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AN EVALUATION OF STAFF MOTIVATION MEASURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

Owing to the declining productivity of the teaching workforce in our educational system occasioned by staff motivation crisis rocking our country evidenced in low staff output, high staff turnover, regular strike actions, poor pupil performance, refusal of staffs to accept postings to rural areas, irregular attendance and staff absenteeism, there is need to undertake a study on the motivation measures necessary for improving and boosting the productivity of staffs in our educational system. This is what this study is all about. In doing this, staffs’ opinions were sought through the use of questionnaire administered and oral interviews. The Likert- five points scale of weighting was used in the design of the questionnaire. The aim was to identify the motivation measures in their order of importance. The findings show that many people at the helm of affairs in our educational system do not even understand the issue of motivation, not to talk of employing it as an effective tool to achieve increased productivity. The findings also show that motivation measures identified have varying index of importance and can be combined with other good management practices to effectively achieve the motivation of the teaching workforce. The study recommends more research in motivation issues in our educational system for effective planning geared towards improved productivity. The study is of the view that both the governments and schools proprietors and managements should discharge the roles expected of them in the motivation of the teaching workforce so as to have a vibrant and motivated workforce.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Motivation is not completely a new term. What is interesting about it is that it is commonly assumed to be a good thing that goes in influencing individual’s behavior and performance at work.

Teacher motivation naturally has to do with teacher’s attitude to work. It has to do with teachers  desire to participate in the pedagogical process within the school environment. It has to do with teacher’s interest in student discipline and control particularly in the classroom. Therefore it could underlie their involvement or non-involvement in academic and non-academic activities, which operate in school. The teacher is one that translates educational philosophy and objective into knowledge and skill and transfers them to students in the classroom. Classroom climate is important in teacher motivation. If a teacher experiences the classroom as a safe, healthy, happy with supportive reassures and facilities for teaching for optimal learning, he/she tends to participate more than expected in the process of management, administration and the over all improvement of the school. The teacher commands and emits the image of one who improves knowledge and the physical condition of the classroom through orderliness, discipline and control. He makes diagnosis of student’s feelings and attitudes inferred by their behavior and response in the classroom environment. Hence, Lash and Kirkpatrick (1990) concluded that in the absence of school programmes, the major responsibility of working with children in the school rests with the teacher. Likewise Maeher and Midgley (1991), affirms that what takes place in the classroom, even through the classroom itself is not an island, is critical.

Therefore, depending on the degree of congruence with classroom practices and school environment, teachers teaching activities may dilute or enhance students learning and performance.

Teachers motivation is therefore anything done to make teachers happy, satisfied, dedicated, and committed in such a way that they bring out their best in their places of work so that both students, parents, and the society will greatly benefit from their services.

 Teachers have both intrinsic and extrinsic needs. A teacher who is intrinsically motivated may be observed to undertake a task for it own sake, for the satisfaction it provides or for the feeling of accomplishment and self actualization. On the other hand, an extrinsically motivated teacher may perform the activities /duty in order to obtain some rewards such as salary. Extrinsic motivation plays an important part in people’s life. It is pre-eminent in influencing a persons behavior. Therefore, the aim of organization should be to build on and enhance the intrinsic motivation for teachers  to teach effectively and at the same time, to supply some extrinsic motivation along the way for school improvement (O’neil,1995). Educators are aware that reformers of education may establish new schools, effect changes in structure and curriculum, recommend and prescrib teaching methods and aids, in the end, the teacher will be solely responsible for applying them.

Unfortunately, despite the obvious leading role teachers play in school towards attending educational objectives, several authors including Ndu (1998), Ala-Adeyemi and Afolabi (1990) and the International Labour Organization (ILO,1990) report lamented  that the motivation of teachers had reached an intolerable low point. Rosa Mafia Torres, the senior education adviser in UNICEF declared that the condition of teachers had for too long become the most critical “Achilles heels” of educational development in our era.

Berelson and Steiner (1964), Tracy (2000) defined motivation as all those inner striving conditions, described as wishes, desire, urges to stimulate the interest of a person in an activity. It is therefore an inner state that stimulate and triggers behavior. Ukeje (1991), said “motivation could make a mule dance” The relative incidence of specific behaviors, such as teaching and learning, discipline and control in schools could be undermined if teachers were not motivated.

Sadly, the lack of effective teacher motivation is a prime factor in experienced teachers looking for work in other fields.

Management can be defined as the coordination of all the resources of an organization through the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling in order to attain organizational goals.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the most troublesome aspects of our educational sector is the issue of low productivity and lack of motivation. This manifests itself in the lack of zeal and enthusiasm on the part of both the teaching and the non- teaching staffs in our school system. The resultant effect of lack of motivation can be seen on how some staffs carry on their own business during official working hours to the detriment of their students, some come to work whenever they like and others due to the same lack of motivation leave the teaching job to seek greener pastures elsewhere. In all these, the students who are the end products are the worst hit as they do not get enough in terms of learning.

1.3  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Can the teaching workforce be motivated through the evolving of effective measures aimed at increasing the productivity of teachers?

2. Are there any meeting points between the productivity or performance level of teachers and the level of motivation available in our schools?

3. Can a well planned and organized work environment and its resources be linked to as a key to motivating the teaching workforce and the promotion of job satisfaction that can provide incentive for teachers to increase their productivity?

1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

AIM:

1.    To evolve effective measures at increasing the productivity of the teaching workforce through motivation.

OBJECTIVE

i.            To understand the psychology of workmen including the teachers in a given work environment.

ii.          To understand the various methods of motivation.

iii.        To establish the relationship between motivation and productivity.

iv.         To understand the primary categories of motivational programmes that are designed and tailored for increased productivity.

v.           To fully comprehend the essentials of motivations and productivity.

vi.         To be acquainted with the need to identify, correct and remove demotivators in a well – motivated work/ teaching/academic school environment.

vii.       To understand the importance of motivation in a well planned and organized academic environment.

viii.     To provide an explanation on how behaviour is stimulated, sustained, directed and how it can be terminated.

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be immense benefit to the government at all levels, school proprietors and planners in the educational sector who employ, administer and make use of the services of teachers in getting to know how best to boast the productivity of teachers in their service.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on the evaluation of staff motivation measures in the management of schools in Owerri municipal council using three selected secondary schools and three selected primary schools.

This study was limited to only three secondary and three primary schools due to time, energy and cost involved.

1.7   HYPOTHESIS

HYPOTHESIS 1: There is no significant relationship between declining productivity and the level of motivation available to teachers.

HYPOTHESIS II: There is no significant effect of increased motivation on productivity.

HYPOTHESIS III: There is no significant increase in the vigor of an individual’s activity when motivation is available.

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