Meaning in Work of Indonesian Teachers: A Phenomenological Research

The meaning in work is predicted to increase a person's commitment and quality. Teachers with high work commitment are the main predictors of the quality of learning and school organization, while those with low commitment and quality increases cases of teacher turnover. This research aims to explore how private teachers in Indonesia analyze meaning in work and its impact on their work commitment. The phenomenological approach was used in this study to explore the essence of the participants' experiences. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data on 15 private primary and secondary school teachers in Indonesia that have worked for more than five years. The subjects were chosen based on their initial research, which has a high meaning in work. The results showed that the meaning in teachers work is formed because it is driven by (1) the feeling of having the opportunity to self-actualize, (2) pride of their work, and (3) high religious attitude. These three factors ultimately encourage teachers' commitment to work. The research recommends the importance of the principal's policy to support the formation of teacher meaning in work. Furthermore, teachers can also take advantage of these findings by maximizing antecedent factors to increase meaning in work.