English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v5i3.8141 http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index eltej@pbi.uad.ac.id Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development: A self-determination theory perspective Eko Purwanti a,1,*, Salma Octavia b,2 a, b Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Jl. Brawijaya, Geblagan, Tamantirto, Kasihan, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55183 1 ekopurwanti@umy.ac.id*; 2 salma.octavia.fpb17@mail.umy.ac.id * corresponding author A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history Received 11 September 2022 Revised 25 October 2022 Accepted 25 November 2022 Teacher Professional Development (TPD) plays a vital role in fostering teacher professionalism by providing teachers with ongoing learning opportunities and support which eventually affect students’ learning. This study aims to find out various activities of English Secondary School teachers regarding their teacher professional development and to investigate their motivation in conducting TPD based on Self- Determination Theory (SDT) as theoretical framework. A qualitative approach with a descriptive qualitative research design was employed in this study in which three English Secondary School teachers were involved as the participants using individual interviews as the data collection technique. Based on the interviews, the findings showed that TPD activities done by the participants were 1) attending workshop and seminar, 2) joining English Subject Teacher Forum, and 3) having informal peer discussions. In addition, the next findings regarding the teachers’ motivation in conducting TPD proves that the three aspects of SDT emerged from the participants, comprising 1) self-awareness, 2) in line with profession, and 3) the need to be competent. These findings imply that various activities of TPD driven by internal motivation can be effective for English Secondary School teachers. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers have internal motivation in order to carry out successful TPD. This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license. Keywords Teacher Professional Development Professional Development Activities Teacher Motivations Self-determination Theory How to Cite: Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (2022). Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development: A self-determination theory perspective. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 5 (3), 202-213. 1. Introduction Teachers play crucial roles in education because they facilitate students' learning, growth, and development. Teachers facilitate learning by cultivating inquisitiveness, critical thinking, and a passion for education (Mart, 2013). In addition, teachers motivate and mentor students as they advance through their education, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary for success in the classroom and beyond (Arianti, 2019). Teachers serve as mentors and role models by instilling values, nurturing character development, and promoting social and emotional well-being (Careemdeen, 2023), and through their commitment, knowledge, and passion, teachers shape the minds, lives, and futures of their students. Teachers also evaluate students' progress, provide constructive criticism, and provide individualized assistance to meet students' diverse needs (Jayasinghe, 2010). Finally, Teachers influence the conduct of their students (Szymkowiak et al., 2021). Based on these roles, teachers become one of the factors that determine the success of education. https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v5i3.8141 http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index mailto:eltej@pbi.uad.ac.id mailto:ekopurwanti@umy.ac.id mailto:salma.octavia.fpb17@mail.umy.ac.id http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4064-0339 http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.12928/eltej.v5i3.8141&domain=pdf 203 English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) Having significant roles in education, teachers must be professionals by continuously enhancing their skills. Maintaining professionalism is essential for teachers because it safeguards the integrity and effectiveness of the educational system (Riadi et al., 2022). Professionalism enables teachers to cultivate an intellectually and socially stimulating environment conducive to students' growth (Richards & Farrell, 2005). Professional teachers demonstrate a strong work ethic, dependability, and dedication to their duties. They adhere to ethical standards, maintain confidentiality, and treat students, colleagues, and parents with respect. Professionalism also necessitates continuous self-improvement and keeping abreast of the latest educational research, methodologies, and practices. Professional teachers inspire students, parents, and the community who lead to improving education and fostering excellence. In Indonesian context, teacher professionalism is regulated in Teacher and Lecturer Law No. 14/2005, particularly Article 10 paragraph 1 (2005), mentioning four competencies of teachers, comprising pedagogical, personal, social, and professional competencies (Latiana, 2019). First, teacher pedagogical competence is the ability or skill of teachers who can manage a learning process and learning interactions with students. Second, personal competence is related to personal