INFLUENCE OF SELF-EFFICACY AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF ADULT EDUCATION PRACTITIONERS IN CHIKUN LGA OF KADUNA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study finds out the influence of self-efficacy and job performance of adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population comprised of two Non-Governmental Organizations rendering social welfare services in Kaduna State namely; Hope for the Village Child Foundation which enhances community development. The research questions that guided the study were: What is the relationship between self-efficacy and social workers’ commitment to their jobs in rural areas? What is the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement of job tasks by social workers in rural areas? What is the relationship between deep understanding of job specifications and achievement of job tasks by social workers in rural areas? What is the relationship between persistence and achievement of job tasks by social workers in rural areas? Simple percentages and mean were used to analyze the data based on the research questions. Research results showed the following: There was a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and social workers’ commitment to their jobs in rural areas in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. There was a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and achievement of job tasks by social workers in rural areas in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. There was a significant positive relationship between deep understanding of job specifications and achievement of job tasks by social workers in rural areas in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. There was a significant positive relationship between persistence and job performance of social workers in rural areas with reference to Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. It was recommended among others that Since it was found out that self- efficacy was positively and significantly related to Social workers’ cognitive engagement, program designers and managers should formulate programs and activities that will develop and maintain self-efficacy among social workers, develop activities that will also boost their cognitive engagement and interest in their job specifications. Such activities will help improve social workers’ achievement. Findings of the study proved that job performance was positively and significantly related to social workers’ self-efficacy, programme designers and managers of welfare services in Kaduna state, Nigeria are required to set high standard, aspirations and expectations for social workers by evolving programs aimed at encouraging and boosting their confidence to enhance their job performance. This should be done, by formulating realistic, specific measurable and relevant social welfare goals for social workers’ environment to build their effort, confidence, and general job performance.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Receiving a quality education is an important cornerstone in the lives of every individual. It is imperative that students have the tools they need to be successful, tools that include self-efficacy and motivation. For some students, however, motivation is not always intrinsic. Research has indicated that the relationship between students’ self-efficacy and academic achievement is an important factor in the educational sector. In fact, one of the most powerful weapons that students should strive to develop is confidence, determination and the spirit of perseverance which are elements of self-efficacy. Students who tend to lack such attributes may likely have little or no interest in sustained academic pursuit which certainly affects better achievement outcomes (Boynton & Boynton, 2015; Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2019; Skinner & Green, 2018). Students’ academic activities and achievements tend to increase by their self-efficacy. This submission has been confirmed by Zimmerman and Bandura, (1994), that academic achievement involves self-efficacy belief of students, which can regulate their learning. Additionally, the learning environment plays a significant role in heightening and maintaining student self-efficacy and interest in academic activities. When students feel a sense of control and security in the classroom, they are more engaged because they approach learning with enthusiasm and vigor and become active participants in their own education (Skinner & Green, 2018).

The lack of academic achievement among secondary students is ubiquitous. There are numerous reasons why students may lose interest in school, and self-efficacy is one of the key factors. Considering that students spend about twenty-five percent of their waking hours in a classroom, it is essential that students have a strong confidence in themselves and high spirit of I-can-do-it. This creates a problem for both the teacher and the student. Throughout an average school day, teachers frequently overhear students complaining about an assignment, a class, or even a teacher. If students have positive relationships with their teachers, they will be more engaged and thus more motivated throughout each of their classes.

Effective self-efficacy is expected to produce extraordinary results in job performance irrespective of either the manufacturing or service sectors. Hence, effective self-efficacy is about self-confidence, and self-trust in modern organizations. Nowadays, in the office and other social welfare activities, managers are assigning more self-efficacy training to social workers with opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and develop their skills and self-confidence in task performance (Hartenian, 2019). Recent studies show that a social worker can produce more output as compared to other individuals when he has a high self-efficacy (Jones, Richard, Paul, Sloane & Peter, 2017).

Self-efficacy is expected to enhance organizational cohesion or integration consequently giving rise to harmonization of efforts among social workers resulting in higher productivity. Organizational culture, job description, job satisfaction, skills and qualifications of social workers together with the organizational structure will help in enhancing the job performance of social workers towards achieving the target of the organization (Higgins,2019).

 Currently, many organizational disciplines have adopted self-efficacy as essential in achieving success and their mission statements routinely attest to the importance of self-efficacy, utilizing such words as self-worth, self-confidence, self-believe, and positive self-concept as key components (Femi, 2020). Although it is one thing for social work practitioners to assume that they have the self-efficacy components in place, it is another thing to measure the components by a defined set of attributes and then use the results of this measurement to pursue what might, in reality, be missing in the self-efficacy model within a given organization. Events of mass effect require self-efficacy among social workers in any given area, whether rural or urban areas.

Effective teamwork is therefore about creating procedures and policies for conflict resolution. Every team member has the responsibility of expressing his or her opinions without offending anyone in the team. Effective teamwork is as a result of the team leader setting a good example, which can then be emulated by all the team members in the group. To keep the team committed, positive, and motivated, the team leader has to apply the necessary leadership qualities to help achieve the organizational goals as cited by (Denhardt, 2008).

