Strengthen the Motivation of Teachers to Improve Their Own Competencies

Improving teachers' competencies are of particular importance for improving students' academic achievement. Teachers with sufficient skills and knowledge can create a favorable environment for students' academic progress. The purpose of this study is 1) to identify different components of teacher competencies, and 2) to identify the factors that motivate teachers to improve their own competencies. To achieve these two goals, the qualitative method was used. The instrument was a semi-structured interview. Questions of the interview were provided based on Herzberg's motivational theory. The statistical population includes teachers and educational experts who can have access to them in Tehran. The sample size includes theoretical foundations and related research available, as well as 12 teachers and educational experts in different areas of education in Tehran. Purposeful sampling was performed. After reviewing, it was found that teacher competencies include 6 components include "teacher professional responsibilities", "classroom management and organization", "teaching", "effective teaching prerequisites", "planning and preparation" and "teacher personal characteristics". Each of these components has some sub-components. After coding and categorizing the interviews, it was found that motivating factors are divided into two categories, motivators and hygiene. In accordance with each of them, interventions can be made to motivate their teachers to upgrade their teacher competencies by actively participating in approved education courses, virtual and non-virtual courses, and searching for relevant materials.