character. Third, teacher social competence is related to communication skills, attitudes and interactions in general with students, fellow teachers, education staff, parents of students, as well as the wider community. Finally, teacher professional competence is related to the subject knowledge. In order to fulfil these four competencies, teachers need to carry out Teacher Professional Development (TPD) activities. Given the significance of TPD and the effects TPD has on teachers, it is then intriguing to seek the experiences of English secondary school teachers regarding their TPD activities. Additionally, it is interesting to investigate what motivates these teachers to undertake TPD despite their busy and tight schedules at school, particularly through the Self-determination Theory lens. 1.1. Teacher professional development Teacher Professional Development (TPD) is the process of enhancing the academic quality of teachers in order to increase their competence and effectiveness in carrying out their professional responsibilities both inside and outside the classroom (Komba & Nkumbi, 2008). In addition, TPD can be interpreted as how teachers use their knowledge, experience, skills, and technology to improve outcomes, both for the teaching and learning process, as well as the professionalism of other educational personnel (Zainal & Elham, 2007). Thus, it can be concluded that what is meant by TPD is any activities of teachers in applying science, knowledge, technology, and skills to enhance both the quality of the teaching and learning process and the professionalism of other educational personnel. According to Djatmiko (2016), teacher professional development is based on their individual needs and responsibilities in maintaining and advancing their careers, which can be accomplished only by themselves. In education systems with well-established teacher education programs, TPD is described as a process encompassing all activities that promote professional career development and it is important that the activities in TPD gives the teachers the skills and attitudes they need to deal with the difficulties in the 21st century education (Sprott, 2019). The position of teachers as professional seeks to implement the national education system in achieving the goals of national education, which are the development of students' potential to become individuals who are loyal and circumspect, knowledgeable, competent, and creative. The teaching profession in Indonesia requires teachers with high levels of competence and performance, who incorporate knowledge and demonstrate commitment or responsibility. Teachers are required to be continuously professional because they must possess certain competencies in order to effectively educate their students. In an attempt to give the best service to their students, teachers conduct various activities of professional development. 1.2. Activities of TPD Teachers can participate in a vast array of professional development activities to enhance their teaching abilities and promote their professional growth (Eksi & Aydın, 2013). Teachers need institutional supports and personal motivation (Philipsen et al., 2019) in engaging in professional development activities such as attending seminars and workshops, joining professional associations, engaging in individual online learning, and engaging in informal peer discussions ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 204 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) Teachers’ activities such as seminars and workshops are potential to provide teachers with opportunities to learn about new teaching methodologies, language acquisition theories, assessment strategies, and the incorporation of technology into language instruction. Widodo (2016) said that workshop and seminar are commonly referred and used as teacher training programs. A study conducted by Nugroho, Triana et al. (2022) revealed that professional development activities such as joining workshop, seminar, and conference done by Indonesian ESP teachers enabled them to enhance their digital teaching competence. Likewise, seminar activities conducted by pre-service teachers at one of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes in South Korea enabled them to build their inter-disciplinary teaching strategies and critical thinking skills (Dos Santos, 2019). Finally, (Lay, 2010) stated attending workshop can help teachers increase their teaching knowledge, familiarize themselves with techniques and approaches, and employ them effectively. Additionally, joining professional associations provides teachers with resources, publications, online forums, and conferences designed specifically for them (Gnawali, 2018). In Indonesian context, teachers in secondary school are obliged to join a professional association called Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran (MGMP) or Subject Teacher Forum. Stipulated by Indonesian Government Regulation No. 38 (1994), MGMP is a professional forum for a district-level subject teachers which is regarded as an ideal venue for teacher professional development because it enables teachers to participate in various activities such as the training program, scientific writing, and the facilitation of discussions with other teachers of the same subject, and so forth (Atmoko & Kuswandono, 2021). Likewise, Rahman (2016) mentioned that one of the training programs launched