According to Abdulkadir (2012), an office professional is someone who is often found in the office making sure all correspondents are dealt with at the appropriate time. The work of an office professional which can be organizing meeting, taking minute of meetings, welcoming visitors and others is very important to the success of every organization as deficiencies in their work may have a heavy hit on the financial stands of an organization as such the need for office professionals to be part of teamwork is of great importance. An office professionals maintains the smooth running of an office through a variety of administrative and clerical duties. They handle office schedules, coordinate meetings and visits, organize files, answer phones and perform a huge array of other essential tasks. Office professionals generally work directly for organization or office management, depending on their experience may also supervise other clerical staff.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Every organization, either large or small, struggles to acquire productivity so as to achieve success and maintain a valuable image in this present world of organizational competitions. And it is the wish of organizations to see the input they use (resources) and the output (goods and services produced) they have at the end being put in the most effective and efficient use.

The population of employees in an organization may be very large and yet that organization will be achieving a very low productivity and with no improvement in their products. Could this occur as a result of absence of teamwork in such organizations? And if it is, then, there are other organizations that have teams and yet achieve little or no productivity at all. It may be as a result of the following problems: Lack of Teamwork among their employees: That is; the failure of an organization to coordinate works into work groups in order to tap from the respective human resources of the organization process. So also, absence of teamwork may be attributed to lack of cooperation among the office professionals. Factors that militate against team work in an Organization: The conditions permanently occurring in an organization (lack of picking up of innovative ideas) like the absence of designing motivational programs, educational growth, bonuses, job rotation and the use of old technologies, and so on etc, may be attributed to as the effect of teamwork among office professionals. These problems have not been empirically verified, hence this study embarked upon in order to determine the effect of teamwork among office professionals.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study was to find out the influence of self-efficacy and job performance of adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The specific objectives are to:

1. Find out the influence of self-efficacy on adult education practitioners’ commitment to their jobs in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State.
2. Determine the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State.
3. Find out the relationship between deep understanding of job specifications and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State.
4. Find out the relationship between persistence and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State.

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What is the influence of self-efficacy on adult education practitioners’ commitment to their jobs in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State?
2. What is the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State?
3. What is the relationship between deep understanding of job specifications and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State?
4. What is the relationship between persistence and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State?

1.5       Significance of the Study

The study finds out the influence of self-efficacy and job performance of adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The significance of a study of this magnitude cannot be over emphasized as it will contribute a lot to existing body of literature and all stakeholders in adult education, adult learners, parents, counsellors, and the Agency for Adult and Non-formal Education will benefit from the research findings.

Available literature shows that empirical researches in the area of the influence of self-efficacy on the job performance of adult education practitioners in the area under study is rare. If any, not as robust as the present study or in the direction of the objectives of this study. Besides, no study of this nature has been conducted within the period of this study when there are significant socio-economic pressures, advancements in adult education, teacher satisfaction etc. especially in rural areas that are seriously affected by high illiteracy level. This present study will fill this gap. The findings will provide effective guidelines in the area of programme and planning of adult education by adult education practitioners in such a manner that will enhance teaching and learning among adult instructors and adult learners for the development of adult education in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

 The findings of the study will provide a baseline information to practitioners of adult education about the factors affecting their self-efficacy, achievement of job tasks, deep understanding of job specifications and what they need to do to remedy the situation. Furthermore, educational psychologists, adult instructors, adult education programme designers, counsellors, etc will use the findings as a reference material. They will be helped to understand the psychosocial variables responsible for adult education ptactitioners’ self-efficacy leading to their success or failure in their job performances. The study will also provide a direction for improved policy statements by policy makers in adult and non-formal education sector which will enhance the development adult education practice in Chikun Local Government Area. Such improved policy statements that will be enacted based on empirical results from this study will provide guidelines that will cater for problematic and challenging areas of directing, monitoring and evaluating adult education activities for sustainability and maximum achievement of the sector.

The scholarly importance of the study cannot be over emphasized as in-coming students and other researchers will use this work as a reference material for their own researches. They could refer to the methodology used, the methods of data presentation or the methods used in statistical analysis.

1.6              Scope of the Study

The study finds out the influence of self-efficacy and job performance of adult education practitioners in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. An examination of the influence of self-efficacy on adult education practitioners’ commitment to their jobs in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners in the area, the relationship between deep understanding of job specifications and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners as well as the relationship between persistence and achievement of job tasks by adult education practitioners fall within the scope of the study. Only questionnaire was used as the primary source of data. Results are confined to Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.

1.7       Definition of Terms

The following terms are contextually defined:

Achievement: Achievement is defined as the level of job performance results demonstrated adult education practitioners.

Adult Education: Educational provisions made for the adult population who no longer attend formal school on a regular or full time basis.

Adult Education Practitioners: All those employed in the adult education sector including the instructors, and all other non-teaching staff.

Job Commitment: To occupy a adult education practitioners’ attention and interest in their job tasks; not demonstrating off-task behaviours, participating in work activities through independently working on job tasks, contributing to work group discussions or working on job tasks with colleagues.

Low Achievement: Inability of an adult education practitioner to meet up with job performance expectations both in oral and written contributions.

Momentary Time Sampling: At ten-minute interval points when the management observes whether adult education practitioners are engaging in off-task behaviours.

Negative Relationships: These relationships include team leaders and adult education practitioners who do not foster a welcoming environment. They hold all the power and the target beneficiaries do not feel a sense of belonging or control.

Off-task Behaviours: These behaviours include sleeping, head down, excessive discussion on unrelated subjects, cell phone use not related to the job task, wandering purposelessly around the work environment, or completing work not related to the job specification.

Tagged with: Achievement, Adult Education, Adult Education Practitioners, Job Commitment, Job Performance, Momentary Time Sampling, Negative Relationship, Off-Task Behaviours, Self_Efficacy