The Relationship of Pay to Job Attraction, Job Loyalty, and Performance for High Quality STEM Teachers

Improvement in the quality of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is vital to global competitiveness. The need for more effective schools and the centrality of the teacher’s role in any substantive school improvement plans are well known. Educators, political factions, and policy-makers are engaged in a lively debate as to whether performance pay schemes or more substantial increments across the salary schedule are more likely to motivate teachers to boost student learning outcomes. Neither side questions that some type of financial incentive is necessary for robust results. Since the economy has made local districts less able to provide either type of financial incentive, this study examines whether expensive pay-related motivators are as essential as the current discussion would suggest. It finds that virtually cost-free motivators such as positional respect, positive working environment, personal meaning, job security, and positive challenge may each be more effective in attracting, retaining, and inspiring quality teachers than any restructuring or improvement of financial compensation.