by the government is English Subject Teacher Forum (MGMP). Thus, joining English Teacher Forum helped English secondar school teachers develop their competence related to teaching implementation (Irmawati, et al., 2017). In general, MGMP offers activities, scientific study, and teaching sharing, and teaching experiences that can help teachers improve their pedagogical, professional, personal, and social competences. Therefore, MGMP should not only offer training and other activities that can help teachers grow professionally, but it should also be connected to the government so that teachers can be supervised after the completion of professional development activities (Atmoko & Kuswandono, 2021). Another alternative of teacher professional development activity is joining online academic forum which allows teachers to enhance their knowledge and skills at their own pace and convenience (Borup & Evmenova, 2019). Having virtual platform of professional development, teachers are able to connect, collaborate, and engage in discussions related to academic and teaching topics with other teachers, not only from nationwide but also all over the world. This model of teacher professional development gained its popularity recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic when almost all of academic activities in the world were banned and restricted. Bragg, Walsh et al. (2021) mentioned that Online Professional Development (OPD) became a powerful vehicle for delivering high-quality, low-cost, and accessible training to teachers. In short, joining online academic forum as the platform of teacher professional development provides a space for teachers to share experiences and exchange resources with their peers in an online environment. Finally, informal discussion with colleagues allows teachers to receive valuable feedback and improvement suggestions. In Indonesian context, it is very common for teachers to share knowledge, experiences, problems, and even trivial stories about their students during break time or meal time. In fact, involving colleagues as one of the sources in providing meaningful feedback related to the classroom practices is also one of contributes elements to the teachers’ professional development (Vo & Nguyen, 2010). During their informal chat, teachers often obtain new insights or ideas about teaching and learning process. Thus, the fact that teachers meet their colleagues frequently during their work hours bring potential advantages, and the school can have intervention to teacher professionalism. A study conducted by Admiraal, Schenke et al. (2021) revealed the intervention done by Dutch secondary school in which the concept of professional learning opportunities for all staff and collaborative work and learning was introduced, and teachers in the school work and learn together. This program is successful in maintaining a more sustainable teacher professional development. In short, professional development activities done by teachers vary depending on teachers’ interests, time availability, obligations, and opportunities. Teachers should identify their specific growth areas and search out activities that address those needs. By engaging in continuous professional development, teachers can remain abreast of current best practices, improve their 205 English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) teaching abilities, and ultimately provide their students with better learning opportunities (Eksi & Aydın, 2013). 1.3. Teachers’ Motivation to Conduct Teacher Professional Development. Professional development activities enable teachers to have the opportunity to acquire and enhance broad academic and professional competences (Komba & Nkumbi, 2008). In conducting TPD, teachers are influenced by both internal and external motivation factors (McLean et al., 2019; Osman & Warner, 2020). Motivation is viewed as a collection of interconnected principles and emotions that drive and directly influence behaviour (Alam et al., 2020). Thus, motivation is what initiates, maintains, and concentrates teachers’ professional development activities. When teachers have a strong intrinsic motivation for professional development, they are driven by a genuine desire to learn, improve their teaching practice, and improve student outcomes. In other words, teachers who chose their profession voluntarily were more intrinsically motivated than those who were coerced into teaching (Alam et al., 2020). On the other hand, Alam, Fahim et al. (2020) added that teachers who were highly extrinsically motivated needed external awards and incentives to accomplish their professional development activities. This is frequently followed by the desire to have a more prestigious work place, higher incentives, and higher position in order to keep them motivated. Finally, extrinsic motivation lead teachers to seek opportunities for career advancement, such as assuming leadership positions, pursuing teacher certifications, and acquiring recognition from other teachers. It is crucial to note that the motivation of teachers for professional development can be influenced by a combination of these factors (Ryan & Deci, 2020), with the relative importance of each factor varying from individual to another. It is also interesting to explore more comprehensively about teachers’ internal and external motivation in conducting their professional development activities