What Indonesian Teachers' Happiness is and How it Manifests at Work in Adopting Technology-Based Teaching in the Digital Era: A Pilot Study

This study explored the characteristics and factors influencing Indonesian teachers' work satisfaction when utilising ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in the digital era. The findings could serve as a foundation for optimizing teachers’ happiness at work in the face of technological transformation. The research method employed was an exploratory case study with the indigenous psychology approach. The participants were 550 teachers. Data collection involved open-ended questionnaires, which were analysed using content analysis. Four main categories emerged as characteristics of Indonesian teachers’ happiness at work in the digital era: positive emotion, work contribution, positive working relationship, and meaning at work. Factors contributing to Indonesian teachers’ happiness at work when using ICT stemmed from both personal and organisational sources. The personal factor included personality traits, while the organisational factors encompassed co-worker support, school principal, appreciation of work performance, teacher development program, and school facilities. This research recommends optimizing teachers' work happiness by understanding these characteristics and developing programs that enhance work happiness based on personal and organisational factors, thus preparing teachers to teach effectively with ICT in the digital era.