Using an Expectancy-Value Model to Identify Christian School Teachers' Motivations for Postgraduate Study

Postgraduate study for teachers resulting in an award such as a Master’s degree is a form of Professional Development that involves a sustained and long term commitment. Postgraduate study can provide the skills and expertise for teachers to more effectively develop curriculum for the classroom setting and thus enhance students’ outcomes. Studies have shown that students’ achievements are strongly influenced by the assigned teacher who has been shown to be more influential than other factors such as class size and the socio-economic composition of the class (Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002; Hattie, 2009 & 2012, Zammit et al., 2007). The literature also shows that student achievement is linked to teacher qualifications. The more qualified a teacher is, the more likely students are to perform well (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Zammit et al., 2007). In particular, a study in the USA by Ferguson (1991, cited in Darling Hammond, 2000, p. 9) found that more highly qualified teachers such as those with postgraduate qualifications increase student achievement more than money spent on “less instructionally focused uses of school resources.” As outlined above postgraduate courses provide a degree, knowledge and skills, and also have the potential to improve the students’ outcomes. However, in Australia teacher motivation for postgraduate study is relatively low. Most teachers teach for over 30 years with no upgrade on their initial Bachelor’s degree. Anecdotal evidence suggests that postgraduate study is time consuming and expensive. So what motivates teachers to engage in postgraduate study in Australia?