MERIT PAY FOR TEACHERS

Merit Pay for Teachers



Abstract

Pay for merit in education has remained a debated topic. Some groups suggest that teachers who are paid on their performance are highly motivated which results in an effective academic environment. Others argue that tying pay with performance in education can make the teachers materialistic and the teachers may show dishonesty for monitory gains. To examine this concept, the paper highlights the qualitative research study based on the above mentioned hypothesis, both in favor and against the merit pay. The paper aims to test the hypothesis by a qualitative research design based on a sample of 20 individuals from the educational institutions.

Table of Contents

Chapter 13

Introduction3

What is meant by Merit Pay?3

Education System and Merit Pay5

Hypothesis6

The Independent and Dependant Variables6

Conclusion7

Chapter 29

Introduction9

Literature Review9

Motivation and Incentive at Work12

Alternative Compensation14

Merit Pay: Pros and Cons16

Conclusion19

Chapter 322

Introduction22

Research Design22

Data collection and Sampling23

Data Analysis24

Reliability and Validity26

Conclusion27

References28

Merit Pay for Teachers

Chapter 1

Introduction

The poor performance of students in public schools in various countries has led policymakers to push for change management models to improve their performance as measured by state test scores in reading, mathematics and science. In the U.S merit pay is an idea which is 100 years old and has been the subject of much research. For example in 1918, 48% of U.S. school districts used some type of compensation system based on merit. What supporters assume merit pay is that the motivation of the teacher is the key determinant of learning and student achievement. Learning can be measured reliably and accounted for by means of tests that are applied once a year and teachers tend to be motivated by financial incentives, so that the merit pay would lead to a greater and more effective effort. Moreover, teaching is an individual activity, with little interdependence of other factors (Bacharach, 1985). The evidence shows that this policy never last long and that it failed to raise student achievement. In addition to individual compensation teachers created serious problems for collective institution jealousies, rivalries between colleagues, conflicts, etc. At the same time increased permissiveness for students to copy and even fraud on the part of teachers, who tended to provide to the students the correct answers (because that stability depended on the job).

What is meant by Merit Pay?

Merit pay is the use of economic incentives in the remuneration of workers as part of recognition for their contribution to the organization. It consists of remunerating their workers according to the level of contribution, responsibilities and requirements of each job. A major contribution, responsibility or requirement calls for a greater reward. Why is it important to pay on merit? Merit pay allows the employee receives an allowance that represents their contribution to the organization and outstanding personal efforts are recognized explicitly through their salary level. The goal in developing a strategy of merit pay is to remain competitive in the recruitment of talent in the market or business category. Organizations competing for the incentives talent need to have good practices to keep their talented ...