IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON TEACHERS’ PRODUCTIVITY

IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON TEACHERS’ PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZARIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study explored the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State, Nigeria. This study was set out to find out the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; determine the impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; find out the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and examine the impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. These objectives were transcribed into four research questions and four hypotheses respectively. The study employed the use of survey research design. The target population of the study was made up of 46 principals, 1183 teachers and 12 education officials from Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State. A sample size of 9 principals, 237 teachers and 2 education officials, totalling 248 respondents were used in the study. The study sample size represented 20% of the entire population drawn using random sampling technique. The instrument titled “motivation and teachers’ productivity questionnaire (MTPQ)” was used for data collection in the study. The instrument was pilot tested and reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. The data collected in study was analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study showed that regular payment of salary results in high teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; Sponsorship to undertake in-service training improve teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; promotion influences teachers’ attitude towards productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and conducive working environment go a long way to enhance teachers’ optimum productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Kaduna State Government should always try as much as possible to pay teachers’ salaries promptly and regularly. There should be regular training of teachers through workshops and refresher courses to motivate them for higher productivity.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Education is one of the vital tools for emancipating mankind, such that each society puts a lot of capital on it to ensure that the entire generation acquires the necessary skills, knowledge and the desired attitudes critical for future survival. However, owing to its value, the extent to which education is measured greatly anchors on examination scores, yet academic achievement also corresponds to teachers’ productivity. To be able to give excellent services, it is most important that teacher feel good about themselves and their jobs. In essence, motivation, commitment and engagement levels are key system for what teachers do and can motivate them to be productive as well. Motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. Motivating other people is about getting them to move in a certain direction in order to achieve a desired result (Sanusi, 2015).

Teacher motivation has become an important issue given their responsibility to impart knowledge and skills to learners. It is argued that well motivated teachers are generally more productive and can influence students’ achievement (Mertler, 1992). Motivation guide teachers’ actions and behaviours toward achievement of goals (Analoui, 2000). In work and other contexts therefore, motivation is often described as being intrinsic or extrinsic in nature (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 2000). Intrinsic motivation, deriving from within the person or from the activity itself, positively affects behaviour, performance, and well being (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, results from the attainment of externally administered rewards, including pay, material possessions, prestige, and positive evaluations among others. In contrast to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation is said to exist when behaviour is performed for its own sake rather than to obtain material or social reinforcers.

Teachers’ productivity is a concern of everybody in the society. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines productivity as ―the act or process of carrying out something or execution of an action or a repetitive act or fulfilment or implementation (Hornby, 2000). In this respect, teacher productivity connotes the teachers’ role of teaching students in class and outside the class. The key aspects of teaching involve production and use of instructional materials, teaching methods, regular assessment of students, making lesson plans, assessment of students, conduct of fieldwork, teachers’ participation in sports, attending school assembly and guidance and counselling. Therefore, teachers’ productivity is the teacher’s ability to integrate the experience, teaching methods, instructional materials, knowledge and skills in delivering subject matter to students in and outside the classroom. Teacher productivity in this study was measured by regular and early reporting at school, participation in extra-curricular activities, supervision of school activities, adequate teaching preparation (schemes of work, lesson plans), marking and general punctuality among others.

Regular payment of teacher’s salary is usually in the form of reward, bonuses, profit sharing plans, and pension plans. A lot has been said about the teachers remuneration which includes prompt payments of salaries, compensation and fringe payments, etcetera in a country like Nigeria, where the psychological needs, that is the lowest order of human needs according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are yet to be fulfilled. It is not surprising that so much importance is attached to pay rise, and benefits that will satisfy these basic needs. That is the reason why money is still the best motivator in the society (Oduwaiye, 2005). Closely connected with pay and fringe benefits is the status and prestige of teachers. Teachers in Nigeria suffer from low esteem as evidence in the low status and prestige according to them in the society. In the society where money is the only answer, which teachers do not have, they are not socially recognized and therefore recognized as their low esteem. As long as the public image is uncomplimentary and the teachers status in the society still does not match with its counterparts in other professions like medicine, law and banking are not likely to achieve the highest productive level (Oduwaiye, 2005).

Human capital investment plays significant role in addressing teachers’ productivity gaps. Reporting from a study carried out in Singapore on the influence of in-service training on employee production in state owned schools, Domack (2012) noted that the most crucial resource for organization is human capital, development through continuous training. It is advised that regular training should be encouraged to renew the employees’ vigour in undertaking tasks effectively, as this motivates individual workers to get committed to the ideals of the organization. From the works of Damian (2012) focusing on factors influencing teachers’ work performance in public institutions in the central Sangwang-China, it was discovered that teachers tend to perform well when provided with conducive working environment. The researcher also noted that the working environment, not necessarily high pay, if properly improved to satisfaction of a worker, one gets motivated and the production is high.

