Career Development as a Predictor of Achievement Motivation among Public Elementary School Teacher

This study examines career development as a predictor of achievement motivation among public elementary school teachers in Pabelan District, Semarang Regency, Indonesia. The study employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design. The population consisted of public elementary school teachers in Pabelan District, and data were collected from 128 teachers using structured Likert-scale questionnaires measuring career development and achievement motivation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption testing, and simple linear regression to determine the predictive association between career development and teachers’ achievement motivation. The findings indicate that teachers’ achievement motivation was generally high, with a mean score of 148.09, while career development also demonstrated a relatively favorable level, with a mean score of 128.93. Among the dimensions of achievement motivation, the need for affiliation obtained the highest percentage (88.10%), followed by the need for achievement (87.30%) and the need for power (85.40%). Regarding career development, self-development showed the highest percentage (87.50%), followed by experience (86.90%) and work performance (82.90%). Regression analysis indicated a positive and statistically significant predictive association between career development and achievement motivation. The estimated regression model was Ŷ = 52.86 + 0.74X, with an estimated R² of 0.490, indicating that career development statistically accounted for approximately 49.0% of the variance in achievement motivation within the sample. These findings highlight the importance of providing sustainable opportunities for teachers’ professional growth, career development, and self-improvement to support achievement-oriented motivation.