Bandung — The physical work environment has a positive and significant influence on the work motivation of State Civil Apparatus (ASN) teachers at SMA Negeri 1 ZQZ, West Bandung Regency. This finding comes from research by Suci Maharani Azizah and R.M Juddy Prabowo from the Faculty of Economics and Business, General Achmad Yani University. The study involved 32 ASN teachers and found that job satisfaction, although positively related to work motivation, did not have a statistically significant individual effect. When the physical work environment and job satisfaction were analyzed together, however, they had a strong and significant influence on teachers’ work motivation.
The environment in which teachers work can influence their comfort and ability to carry out their responsibilities. Teachers are responsible not only for teaching students but also for assessing progress, providing guidance, managing learning activities, and performing other duties that support the educational process. For this reason, the condition of classrooms, facilities, and other physical aspects of the school can become important factors in supporting teachers’ daily work.
The study was conducted against the background of conditions observed at SMA Negeri 1 ZQZ, West Bandung Regency. School administrative records showed 203 incidents of lateness among ASN teachers from January to October 2025. The highest number was recorded in June, with 34 incidents, followed by October with 33 and August with 24. The researchers used these records as part of the background for examining issues related to teachers’ work motivation.
Observations and interviews conducted on December 11, 2025, also identified several physical workplace issues. Some classrooms reportedly had black mold in several corners and damaged doors with deteriorating surfaces. Classrooms were also not equipped with fans, while some contained approximately 40–50 students. Limited ventilation made air circulation less effective, causing classrooms to become hot and stuffy during learning activities.
Other concerns involved cleanliness and workspace organization. Scattered waste contributed to an untidy appearance, while the teachers’ room had desks positioned close together, limiting movement and reducing comfort during professional activities. These conditions became part of the basis for examining the relationship between the physical work environment and teachers’ motivation.
School administrative records also documented 298 instances of permitted absence among ASN teachers between January and October 2025. The figure was included in the research background as an indicator related to teacher attendance and the broader issues of job satisfaction and work motivation.
To examine these factors, Azizah and Prabowo used a quantitative research approach. The respondents consisted of 32 ASN teachers actively working at SMA Negeri 1 ZQZ, West Bandung Regency. Data were collected through questionnaires and processed using SPSS version 25. The analysis included validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, coefficient of determination, and hypothesis testing of both individual and combined effects.
The results showed that the overall physical work environment was rated good, with an average score of 3.73. Among the assessed aspects, safety received the highest score at 4.10, followed by lighting at 3.88 and color scheme at 3.85. Air comfort received a score of 3.52, decoration 3.63, and smell 3.43. Overall, respondents considered their physical work environment to be in good condition.
Job satisfaction was also rated at the satisfied level, with an average score of 4.05. Meanwhile, teachers’ work motivation reached an average score of 4.07, placing it in the high category. Responsibility received a score of 4.45, the job itself 4.41, and potential development 4.34. Recognition received the lowest score among the motivation indicators, at 3.21.
The regression analysis found that the physical work environment had a positive regression coefficient of 0.491, with a significance value of 0.030. Because the significance value was below 0.05, the physical work environment was found to have a significant effect on teachers’ work motivation. In practical terms, better physical working conditions were associated with higher levels of work motivation among the ASN teachers studied.
Job satisfaction produced a positive regression coefficient of 0.459, but its significance value was 0.111, which is above the 0.05 threshold. Therefore, job satisfaction was not statistically proven to have a significant individual effect on teachers’ work motivation in this study. Although the direction of the relationship was positive, the result was not statistically significant.
The finding suggests that teachers’ motivation is not necessarily determined by job satisfaction alone. The researchers noted that other factors may contribute to work motivation, including leadership, rewards, and the working environment. The study also differs from some previous research, indicating that the relationship between job satisfaction and work motivation can vary depending on organizational and respondent characteristics.
When the physical work environment and job satisfaction were examined simultaneously, the two variables had a significant influence on work motivation. The R Square value of 0.641 indicates that the two variables jointly explained 64.1 percent of the variation in teachers’ work motivation. The remaining 35.9 percent was associated with other factors not examined in the study. The researchers classified the combined influence as strong.
The simultaneous test further supported the finding. The calculated F-value was 25.836, with a significance value of 0.000, demonstrating that the physical work environment and job satisfaction jointly had a significant effect on the work motivation of ASN teachers.
For schools, the findings highlight the importance of maintaining and improving physical working conditions. The researchers specifically recommended improvements in cleanliness and air circulation to create a more comfortable environment for teachers.
Recognition of teachers’ contributions also requires attention. Because recognition received a relatively low score among the work motivation indicators, the school was encouraged to provide greater appreciation for teachers’ performance and achievements. Recognition can become part of an effort to maintain and strengthen teachers’ motivation.
The findings provide a broader perspective on school management. A school environment is not only a place where teaching takes place but also a workplace that can influence teachers’ enthusiasm and motivation. Adequate lighting, safety, cleanliness, air circulation, and comfortable workspaces can therefore be considered as part of efforts to support teachers’ professional responsibilities.
Azizah and Prabowo conclude that the physical work environment has a positive and significant individual effect on the work motivation of ASN teachers. Job satisfaction, despite having a positive relationship, was not individually proven to have a significant effect. However, the physical work environment and job satisfaction together had a strong and significant influence on teachers’ work motivation.
Future research is recommended to use more recent theories and references and to include additional variables that may influence teachers’ work motivation. Such research could provide a broader understanding of the factors shaping motivation among educators in different school environments.
Author Profiles
Suci Maharani Azizah — Faculty of Economics and Business, General Achmad Yani University.
R.M Juddy Prabowo — Faculty of Economics and Business, General Achmad Yani University.
Research Source
Article Title: The Influence of Physical Work Environment and Job Satisfaction on the Work Motivation of ASN Teachers at SMA Negeri 1 ZQZ, West Bandung Regency
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5 No. 8, 2026, pp. 3409–3424.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i8.269
Journal Website: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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