Applying Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis to Explore the Indicators of a Teacher Job Motivation Model Based on Iran’s Fundamental Transformation Document of Education

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and explain an indigenous model of teachers’ job motivation based on the principles and orientations of Iran’s Fundamental Transformation Document of Education. This applied study adopted a qualitative, exploratory design using thematic analysis. The participants consisted of experts and professionals in the field of education who were selected through purposive judgmental sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed according to Braun and Clarke’s six-stage thematic analysis procedure, comprising familiarization with the data, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report. Ten experts with diverse demographic, academic, occupational, and professional backgrounds participated in the qualitative phase, allowing the phenomenon of teacher job motivation to be examined from educational, managerial, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The qualitative analysis yielded 71 initial codes, 10 subthemes, and five overarching themes: teacher professional status and identity, livelihood justice and compensation, professional empowerment and development, educational autonomy and participation, and developmental evaluation and encouragement. The 10 subthemes were teacher cultural-educational identity, meaning and professional pride, economic security and stability, justice and reward systems, professional learning and development, competency-based career advancement, educational authority and autonomy, participation in decision-making, feedback and performance improvement, and professional appreciation and encouragement. Because the study employed a qualitative design, no inferential statistical tests were reported. The findings indicate that teacher job motivation is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be enhanced through financial incentives alone. Sustainable motivation requires simultaneous attention to teachers’ professional dignity and identity, economic security and distributive justice, opportunities for competency development and career advancement, meaningful autonomy and participation in educational decision-making, and fair developmental evaluation and recognition. Accordingly, the proposed model provides a context-sensitive framework for human-resource policy and educational management aligned with the Fundamental Transformation Document of Education.