from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) of Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci. 1.4. Self-determination Theory (SDT) Ryan and Deci, who proposed Self-Determination Theory (SDT), have consistently discussed a theory that outlines two types of motivational sources, external and internal, along with an explanation of the specific roles of people associated with these motivations, various domains of development, and individual differences (Alam et al., 2020). SDT framework has been discussed and has gone through several revisions since 1975 (Vallerand, 2000), and it has been broadly used to analyse teachers’ motivation in conducting their professional development. SDT is a theory that emphasizes on the level of motivation individuals have when carrying out activities and the reasons they are motivated to carry out those activities. According to Ryan and Deci (2000), a person is considered motivated if he or she is ardent and engaged in an activity. Two decade later, (Ryan & Deci, 2020) redefined the SDT and used this theory in educational contexts. SDT assumes that individuals are naturally inclined toward psychological growth and integration, and thus toward learning, mastery, and connection with others. These proactive human tendencies require supportive conditions to be robust. Additionally, individual motivation and well-being which are driven by inherent psychological needs include autonomy, competence, and social connection. In other words, people should have these three basic needs in order for motivation and wellness to exist. Autonomy refers to one's initiative and sense of proprietorship over their actions. It is supported by experiences of interest and worth and undermined by experiences of being externally controlled, whether by rewards or punishments. Competence is characterized by a sense of mastery, a belief in one's ability to succeed and advance. Well-structured environments that provide optimal challenges, positive feedback, and opportunities for growth are optimal for satisfying the need for competence. The final aspect of relatedness is a sense of belonging and connection. It is facilitated by the transmission of respect and care (Ryan & Deci, 2020). Next, Van den Broeck, Vansteenkiste et al. (2008) stated that competence helps individuals develop their abilities and adapt to their complex and ever-changing environment. Finally, mastery and skills with certain skills and insights are part of competence that help people realize they have what they need to inspire themselves to reach their goals. (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009). These three fundamental factors determine self-fulfilment and satisfaction of psychological requirements. A person will not experience happiness if one or two of these conditions are not met. Thus, it can be inferred that the three fundamental aspects described above are self-satisfaction supporting factors. Referring to the aforementioned characteristics of SDT, it can be concluded that these characteristics motivate instructors to implement TPD. SDT enables teachers to be ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 206 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) psychologically motivated to develop, which is the objective of TPD, and includes the independence and connection, competence, and autonomy that are anticipated to be met by utilizing SDT as the central concept (Basikin, 2020). In addition, teacher professional development activities provide a teaching experience based on SDT-based learning. 2. Review of Previous Studies Numerous articles discuss teacher professional development activities and the motivation of teachers to engage in TPD through the lens of Deci and Ryan's SDT. The first article is a study titled "English teachers' motivation for a professional development program: Perspectives of Self- Determination Theory" by Basikin (2020). This study investigates the motivation of school English teachers in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, recruited through their district teacher forum (MGMP) meetings to participate in a PD program. It attempts to determine whether externally driven or controlled motivation can become more autonomous. Following the framework of the Self- Determination Theory, the Teacher Motivation for a Professional Development Scale (TMPDS) was used to assess teachers' motivation. Although participants reported high scores on both introjected regulation (M = 5.73; SD = 2.28) and external regulation (M = 6.51; SD = 1.54), they also reported high scores on both intrinsic motivation (M = 7.58; SD = 1.08) and identified regulation (M = 7.91; SD = 1.04). The results show that a person's initial motivation or control could become more internal or autonomous, based on how much they have internalized. The findings suggest that when motivation is external, PD programs should provide autonomy supports to facilitate internalization. The second article entitled "Teachers' motivation to participate in training and implement innovations" was written by Gorozidis and Papaioannou (2014). This study's objective is to investigate teachers' motivations and intentions regarding participation in training and instruction of innovative academic subjects. Based on the theory of self-determination, a mixed-method design was used to find out why and how 218 teachers wanted to learn about and teach an innovative academic topic and what they planned to do about it. Based on the structural equation modelling, the finding showed that teachers were more likely to participate in appropriate training and use innovation if they were self- motivated, but not if they were self-controlled. The results suggest that policymakers should support strategies that make teachers more self-motivated so that educational innovations can be used effectively. 