The Role of communication and collaboration influencing teachers’ professional motivation

The article addresses one of the most important factors of teachers’ professional motivation, communication and collaboration, in the context of the education process understood as a system of interaction of all members of the education process. The main idea of the empirical research introduced in this article is to reveal and generalise aspects of communication and collaboration in Lithuanian non-formal music education (in music schools), while thoroughly analysing the aspect of relationships between an educator and students, an educator and parents, an educator and an educator, an educator and a school principal. The object of the article focuses on communication and collaboration in the context of non-formal music education, in Lithuanian music schools in particular. Selection of the mentioned context allows stating the novelty of the object: manifestation of communication and collaboration of participants of the education process in non-formal education in Lithuania has not been investigated so far. Relevance of analysis of the object is grounded on the provisions of the European Union documents regulating education and holding that non-formal education of children presently is a relevant, significant area enabling deepening and enrichment of activities of non-formal education (Council of Europe, 2003; Council of the European Union, 2006). Also, it is substantiated by conclusions of scientific research already establishing non-formal education as equal to multi-cultural awareness based on development of student’s intellectual abilities, stimulation of sensual nature, formation of the relation with the self and surrounding world (Samama, 2013; Philpott, 2012; Westerlund, 2012). Thus, currently all processes taking place in the non-formal education are highly relevant, and investigation of them is important and timely. The raised research aim reflects the major idea of empirical research: to investigate and generalise the characteristics of communication and collaboration in Lithuanian music schools in the aspects of relationships between teacher and parents, teacher and student, teacher and teacher. Exceptional focus of the researchers is laid on communication and collaboration between educator and school principal, hypothetically stating that a negative confrontation between teachers and school principals possibly manifests in the educational area, what makes influence on teachers’ professional motivation. The research shows that the relation between teacher and student in the process of music education is clearly characteristic of manifestations of authoritarianism in education. When evaluating manifestation of the relationship between a teacher and parents, a teachers’ positive attitudes towards mutual collaboration have been found out; nevertheless, interrelations among teachers in school are based on competitiveness. The relationship between a school principal and teachers is ambiguously evaluated by teachers themselves: in some cases, it is characterised as positive, whereas in other cases it is perceived as negative; nevertheless, in all cases it is considered as making an impact on the entire education process