Identifying the Components of Teachers' Motivation in the Teaching-Learning Process Based on Wright's Model: A Systematic Review

Education is one of the most fundamental aspects of human life and the modern world, playing an important role in the personal and social development of individuals (Mosayebi Ardakani et al., 2021). All human progress results from learning (Ramezani et al., 2021) and the responsibility for learning and its improvement lies with educational institutions (Soltani Arabshahi et al., 2013). Education directly contributes to societal development across cultural, social, economic, and even mental health domains; therefore, the effectiveness or weakness of this institution leads respectively to societal progress or stagnation (Mosayebi Ardakani et al., 2021). In any organization, various elements are involved; however, the most important factor in achieving organizational goals is human resources (Hadipour et al., 2021). In education, viewed as a process of behavioral change that occurs continuously throughout an individual’s life, teachers are involved at every stage of this process (Kocabas, 2009) and play a key role in transferring knowledge and thinking of future generations (Kontar et al., 2025). When an individual’s behavior is accompanied by high motivation, satisfactory performance is achieved (Susilo et al., 2022). Accordingly, motivated teachers play a key role in creating an effective learning environment and guiding students toward optimal academic success (Gao et al., 2025).

Motivation, which has been widely studied in contemporary psychology, management, and educational sciences (Zibeniene, 2022), is an internal force that encourages individuals to act or to satisfy their needs (Kamila et al., 2024) and can be considered an internal factor influencing behavior (Dadfar & Dadfar, 2021). Motivation is a state of emotional arousal that leads to a conscious decision to act and sustained mental or physical effort to achieve previously set goals or to establish new ones (Fang, 2020). Motivation begins with a physiological or psychological need and activates behavior aimed at meeting that need (Filgona et al., 2020). Therefore, learning motivation is the main driving force in the learning process that enables individuals to achieve learning outcomes, whether it arises from internal or external sources (Kamila et al., 2024). Although the terms motivation and motivational processes are sometimes used interchangeably, motivation is more specific and refers to a particular need or desire that leads to motivational activity (Seif, 2019). Most researchers agree on two main dimensions of motivation: the direction and intensity of human behavior. The aforementioned elements explain why individuals choose to engage in an activity, how long they persist and how much effort they invest in that activity (Han & Yin, 2016).

Teacher motivation has been a central topic in educational policy and management research, highlighting the importance of accurately identifying teachers’ needs and the factors that influence their motivation and behavior (Zibėnienė, 2022). The motives that drive teachers toward excellence in their profession have broad implications for the effectiveness of educational systems (Behboudi, 2024). Teacher motivation plays a key role in creating engaging teaching and learning environments, improving students’ learning outcomes, and strengthening teachers’ professional commitment, mental health, and resilience (Yang & Yin, 2024). It is also closely related to effective teaching practices and, ultimately, to teachers’ job satisfaction and overall well-being (Sagitova et al., 2025). For this reason, identifying the factors that influence teacher motivation is considered an important issue by researchers (Boru, 2018). Teacher motivation is conceptualized in terms of attraction, retention, and engagement—namely, what draws individuals to the teaching profession, how long they remain in initial teacher education programs and subsequently in teaching, and the extent of their involvement in teacher education and professional practice (Han & Yin, 2016). Understanding the complexity of teacher motivation is not only an academic concern but also has practical significance for educational policymakers, administrators, and practitioners in designing effective professional development programs (Behboudi et al., 2024).

Regarding the components of teacher motivation in teaching and learning, a body of research has emphasized the importance of teachers’ intrinsic motivation. For example, Fakhraei-Azad Titkanlou et al. (2023), in a review study, highlighted the role of teacher motivation and argued that by fostering teachers’ sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, educators can regulate their intrinsic inclination toward teaching. This, in turn, contributes to improved instructional quality and the creation of positive learning environments for students. Similarly, Boru (2018) conducted a qualitative case study aimed at providing an in-depth analysis of the internal and external factors influencing teachers’ job motivation. The findings indicated that participants were motivated by favorable and effective working conditions, students’ willingness to learn, and opportunities for more independent, fair, and consistent teaching practices aligned with a project-based learning approach. In addition, Kocabas (2009), in a descriptive dynamic study, examined the effects of motivational resources on teachers’ motivation levels and found that teachers were primarily motivated by factors such as a sense of safety at school, students’ academic progress, levels of attraction to the teaching profession, degrees of self-reliance, perceptions of their social status, the importance of positive inspection reports, feelings of self-actualization, a positive school climate, constructive teacher relationships, perceptions of competence in their subject areas, levels of self-respect, the school’s status in league competitions, recognition and appreciation of their achievements and values, effective leadership and management, and a sense of security regarding issues such as health, safety, illness, and retirement provisions. Conversely, a competitive climate among teachers, fear of disciplinary actions and school shortcomings in teaching and learning technologies were identified as factors that reduce teacher motivation.