Promotion also motivates teachers when it is granted at certain appropriate intervals in the teaching service, as none would be happy when they are static in a system. Promotion is believed to assume many dimensions, ranging from salary up grading, attaining a higher job group or simply moved to a higher institutional administrative hierarchy (Adagala, 2011). Reporting from a study done in the public secondary schools focusing on factors influencing teachers’ job performance in the rural Obigala Village in Nigeria, Emenike (2011) observed that teachers who obtained regular promotions were more motivated to increase their levels of work performance than those who were static on their grades. Although detailed studies examining the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity are still scanty. Hence, this study examined the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The indispensable and noble profession of teaching is confronted with the problem of poor morale, low and late payment of salary, infrastructural deficit (like well-equipped laboratories, libraries etc.), incommensurate reward for the extent of work, low budget or funding of school operations, constant agitation for salary increase, incentives, and better working conditions. Therefore, this leads to poor planning and disillusionment of teachers. Also, it further translates into inefficient professional conducts and students’ underachievement in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

Optimum productivity is the desire of government and education stakeholders, but motivating teachers who are regarded as one of the ingredients to achieve greater productivity in school is usually not given the necessary attention. Many reasons are cited for this insensitive attitude of employers. For example, some management think it is a complete waste of financial resource to sponsor teachers on in-service training. Others too are of the view that it is an additional cost of production to grant promotion at certain appropriate intervals in the teaching service. To some, the right strategy to adopt in ensuring conducive working environment and prompt payment of salary is not known. This and many more are the reasons for problems associated with motivation.

Seminars, conferences and workshops to improve on teachers’ productivity have been held yet there has been deteriorating standards of professional conduct, including serious misbehaviour (in and outside of work), poor preparation of teaching materials especially lesson notes, lack of continuous student assessment and general poor professional performance. Teacher absenteeism is unacceptably high and rising, time on task is low and falling, and teaching practices are characterized by limited effort with heavy reliance on traditional teacher-centred practices. It is such a situation that prompted the researcher to conduct a study to establish how regular payment of salary, in-service training, conducive working environment and promotion would lead to an optimized teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

This study was set out to:

  1. find out the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State;
  2. determine the impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State;
  3. find out the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and
  4. examine the impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions were answered in the study:

  1. What is the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  2. What impact does in-service training have on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  3. What is the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  4. What impact does conducive working environment have on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H01:     There is no significant impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H02:     There is no significant impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H03:     There is no significant impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H04:     There is no significant impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.6     Basic Assumptions

The study was based on the assumptions that:

  1. Regular payment of salary will lead to increase teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  2. In-service training impact on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  3. When teachers are promoted will lead to increase productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  4. Conducive working environment impact on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.7     Significance of the Study

Findings of this study will be of significance to the principals, curriculum planners, educators, government teachers, students, school administrators and the society at large. The study is of importance to the principals, policy makers and school administrators as it identifies major strategies to modify the behaviour of teaching staff towards their job performance. It has in particular identified strategies that will help to improve teacher morale and working conditions, at the same time counteract the factors that lower the teachers’ motivation.

The finding of the study will immensely help the teachers to be committed to their jobs thereby accomplishing their professional responsibilities. The findings of this study will also encourage the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State to enter into dialogue with the state government in order to negotiate better pay package and other incentives. Also, curriculum planners, educators, and the government would use the results of this study to improve secondary school system.

It would also bring to light the benefits one can derive from motivating employees to increase productivity. Additionally, it would educate employers on matters of how to understand human nature and to help obtain some information with regard to managing negative attitudes towards motivation for greater productivity. On the academic front, results from the study would add up to the exiting literature on employee motivation especially that regarding teachers.

The study is significance as it would enable the Zaria Education Authority and other education stakeholders use the outcome of this study for planning and evaluating impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity. Other researchers can also use the outcome for further studies and investigations. It is hoped that the findings arising from this study if successfully implemented would lead to increase in motivation and improve the level of teacher productivity. This will also translate to enhanced school/academic performance within Zaria Local Government and Kaduna State in general.

1.8     Scope of the Study

The study explored the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. The study sought the opinions of principals, teachers and education officials to ascertain whether regular payment of salary, in-service training, conducive working environment and promotion would lead to an optimized teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. Respondents will be drawn randomly from the secondary schools within Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

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