3. Method The present study aimed to investigate TPD activities conducted by English secondary school teachers in Yogyakarta and explore the motivation behind their participation in conducting TPD using Deci and Ryan's SDT. This study employs a qualitative methodology because it permits the researchers to collect specific information from the participants regarding the TPD activities conducted by English teachers and their motivation in conducting TPD based on SDT. Similarly, Lester, Cho et al. (2020) mentioned that qualitative approach is commonly used to support the researcher in ‘generating a deep and nuanced understanding of a given phenomenon’ (p.95). According to Creswell (2012), a qualitative approach is a method for constructing a knowledge statement based on constructive perspectives. Therefore, qualitative research is suitable for this study as the participants' responses are based on their beliefs and experiences. In addition, this investigation employed a qualitative descriptive design. According to Lambert and Lambert (2012), qualitative descriptive research is the process of describing, analysing, and summarizing a hypothesis in relation to specific events experienced by an individual. Descriptive qualitative research is therefore appropriate for this study to reveal teachers' motivation for conducting TPD. This research was conducted at two secondary schools in Yogyakarta with the participation of three English teachers. In-depth interviews were used to collect the data. According to Morris (2015), interviews are a flexible data collection method. He added that the interviewer's response may include their knowledge, preferences, and beliefs. In addition, interviews enable the participant to express their perspective on the situations from their own perspective. This study employs open-ended questions to elicit responses from participants during interviews. According to Creswell (2012), an open-ended question permits the participant to freely express their experiences. In addition, the participants' native language, Indonesian, was utilized in order to make them more at ease and collect more detailed information. While Au (2019) suggested the use of mother tongue in interview can be less comfortable for 207 English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) interviewees, the researchers believed that the use of mother tongue in data collection methods allowed them to capture more information. After conducting the interview, the researchers transcribed the data without adding or removing any of the words written by the participants. The researcher utilized transcription to facilitate data analysis and summarization. To maintain its credibility, member checking was performed in which all participants affirmed the accuracy of the data. To protect the anonymity of the participants, pseudonyms of Bian, Anne, and Lara were used. 4. Findings and Discussions This study focusses on twofold: 1) English secondary teachers’ activities in their TPD, and 2) English secondary teachers’ motivation in conducting their TPD based on SDT. Upon the completion of collecting the data from the three participants, the findings show that there are several activities that had been carried out by the participants in conducting their TPD, comprising 1) attending workshop / seminars, 2) joining English Teacher Forum, and 3) having informal peer discussions among colleagues. In addition, the findings related to the second research question revealed that the three aspects of SDT emerged from the participants, comprising 1) self-awareness, 2) in line with profession, and 3) the need to be competent. Detail explanations of these findings are presented below: 4.1. English secondary teachers’ activities in their TPD 1) Attending Workshop / Seminar The first activities mentioned by the participants are attending workshop and seminar. Based in the interview, all the participants have done activities such as attending workshop. The first participant, Bian mentioned that “… as a teacher, we attend workshop from the provincial education department of (P1.2). Similarly, other participants, Anna and Lara shared similar activities regarding their TPD activities, joining workshops and seminars offered by the provincial education department, or Dinas Pendidikan Kota Yogyakarta. As one of the government departments in which one of the missions is to improve the quality of education in Yogyakarta, Dinas Pendidikan Kota Yogyakarta in collaboration with secondary schools frequently conduct training, workshops, and seminars for teachers. The school principals usually select their teachers alternatively so that all teachers can get similar opportunity to attend those academic events. Indeed, joining workshop can help teachers increase their knowledge in their teaching careers and become familiar with techniques and approaches and properly use them fruitfully (Lay, 2010). In addition, Widodo (2016) said that workshop and seminar are commonly referred as teacher training programs. Now that teachers experience a vast development of technology, the teaching and learning process should be contextualized into a more sophisticated platform. Attending workshop or training aimed at equipping teachers with educational technological skill helped Indonesian ESP teachers enhance their digital teaching competence (Nugroho et al., 2022). 