Another group of studies has examined the effects of teacher motivation on specific aspects of education and teaching. For instance, Khodabakhshi (2021) conducted a study aimed at examining methods for enhancing teachers’ motivation and creativity to encourage the use of innovative instructional approaches in secondary schools. The findings showed that teachers’ age, level of education, and years of teaching experience had a significant effect on increasing teachers’ motivation and creativity to adopt innovative teaching methods. Gorozidis and Papaioannou (2014) employed a mixed-methods design to investigate teachers’ motivation and intentions regarding participation in training and teaching an innovative university-level subject (a research project). Their results indicated that autonomous motivation positively predicted teachers’ intention to engage in relevant training and to implement innovation in the future, whereas controlled motivation did not. Accordingly, they recommended that policymakers promote strategies that strengthen teachers’ autonomous motivation to support the successful implementation of educational innovations.

The studies most closely related to the present research have used different approaches to identify factors that influence teacher motivation and to explore ways of enhancing it. For instance, Hadipour et al. (2021) conducted an exploratory qualitative study aimed at identifying the dimensions and components involved in promoting teacher motivation in the educational process. Their findings showed that teacher motivation comprises three main dimensions. The first dimension is organizational dimension, including management and colleagues, working conditions and performance evaluation systems. The second dimension is a social dimension, consisting of social relationships, social responsibility and social status. The third dimension is the individual dimension, encompassing teachers’ personal characteristics and non-material goals. Based on these findings, the authors emphasized the necessity of planning for teacher motivation enhancement with consideration of these dimensions. Likewise, Hasani Abiz et al. (2021), in a meta-analysis of organizational factors affecting teacher effectiveness and motivation, reported that organizational health, organizational climate, student motivation, principals’ listening skills, and a relationship-oriented management style exerted the strongest effects on teacher effectiveness and motivation.

Research on teacher motivation is of particular importance, as it is closely linked to key factors such as learner motivation, teaching practices, teachers’ job satisfaction and psychological well-being, and educational reform initiatives (Hasanzadeh & Jafari, 2024). Although several studies have examined factors influencing teacher motivation in the teaching–learning process, the existing evidence remains scattered. To develop a practical and coherent conceptual framework, it is therefore necessary to systematically organize the identified factors through a descriptive review to clarify the role and importance of each factor. To date, no comprehensive study has specifically focused on identifying the components of teacher motivation within the teaching–learning process. Given the central role of teacher motivation in areas such as the overall effectiveness of educational systems, and in response to this research gap, the present study aims to identify the key components influencing teacher motivation in the teaching–learning process by employing a systematic review approach. This method allows for a comprehensive examination of prior evidence and facilitates the identification and integration of all relevant factors and dimensions of the phenomenon under study. Accordingly, the research questions of the present study are formulated as follows:

Main Research Question:

What are the key components of teacher motivation in the teaching-learning process?

Sub-Question:

How are the components of teacher motivation represented across different dimensions in previous studies?

Methodology

To identify the components of teacher motivation, a systematic review was employed. This method aims to collect evidence to answer a research question by identifying all primary studies relevant to the question, critically appraising them, and synthesizing their findings (Hall & Harding, 2003). In areas where a large volume of data exists, systematic reviews allow for a careful examination of evidence and provide a more objective critique by precisely identifying relevant studies (Khosravi & Pournaghi, 2019). Studies included in a systematic review must be published online and based on empirical field research (Gholampour et al., 2019). Accordingly, the scope of this research encompassed peer-reviewed articles focusing on teacher motivation and its components. Given the high volume of publications in this field and the increasing attention to teacher motivation in recent years, all selected studies were limited to those published within the last five years.

