The Role Of Organizational Commitment Of Teachers In Professional Culture

Abstract

This article discusses the role of organizational commitment in the professional culture of teachers. Immersion in a certain professional environment contributes to the formation of a sustainable professional culture. Professional culture is considered as a system of values and a certain style of activity. The study of the organizational commitment of teachers and their system of professional values was conducted. It involved teachers who had worked in one organization for more than 3 years. However, a high level of organizational commitment develops after a period of professional adaptation. Commitment to the organization is an indicator of the attitude to the organization in which professionals and beginners work. For beginners, a positive attitude from the professional community is very important. They are the example that helps to build positive commitment to the profession and the organization. Teachers with a high level of organizational commitment showed a distinctive value system and style of activity. This system of values demonstrates self-confidence as a teacher, love of work, responsibility for the result. They are ready for public recognition and are interested in their work. All this becomes an important condition for the formation of professional culture.

Keywords: Organizational commitment of teachersprofessional culture of teachers

Introduction

Many factors influence the formation of the professional culture of teachers. These include values, traditions, social norms and attitudes of both macro- and micro-environments. The micro-environment for teachers is the educational organization itself and its culture. We have different experience of relations in the organization, in the professional community. Foreign colleagues discussing the professional development, professional identification, emphasize the importance of the professional community (Blackmore, Howard & Kington 2018; Noonan,. 2018; Prenger, Poortman, & Handelzalts, 2018; Cherng & Davis 2017).

In our research, we proceed from a position that regards professional culture as the essential characteristic of the personality of a specialist, his system of value orientations, the optimal style of professional conduct (Grebennikova & Lankina, 2016) in a certain educational environment with a positive attitude toward it (Serdyuk, 2018; Blake, 2016; Votinov, 2016).

Organizational commitment is a phenomenon that contributes to a closer positive entry into the professional community. In the development of the term "organizational commitment" scientists refer to the concept of "organizational commitment", which is considered in two semantic meanings: "as a commitment to the organization or as a commitment taken over the organization. In this study, we rely on the notion of "organizational commitment, which is seen as a feeling of psychological attachment of an employee to an organization, it reflects the degree of internalization or accepts its characteristics or prospects (Allen & Meyer, 1990; Wasti et al., 2016; Kalashnikov & Minyurova, 2017; Loan & Phuong, 2017; Novikova, 2012).

Problem Statement

The problem of our research is to study the role of organizational commitment in the formation of professional culture; to explore professional culture through a system of values, style of activity and pedagogical orientation.

Research Questions

Does the organizational commitment of teachers have a positive condition in successful professional activity and contributes to both the formation and strengthening of their professional culture?

How the system of values and style of activity differs among teachers with a high level of organizational commitment?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to identify the differences in professional culture among teachers with different levels of organizational commitment.

Research Methods

The study involved teachers of all levels of education. We have identified the level of organizational commitment of teachers with the help of Porter's method "Devotion to the organization." We considered professional culture through value orientations, professional orientations and individual style of activity. Methods of research: "Professional-personal values"; "Individual style of pedagogical activity"; "Diagnostics of personality orientation". The sample of the study was 208 teachers, with the work experience of more than 3 years. When processing the results, the Mann-Whitney criterion was applied.

Findings

According to the results of the study, two groups were identified: teachers with a high level and low level of organizational commitment. The results of the study are presented in Table 01 .

As we see in Table 01 , teachers with a high level of organizational commitment are more result-oriented in their activities. Professional values such as professionalism, performance of meaningful work, contribution to social development, creativity in work, and public recognition are important for them. Also the interest to the work is higher. They are more organized and disciplined than teachers with a low level of organizational commitment. Their system of values, style of activity and focus indicate a higher level of formation of professional culture. Their pedagogical orientation is related to professional interaction. As Grebennikova & Lankina (2016) say: "Professional culture is realized as a dynamic system of pedagogical values, creative methods of pedagogical activity and personal achievements of the teacher in creating models of pedagogical practice from the position of a person of culture at all stages of continuous professional education".

Teachers with a low level of organizational commitment are less focused on results. They think about their goals, interests. They are more interested in working conditions than in professional activities. Payment for them is more important than for teachers with a high level of organizational commitment. Most likely they are not interested in belonging to the professional community. Process-effectiveness values are prevalent precisely among teachers with a high level of organizational commitment. Decrease in the level of organizational commitment appears when personal and external values begin to prevail (Novikova, 2012). Their professional value system tells us that there is no positive attitude towards organization and activity. Their professional culture is at the stage of formation or they do not identify themselves with it.

The formation of a mature attitude towards organization, organizational commitment leads to a special perception of oneself as a subject of activity. A high level of organizational commitment can only occur when the formation of an attitude towards oneself as a subject of activity in a certain professional environment is parallel. Organizational commitment of teachers is the influence of the teacher's confidence in the organization on the sense of believing in himself as a professional. Namely, "psychological assistance to the professional development of the teacher is possible while ensuring the mutual agreement and interaction of the employee and the enterprise (organization)" (Novikova, 2016; Kalashnikov & Minyurova, 2017; Cohen et al., 2018).

Conclusion

Significant differences were found in the professional culture of teachers (professional values, styles of activity, orientation among teachers) with different levels of organizational commitment. Consequently, we can argue that the organizational commitment of teachers can be a condition for the formation of a professional culture.

The results can direct us to research the role of micro-environment for professional culture. We found significant differences among teachers with different levels of organizational commitment. The differences relate primarily to the determining system of their value orientations, the optimal style of professional conduct, and therefore, to professional cultures.

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