Dr. Judith Porter

The researcher's purpose in conducting the study was to determine the motivation orientation of secondary public school teachers and whether there was a predictive relationship between their orientation and their attitudes about extrinsic incentives offered by school systems. Additionally, the variables of gender, building level configuration, metropolitan/surburban area, level and degree of educational experience, years of teaching experience, and required/elective subject area and how these variables affect teachers' attitudes about extrinsic incentives offered by school systems were also considered. The population surveyed included a representative sample of metropolitan and suburban secondary teachers in Nebraska Public School systems. The teachers were surveyed to determine their motivation orientation and their attitudes about extrinsic incentives offered by school systems. The survey employed two instruments. The first part of the survey was an existing instrument measuring the independent variable, motivation orientation. The second part of the survey was designed by the researcher to measure the dependent variable, attitudes about extrinsic incentives. Data were analyzed for the 250 respondents using multiple regression. The researcher used this technique to address the predictive relationship between the changes in the dependent variable as a result of the relationships of the independent variables. Four out of five teachers surveyed had an extrinsic motivation orientation. There was a significant relationship (p $<$.05) between a teacher's motivation orientation and his or her attitude toward extrinsic incentives offered by school systems with F =.00. Teachers who indicated an extrinsic motivation orientation indicated the highest level of motivation by extrinsic incentives. Extrinsic incentives ranked as the most motivating were (1) health insurance, (2) job security, (3) competitive salary, (4) financial support for workshops and classes, and (5) life insurance.