To gather the required information, a data extraction form designed by the researcher was used to record information from primary studies. For the systematic review of the scientific literature, thematic analysis was employed, which allows dispersed textual data to be transformed into rich, detailed, and structured findings. This process was conducted following an adaptation of the Attride-Stirling (2001) method in three stages: text segmentation and coding, exploration of thematic networks, and integration of findings to present patterns. To analyze the findings in the present study, the seven-step model proposed by Wright et al. (2007) was applied. This model includes the following stages: formulating the research question, establishing a protocol, searching the literature, extracting studies and data sources, assessing quality, analyzing data, and presenting a synthesis of results (Yasavol et al., 2023).

The following section briefly addresses the first five stages of the model, with respect to the objectives of the present study:

Step 1: Formulating the Research Question

The first step in formulating the research question involves helping researchers focus on the study’s specific questions. Table 1 shows this process.

Table 1:  Research Questions and Parameters

Step 2: Establishing the Protocol

To minimize bias, this step involves determining the systematic review procedures before retrieving relevant texts. The researcher first specifies the scope of studies.

1. Inclusion Criteria:
2. Articles published on the components of teacher motivation.
3. Studies providing sufficient data and information related to the research objectives; that is, the study must report at least one component or dimension of teacher motivation.
4. Research that has undergone peer-review and is available as a full article either online or in print.
5. Exclusion Criteria:
6. Studies lacking sufficient scientific quality, published in non-reputable journals or conferences.
7. Articles outside the specified time frame, that is, articles published before 2020.
8. Studies that did not provide sufficient information regarding the research objectives and only addressed teacher motivation in general or examined the relationships between components qualitatively.

Step 3: Literature Search

This step focuses on searching for sources relevant to the main research objective (Prashar, 2015). Accordingly, all peer-reviewed articles were initially identified using research keywords. The English keywords included: motivation, teacher motivation, components of teacher motivation, and components of teacher motivation in education. To ensure comprehensive coverage of the literature, equivalent Persian terms were also used when searching Persian-language databases. Databases searched included domestic databases such as Normagas, SID, Google, Magiran, the Comprehensive Portal of Humanities, the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, and the Persian science search engine ‘ElmNet’, as well as international databases including Emerald, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scientific Information Database (SID), Sage, Google Scholar, Taylor & Francis, World Scientific, SpringerLink, and Wiley.

Table 2: Search Method and Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria

Relevant sources were retained according to the research objectives, while irrelevant sources were excluded. To enhance quality, the searches were conducted independently by two researchers with full familiarity with database search methods. Additionally, an expert in curriculum planning supervised the entire research process. This study relied on peer-reviewed domestic and international articles, chosen because they undergo specialized peer-review processes, indicating the reliability of their results. The keywords used in this study are summarized in Table 2.

Step 4: Extraction of Studies and Data Sources

In this step, a standardized data extraction form was employed, including sections for source information (journal name, article title, author), study objective, methodology, and overall findings, to facilitate the selection of relevant studies. The predefined keywords were systematically searched across all selected databases to identify eligible studies. Initially, a total of 350 studies (including Persian and English articles) were retrieved. After careful review of all studies and applying the exclusion criteria based on content relevance and methodological quality, 31 studies (23 international and 8 domestic) were finally selected for detailed analysis. Table 3 provides an example of how studies from multiple databases were assessed using a structured checklist.

Table 3:  Checklist for Evaluating Four Studies Based on the Carlsen et al. (2007) Model

Step 5: Quality Assessment

Every study must demonstrate acceptable validity and objectivity, and systematic reviews are no exception. A comprehensive search in a systematic review typically retrieves many relevant studies; however, not all these studies possess adequate quality. Prior to analysis, each study must be evaluated using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed according to appropriate tools and defined standards to ensure that only studies of sufficient quality are included.

In this study, a checklist incorporating multiple criteria was used to classify the quality of each study as high, medium, or low. The purpose of assigning these scores individually was to enhance the overall validity of the review by using a suitable checklist and to exclude low-quality studies from further analysis. Table 4 provides an example of a checklist used to evaluate 4 studies, based on the model proposed by Carlsen et al. (2007).

Findings

Following the study objectives, this section addresses Steps 6 and 7 of Wright’s model (2007) applied in the present research.