2) Joining English Teacher Forum (MGMP) The second TPD activities done by the participants is joining English Teacher Forum. Based on the interview, all the participants mentioned that their involvement in joining English Teacher Forum can be regarded as parts of their TPD activities. Anna and Lara said that “we participate in activities at English Subject Teacher Forum” (P2.3, P3.1). Likewise, Bian stated that sometimes she was appointed by Dinas Pendidikan Kota Yogyakarta to attend an academic event in English Subject Teacher Forum. Indeed, English Subject Teacher Forum is a collaborative platform or forum that brings together teachers who teach the same subject in a specific region or district in Indonesia. The purpose of MGMP is to promote professional development, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among subject teachers. In particular, the purpose of MGMP is to improve the quality of subject teaching and learning in schools. Therefore, the involvement of these participants in MGMP has provided them with a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, and enhancing their teaching competencies. This is in line with Rahman (2016) who mentioned that one of the training programs launched by the government is English Subject Teacher Forum (MGMP). In addition, as MGMP is under the control of Dinas Pendidikan Kota Yogyakarta, and as Bian said that the participation of MGMP is sometimes determined by this institution, it should be connected to the government so that teachers can be supervised after the completion of their professional development activities in MGMP (Atmoko & Kuswandono, 2021). Thus, besides having sharing teaching competencies, this MGMP serves as a platform for ongoing professional development of English subject teachers. As mentioned by all of the participants, joining English Teacher Forum helped these ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 208 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) English secondary school teachers develop their competence related to teaching implementation (Irmawati et al., 2017). 3) Having informal peer discussions among colleagues Based on the interview, two participants are in agreement and mention that having peer discussion with colleagues at the same school is a self-activity of TPD. Anna said that “Usually I talk to my colleagues who also teaches English in my school”. She felt comfortable discussing about a topic related to English teaching and learning process, or sometimes she just asked certain questions related English subject materials. In addition to Anna, another participant, Lara stated “I often have discussions among English teachers [at my school], and I feel comfortable to share my problems in teaching with them…finally, we solve the problems together, and [I feel like] adding my new knowledge” (P3.6). The statement from these two participants showed that having discussions with English colleagues, share, and discuss the problems as well as solve the problem are frequently done, and these activities may add new knowledge. Indeed, involving colleagues as one of the sources in providing meaningful feedback related to the classroom practices is also one of contributes elements to the teachers’ professional development (Vo & Nguyen, 2010). Similarly, a study conducted by Admiraal, Schenke et al. (2021) revealed the intervention implemented by a Dutch secondary school in which the concept of professional learning opportunities for all staff and collaborative work and learning was introduced, and teachers in the school collaborate and learn together. This program is effective at sustaining a more sustainable professional development. 4.2. Teachers’ Motivation in Conducting TPD based on Self-Determination Theory Regarding the second research question, upon the completion of the interview with the three participants, the result shows that these English secondary teachers conducted their TPD because of mostly their intrinsic motivation such as 1) self-awareness, 2) in line with profession, and 3) the need to be competent. In relation to the Self-Determination Theory, their intrinsic motivation in conducting TPD are mainly caused by aspects such as Autonomy, Relatedness and Competence. The following paragraph explain the findings in a more detail. 