ABSTRACT: The study was designed to examine motivation and job satisfaction among science teachers in secondary schools in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consisted of all Biology teachers from all the eight (9) public secondary schools in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area which is a total of twenty (20) teachers. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the sample for the study in selecting all the twenty (20) Biology teachers from the nine (9) public secondary schools in the study Area. The instrument used for gathering the data for this study was the researchers developed questionnaire titled “Motivation and Job Satisfaction among science teachers Questionnaire (MJSASTQ. The data collected were analyzed statistically using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The result from the findings revealed that teacher condition of service, teachers’ promotion and regular payment of teachers’ salary influence job satisfaction among science teachers in secondary school in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area. It was recommended among others that Government should organize seminars that will aim at torch-lighting the roles of teachers’ motivation in educational development
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is the foundation of National, Socio-Economic and even political development and the quality of citizen’s level of education would determine the level of national progress. Education as a strong weapon to fight poverty, suppress disease, support and promote sustainable development depends mostly on the teachers. In addition, education, promotes endurance, maturity, enhances change and stability. People are able to acquire the necessary skills and experience and the capability to take care of themselves and become solution providers to their communities and nation and not a liability. Teachers are unarguably the most important group of professionals for our nation’s future in Nigeria, since the nation itself cannot rise above the quality of its teachers (National policy on Education 2006). The teacher is an undisputable input in any educational system, and as such they should not be undermined. The personality and satisfaction of the teacher is a significant factor that must be taken into consideration if the teachers are to deliver their services to their full potential (Haughes, 2001).
Olando (2003) put it that teaching is a demanding job that need to be remunerated well to attract and retain teachers in the profession. This will help prevent teachers from running to other greener pastures. Olando further urges that for any efficient work to take place there is need for favorable conditions. Thus an individual should be provided with an enabling environment to perform and produce the desired results. Okemwa (2003) notes that teachers working in rural centers are more disadvantaged compared to their urban counterparts due to the under development in their schools. The teacher as an instrument of success needs the physical, psychological, economical and social comfort. Okemwa (2003) confirms that every organization which has to succeed must have contended workers. According to Olando (2003) one of the signs of job satisfaction is provision of favourable working conditions in an organization.
Teacher motivation plays an important role in the promotion of teaching and learning excellence and brings about productivity. Generally, when teachers are motivated and satisfied with their job they are more likely to motivate students to learn in the classroom, to ensure the implementation of educational reforms and feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. While teacher motivation is fundamental to the teaching and learning process, several teachers are not highly satisfied with their job due to certain factors.
According to Braitte, (2003), motivation is considered to be the driving force behind all actions performed and is thought to be responsible for “why people decide to do something, how long they are willing to sustain the activity and how hard they are going to pursue it”.
Motivation can be understood from two dimensions. Psychological perspectives and management perspectives; Psychological perspective refers to the internal mental state of an individual relating to the internal initiation, direction, persistence, intention and termination of behavior (Mullins, 2005). Job satisfaction process consists of needs which are geared towards achieving desired goals. The drives are action oriented to approach certain goals to alleviate an individual needs.
In educational system motivation is an activity that government or employers do to their employees in an attempt to boost their productivity in the organization. It’s the process of activating the willingness potentials of the employees (Mullins, 2005). It is in terms of outward behaviour. Those processes exert extra effort to perform given tasks unlike those not motivated. When teachers are satisfied with their job through appropriate motivational strategies, it will lead to higher productivity in the educational system thereby bringing about the actualization of educational objectives and general performance of students in the learning process. Motivation and Job Satisfaction among Science Teachers in Secondary Schools.
Teachers are no longer accorded the usual respect in the society even from their own students. If the teacher should win back his respect, it is necessary to improve his condition. Ajayi (2008) posited that strategic tools such as teachers’ salaries, allowances, promotion and other benefits need to be paid promptly as that would enhance his productivity which may in turn leads to the transformation of secondary education in Nigeria. In most Nigerian private schools, teachers are over – loaded with subjects and at times forced to teach subjects which they are not qualified. This makes them to underperform hence the falling standard. In Nigeria, teachers are being looked down upon even in communities where they serve. Gone are the days when the teacher was looked upon as the light bearer of the society and was well respected by the people as a whole, but today reverse is the cases. The decline in the teaching profession of teachers is as results of poor motivation by Government. It is believed that when Government makes the teacher to be satisfied with their job in terms of regular payment of salaries, good working condition, promotion and organization of seminars and workshops only then can the educational objectives be achieved with eased.
Motivation and Job Satisfaction among Science Teachers in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of Problem
Human Resource Management is considered to be the most valuable asset in any organization. It is the sum-total of inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills represented by the talents and aptitudes of the employed persons who comprise of executives, supervisors, and the rank and file employees. It may be noted here that human resources should be utilized to the maximum possible extent, in order to achieve individual and organizational goals. It is thus the employee’s performance which ultimately decides and attainment of goals. However, the employee performance is to a large extent, influenced by job satisfaction. People join organizations with certain motives like security of income and job, better prospects in future, and satisfaction of social and psychological needs. Every person has different sets of needs at different times. It is the responsibility of management to recognize this basic fact and provide appropriate opportunities and environments to people at work to satisfy their needs, but when these needs are not met it leads to job dissatisfaction and disillusionment of teachers. Also, it further translates into inefficient professional conducts and students’ underachievement in school. These problems prompted the researcher into investigating the extent to which motivation influence Job satisfaction among science teachers in secondary school in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area. Consequently, this is in a view at x-raying how promotion, payment of salaries, working condition, incentives, fringe benefits, and allowances will lead to an optimized teacher’s commitment and job Satisfaction in secondary schools.
Originally posted on May 19, 2021 @ 12:24 am