Step 6: Data Analysis

Based on the findings of relevant studies aligned with the research objectives, all components were initially extracted through open coding. Accordingly, following the coding process from Step 1, Table 4 presents the identified components of teacher motivation in the teaching–learning process.

Table 4:  Components of Teacher Motivation in the Teaching-Learning Process

Step 7: Presentation of Integrated Findings

In this section, based on the systematic review process, an overview of teacher motivation components in the teaching–learning process is presented. During the systematic review, teacher motivation components were initially extracted through open coding of all descriptions. Subsequently, in the synthesis phase, the aim is to integrate all scientific findings on a specific topic into a coherent whole. During the presentation of integrated results, qualitative analysis of open codes was performed, and overlapping codes with similar meanings were merged through re-coding, resulting in the identification of core components (axial codes).

To categorize all components of teacher motivation in the teaching–learning process according to a shared conceptual framework, axial coding based on professional ethics components was applied. This process led to the identification of four main axial codes, with the results of the selected axial coding presented in Table 5.

Table 5:  Components of Teachers’ Motivation in the Teaching–Learning Process

Discussion and Conclusion

Teachers, as key players in the learning process, have a central role in shaping students’ educational experiences. Teacher motivation is crucial for creating engaging teaching and learning environments, improving students’ learning outcomes, and supporting teachers’ professional commitment, mental health and resilience. It also directly influences students’ motivation to learn. Motivation is not directly visible; it can be understood by observing an individual’s behavior and performance. A review of previous research on teacher motivation shows that, so far, no comprehensive study has systematically identified the components of teacher motivation within the teaching–learning process. To develop a practical framework or conceptual model, it is necessary to organize the factors found in prior studies through a structured review, clarifying the importance, roles, and functions of each factor, with a focus on the teaching–learning process and its impact on teacher motivation. Therefore, identifying the factors that affect teacher motivation is considered an important research goal. In this study, a systematic review was used to explain the components of teacher motivation. As shown in Table 2, based on the review process and synthesis of the studies, four main components—individual-personal, social, micro-organizational, and macro-organizational—were identified from the full set of factors listed in Table 1. The following sections provide a detailed explanation of these components.

The first extracted component is the Individual–Personal Dimension. This dimension encompasses all factors related to the teacher as an individual, including personality characteristics and personal life aspects that influence teacher motivation. Within this dimension, the Axial Components include individual values that are focused on personal development opportunities, personal utility value, interest in the profession, interest in children, scientific optimism, material goals, and achievement motivation. Background of the study focused on previous teaching experiences, participation in professional conferences, perceived teaching abilities, educational background, and work experience. Personal Factors focused on gender, age, private life, personality traits, mindfulness, and self-efficacy. The findings related to this dimension are consistent with the studies of Huo (2023), Sabbaghinia and Rashedpour (2022), Khodabakhshi (2021), and Abedi and Vahabi-Homabadi (2017) regarding the role of interest-related factors. They are also aligned with Zaki’s study (2000), which highlights individual–personal characteristics such as gender as influential components of teacher motivation. The second extracted component is the Social Dimension. This dimension highlights the role of social values and the social status of teachers in shaping motivation.

The associated Axial Components include the social mission that is focused on professional commitment, knowledge transfer, guiding students’ lives, fostering students’ thinking, shaping students’ future, and social impact (national development). Social Recognition focused on social relationships, social status, social support, and civic behavior. The findings in this dimension are consistent with the studies of Yıldız and Kılıç (2021), Ye et al. (2021), Sabbaghinia and Rashedpour (2022), Khanal and Fiak (2024), as well as Farooq Haidari et al. (2023), all of which emphasize the influence of social and socio-economic factors on teacher motivation.