1) Self-Awareness Teachers often conduct their professional development because they realize that their profession require them to always update themselves with the latest information and sophisticated skills. In Indonesian context, teachers are aware of the four competencies they should perform in the teaching and learning process, and failing to do can result in their being unprofessional. Therefore, they have awareness to perform the best. One of the participants, Bian stated “if we don’t conduct the TPD, we won’t be able to follow the curriculum developments to bring our student along development of times”. Indeed, with the current curriculum change, from competency-based curriculum into Freedom to Learn curriculum (Merdeka Belajar), teachers obtain huge rooms to interpret it and implement it into the classroom. Teachers have more autonomy in designing their lessons. This situation is not easy as teachers used to be controlled by their supervisors. Therefore, teachers nowadays are inevitably required to be more independent in implementing the curriculum. In addition, Bian said “So it’s more like I have to take part in training and workshop, so I can keep up with the developments. As much as possible follow the development of the government” This is how she keep in touch with the curriculum change. In addition to Bian, another participant, Lara mentioned “For me, I do various teacher professional development because I’m aware as a teacher, at least we don't go out of developing of times. Especially, IPTEK, as a teacher we should be aware that is a necessity”. Finally, Anna stated: “When participating in TPD activities, our goal is for students in the learning process. There are two factors in my opinion when the school or government agencies give instructions, indeed we must follow the activities that they organized but sometimes we want to improve ourselves without having to wait for instruction from schools or government agencies” She added more opinions and said, “For me, it's because of our awareness. because we are aware as teachers, at least we don't go out of developing of times. Especially, IPTEK, as a teacher we should be aware that is a necessity” 209 English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) From this statement, teachers have a self-awareness connected to their teacher profession to conduct TPD so that they can educate their student professionally. These statements of the participants are indeed in line with Ryan and Deci (2020) who stated that people have self-awareness to improve themselves, and this is called as autonomy. This situation is not affected by external factors, pressure or an order to act. This aspect focuses on internalization, which refers to one’s willingness to reflect on oneself, making the autonomy aspect ignore external aspects. 2) In line with Profession The second motivation is from the relatedness aspect. As stated in the Teacher and Lecturer law No.14/2005, the main tasks of professional teachers are educating, teaching, guiding, directing, training, assessing, and evaluating students in early childhood education through formal education, basic education, and secondary education. In order to accomplish these tasks, teachers have to conduct TPD activities because these activities are regarded parts of their professionalism. The phenomena in which teachers conduct their TPD activities because of their profession demand are also found in this study. During the interview, Bian said “Of course [doing TPD activities] because of the demands from my profession… because it [TPD activities] support my professional tasks. She added more information related to her motivation in conducting TPD, “I’m doing my TPD especially in order to fulfil and improve my professional competence. It becomes an obligation for me to maintain my professional educator certificate (Sertifikat Pendidik)”. Similarly, Lara added “it’s true that there are demands [from the profession], but we must balance them with that we really need it as a teacher. I think I’m doing TPD because I am both aware of profession as a teacher and the demand of my responsibility. What Lara said was interesting because she admitted she conducted her TPD activities because of two internal motivations; 1) the awareness of her status as a teacher which require her to upgrade her capacity continuously, and 2) the awareness of demands to be professional from the school and the government. Interestingly, in completing their TPD, these participants also obtain support from various parties such as the school principal, colleagues, and peer teachers. Anna mentioned “[I got] support from other friend, and it’s very helpful”. She added “the support from my colleagues can be my encouragement [to conduct TPD]”. Likewise, Bian stated “we give support each other”. Finally, Anne added “support from other friend is very helpful”. The excerpts from the participants show that teachers conduct TPD because of the demands of the profession of a teacher to be able to teach their student. In implementing TPD teachers also still need another support from their friends. The statements about relatedness above are in line with a study from Ryan and Deci (2020) who stated that people are motivated to conduct TPD because of their demand as teacher profession. As teachers, they have beliefs that they have to always improve their capacity. 3) The need to be competent The last motivation of the teachers in conducing TPD is the need to improve their competencies. During the interview session, Lara stated “[as a teacher] social competence is needed as well as professional competence. Also, pedagogical competences are needed to be always increased”. She added more opinions, and said: “The social competences will relate to communication skills, attitudes, interacting in general to our students, student parents, fellow teacher and general public. Also, professional [competence] will relate to teachers’ tasks and completing them properly. Moreover, pedagogy is related to students learning process. It’s all important. Also, one more is personality [competence], [it is] related to personal character” Lara listed the competencies that should be possessed by all teachers. These