitation, which may affect the reliability, objectivity, and effectiveness of the work carried out. This is especially relevant for this study, as it includes probability sampling and involves conducting face-to-face interviews with participants. The main bias in this study may be the expression of the researchers’ personal opinions in the results of the work. To limit this aspect, it is necessary to train specialists in the research and ensure the greatest objectivity. In addition, bias can occur from the participants themselves, who may express inappropriate or untruthful opinions about the problem.
Trustworthiness
The importance of trustworthiness lies in providing the most reliable, credible, and qualitative research results and outcomes. To ensure this, it is necessary to carry out a detailed and correct collection and analysis of information and utilization of research methods. In addition, to ensure credibility, it is necessary to correctly formulate the methods of collecting information and provide a method for determining the sample (Amin et al., 2020; Stahl & King, 2020). Moreover, it is especially critical to provide an accurate flow of scientific work and evidence of the absence of bias. To provide this aspect, it is necessary to correctly formulate the methods of collecting information and provide a method for determining the sample (Amin et al., 2020; Stahl & King, 2020). Another aspect is transferability, which is defined as “the degree to which the results of qualitative research can be transferred to other contexts or settings with other responses” (Korstjens & Moser, 2018, p. 120). Allowing other researchers to transfer the results of the study to other cases is an example of this aspect.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations have a great influence on conclusions based on scientific work. Addressing ethical considerations in this study requires a clear understanding of its concepts and core values. To ensure the ethics of the study, participants will be provided with informed consent describing all the procedures, limitations, and subtleties of the work. This concerns the issues of conducting research, gathering and analyzing data, and getting rid of them.
References
Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research?Qualitative Sociology, 42(2), 139-160. Web.
Bracic, A., Israel-Trummel, M., Rhinehart, S., & Shortle, A. F. (2020). Gender attitudes, support for teachers’ strikes, and legislative elections. Political Science & Politics, 53(3), 447-452. Web.
Flick, U. (2018). Doing triangulation and mixed methods. Sage.
Gill, P., & Baillie, J. (2018). Interviews and focus groups in qualitative research: An update for the digital age. British Dental Journal, 225(7), 668-672.
Hanushek, E. (2020). It’s Not “for the Children”: Striking for more money serves the needs of teachers, not students. To put pupils’ needs first, boost the salaries of effective teachers. Hoover Digest, (1), 71-75. Web.
McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical Teacher, 41(9), 1002-1006.
Qin, L. (2021). Country effects on teacher turnover intention: A multilevel, cross-national analysis. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 20(1), 79-105. Web.
Rutberg, S., & Bouikidis, C. D. (2018). Focusing on the fundamentals: A simplistic differentiation between qualitative and quantitative research. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 45(2), 209-213. Web.
Sacred Heart University. (n.d.). Organizing academic research papers: Types of research designs. Web.
Stahl, N. A., & King, J. R. (2020). Expanding approaches for research: Understanding and using trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 26-28.