The third extracted dimension is the Micro-Organizational Dimension. This dimension includes organizational factors operating at the school level that influence teacher motivation. The related axial components are as follows: physical environment that is focused on working conditions, class size, and physical facilities. Management focuses on principals’ behavior, management style (attitudes and approaches), and performance evaluation systems. Professional–interactive environment focused on professional development opportunities, collaborative learning, facilitation of teamwork, promotion systems, organizational culture, professional communication, and innovation. The Psychological Environment focused on workplace spirituality, organizational health, organizational support, psychological capital, interaction with colleagues, organizational justice, and work-related stress. Individual–Organization Integration focused on organizational commitment and alignment between individual and organizational goals. The findings related to the micro-organizational dimension are consistent with the studies of Zibeniene et al. (2022), Demir (2023), Bukhari et al. (2023), Hadipour et al. (2021), Kazemi et al. (2022), Khaleghi et al. (2022), Hosseini, Nasr Esfahani, and Safari (2024), Khanal and Fiak (2024), as well as Panahi et al. (2018), all of which emphasize the role of organizational factors in teacher motivation. In this regard, Yalçinkaya et al. (2021) argue that there is a significant relationship between school leadership styles and teacher motivation. Similarly, Farooq Haidari et al. (2023) highlights the role of colleagues in enhancing teacher motivation.

The final extracted dimension is the Macro-Organizational Dimension. This dimension refers to broader structural and policy-level factors influencing teacher motivation. The associated Axial Components include the following policies: Livelihood Policies which are focused on salary, housing provision, job-related bonuses (additional to base salary), holidays, job security, compensation systems, and job convenience.

Organizational Policies which are focused on autonomy and self-determination, administrative and local policies, and administrative and institutional support. Educational Policies which are focused on national curriculum policies, instructional approaches, workload, teacher education, and job design. The findings related to the macro-organizational dimension are consistent with the studies of Rana et al. (2024), Sarkar et al. (2024), Khuram et al. (2024), and Stezycka and Etherington (2020). In addition, Khanal and Fiak (2024) identify governance and policy-related factors—such as governmental support and educational policies—as key determinants of teacher motivation.

The findings of the present study indicate that teacher motivation is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by individual–personal, social, micro-organizational, and macro-organizational dimensions. To strengthen teacher motivation, educational policymakers at the macro level need to reconsider livelihood, organizational, and educational policies and create stable and supportive conditions. At the school level, administrators can enhance teacher motivation by improving leadership styles, strengthening the professional–interactive climate, providing opportunities for professional development, and offering psychological and organizational support. At the individual level, teachers themselves can play an active role in enhancing motivation and improving teaching quality by fostering self-efficacy, mindfulness, resilience, and active participation in professional processes. Therefore, simultaneous attention to all levels—individual, school, and policy—is essential for improving teacher motivation and, consequently, enhancing the quality of teaching–learning processes in schools. For example, Schipor (2021), in a comparative study, found that school principals, teachers, and schools employed different approaches to experiencing and understanding teacher motivation across five examined dimensions. The findings were analyzed to propose two levels of intervention for enhancing teacher motivation: 1) Teacher motivational development, aimed at identifying teachers’ motivational self-awareness and facilitating motivational change. 2) Development of managerial strategies to enhance teacher motivation.

Some limitations of the present study include:

1. The temporal scope of the review was limited to studies published between 2020 and 2025. As a result, some valuable and relevant studies published outside this time frame were not included in the analysis. In addition, due to the use of purposive sampling and predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, some potentially relevant scientific sources may have been excluded, which could limit the overall comprehensiveness of the findings.
2. This study focused exclusively on the identification and classification of teacher motivation components and did not examine causal relationships among these components or assess their relative strength or impact. Moreover, teacher motivation is a dynamic and context-dependent phenomenon, influenced by cultural, social, and organizational conditions. Therefore, the generalization of the findings to other educational systems should be undertaken with caution.

Based on these limitations, the following recommendations are offered for future research:

1. Given that teacher motivation is inherently fluid and that motivational factors may vary across different stages of teachers’ professional careers as well as across different cultural and educational contexts, future studies are encouraged to examine teacher motivation components in diverse educational settings and teacher populations, using varied research methodologies.
2. Future research aimed at determining the relative contribution or weight of each teacher motivation component identified in the present study could provide valuable insights for educational policymakers and practitioners. Such studies would help identify the most influential components and support the development of effective and targeted intervention strategies to enhance teacher motivation.

Conflict of Interest

None.

Authors’ Contribution

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this article. Both authors contributed equally to all stages of the study, including conceptualization and design of the study, development of the systematic review protocol, literature search and screening, data extraction, data analysis and synthesis, drafting of the article, and critical revision of the final version. Both authors read and approved the final version of the article.

Funding

The present study was accomplished without any outside financial support.

Data Availability Statement

All data analyzed in this study were extracted from previously published articles. Further details regarding the data extraction process are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.