competencies include social, professional, pedagogical, and personal. It is interesting to find out the fact that she connected the teachers’ competencies into the Teacher and Lecturer Law No 14/2005, and the fact that the desire to possess all of those competencies resulted in her eagerness to conduct TPD. Similar opinions about the intention to be a competent teacher are stated by Lara when she said: “if we don’t have professional competence, we will find difficulties later in managing classes when following the development of students in the class”. Finally, Anne concluded the participants’ opinion related to their motivation in conducting TPD by saying “social competence, professional competence, and pedagogical competence are needed to increase [teachers’ quality]”. She further explained “The social competences will relate to communication skills, attitudes, interacting in general to our students, student parents, fellow teacher and general public, while professional competence will relate to ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 210 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) teachers’ knowledge of the subject. Moreover, pedagogical competence is related to students learning process, and one more competence is personality which is related to personal character. It’s all important.” Based on all statements above, teachers want to improve their competencies to have skills in teaching their students. In other words, these teachers want to be competent. This is in line with a study from Van den Broeck, Vansteenkiste et al. (2008) who said that competence helps the individuals develop their skills and adapt to their complex environment and changing environment. Mastery and skills to certain skills and insights are part of the competence that brings individuals to understand that they have the provisions to motivate themselves to achieve goals (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009; Ryan & Deci, 2020). 5. Conclusion and Recommendations Teacher Professional Development (TPD) refers to any activities that can enhance teachers’ skills and competencies which result in students’ learning. In condign their TPD, motivation plays a crucial role. This study seeks to identify the professional development activities conducted by English secondary school teachers, and their motivations for engaging in these activities viewed from the lens of SDT. Using qualitative approach and descriptive research design, three participants of English secondary school were interviewed to collect the data. In order to maintain the trustworthiness, member checking was administered, and the transcription was regarded correct by the participants. Additionally, in order to maintain the participants’ identity, pseudonyms were used. The study showed that 1) attending workshops and seminars, 2) joining the English Teacher Forum/ MGMP, and 3) engaging in informal peer discussions became the main activities for the teachers to conduct their professional development. Furthermore, the participants acknowledged their motivation in conducting TPD was driven by 1) self-awareness, 2) alignment with profession and support, and 3) the need to be competent. These three factors of motivation, indeed, corroborates the SDT proposed by Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci. The study imply that teachers enhance their teaching skills by engaging in various TPD activities so that they can instruct their students in a more professional manner. In addition, since the motivation for conducting TPD is frequently generated by teachers' internal motivation, it is recommended that teachers conduct TPD based on a bottom-up approach as opposed to a top-down approach so that their TPD activities can be sustainable and result in lifelong learning. Acknowledgment This research would not have been possible without many people’s support and help, including our colleagues and English teachers at representative secondary schools. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all of them. Our deepest thanks and gratitude go to our colleagues at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, who have supported research by providing suggestions and ideas regarding the data collection. Additionally, this endeavor would not have been possible without the generous support from secondary English secondary school teachers who were involved in the research process for their cooperation during data collection. Declarations Author contribution : Eko Purwanti was responsible for the entire research project. She also led the writing of the manuscript and the collaboration with the second author, Salma Octavia, who participated in the data collection. All of the authors approved the final manuscript. Funding statement : No funding is available for this research. Conflict of interest : All of the authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Declaration : We as authors acknowledge that this work has been written based on ethical research that conforms to the regulations of our university and that we have obtained permission from the relevant institutes when 211 English Language Teaching Educational Journal ISSN 2621-6485 Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 202-213 Purwanti, E. & Octavia, S. (Examining teachers' motivation in conducting teacher professional development.....) collecting data. 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