AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF TEACHER’S MOTIVATION ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN ENUGU EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE

ABSTRACT

This study set out to investigate the relationship between teacher motivation and students’ performance in the Enugu Education Zone of Enugu state, Nigeria. The Enugu Education Zone is one the six Education zones as classified by the State Ministry of Education. The study adopted the survey research design. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the study sample. To achieve the set objectives, the study applied regression method of data analysis to estimate the effects of teacher motivation on student performance. Findings from the study show that job satisfaction of teachers leads to improved teaching and learning. Motivation of teachers has positive effect on students ‘performance through improved teaching and learning as the log it result shows a coefficient that is greater than]. Also teacher supervision has a great deal of influence on teachers’ commitment to duly. However, only teacher financial motivation is sign Ulcant, while the other variables (experience and teacher training) are statistically in significant. The study recommends that teachers’ salaries and allowances need to be reviewed upwards with prompt payment like other professionals. Professional teachers should be considered more for employment, while teachers should be exposed to regular capacity upgrade programmes as a way of keeping them abreast of developments in their subject areas. The school environment should be made sufficiently stimulating to facilitate learning through the provision of functional school facilities and necessary instructional materials, for education not to witness a bleak future that would have adverse effect on the society. This will make the teachers teach with commitment, demonstrate high morale, productivity and a high sense of professional vista.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

Every organization has three types of basic resources, which are physical, financial and human. The most critical one is no doubt the human resource of an organization. These are the humans who can accelerate the process of organization development or can demolish the organizational progress. This is another fact that as human resource proves to be nucleus of organizational resources, motivation is central and vital component which is key contributor in job satisfaction of an employee. Motivating employees has become one of the most significant and most demanding activities for the human resource management in any organization. There is no doubt that efficiency suffers if workers are not motivated. Organizations invest in effectual strategies to get motivated workforce to compete in the market. Salary alone does not prove to be a vital motivator for everyone in an organization. Various factors motivate people differently depending upon the nature of an organization and its key contributors in developing learning environment.

Education in Nigeria is an instrument for effecting national development. The country’s educational goals have been set out in the National Policy on Education in terms of their relevant to the needs of the individual and the society (FGN, 2004). Towards this end, the National Policy on Education set up certain aims and objectives which are to facilitate educational development in the country. In fostering these aims and objectives, the school principals have important roles to play. Among this roles include providing effective leadership in secondary schools, thereby enhancing better job performance among teachers. How effective the Principal is in performing these roles has been a matter of concern to many educationists (Aghenta, 2000; Ige, 2001).

In the education sector, teachers are the most important human resource. As the most significant resource in schools, teachers are critical to raise education standards. Improving the efficiency and equity of schooling depends, in large measure, on ensuring that teachers are highly skilled, well resourced, and motivated to perform at their best.

 However, the effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching is central to the continuous improvement of the effectiveness of teachers in a school. It is essential to know the strengths of teachers and those aspects of their practice which could be further developed. From this perspective, the institution of teacher evaluation is a vital step in the drive to improve the effectiveness of teachers and learning to raise educational standards.

According to the literature these conditions are responsible for low teacher morale and the difficulty in attracting and retaining quality personnel into the teaching profession. This has not always been the case. A broad consensus is that prior to independence, teaching was considered by almost all sections of society as a highly respected profession. Teachers played key leadership roles in local communities and acted as role models. However, after Independence, when the demand for educated labour grew rapidly, many teachers left the profession to take up jobs elsewhere in the public and private sector. According to Obanya, (1999), this marked the beginning of the teacher motivation crisis in Nigeria, as the public began to look down on those teachers who remained in the classroom as second – string public servants. The growing tendency for school leavers to opt for teaching only if they are unable to find other more lucrative public or private sector employment further compounded this problem of lowered professional status (Lawal, 2000).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is no longer news that every nation strive for economic development. What is important is the approach used to target this development. Worthy of mention is the fact that development thinking has gone beyond economic growth. There is therefore a paradigm shift to sustainable development. Economic growth however facilitates development. Effective resource allocation can lead to development that is self sustaining and perpetuating (Soubbotina, 2004). The relevance of education to development is buttressed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) and most recently the new Human Development Index (NHDI). These two indicators of development (HDI and NHDI) priorities education sector’s in development. In the HDI, adult literacy is key y to development just as access to all levels of education as preached by the NHDI is also very paramount to development. It can therefore be said that any nation that wants to achieve sustainable development should pay attention to education.

Nigeria as a nation still suffers from poor level of education, as attention paid to education is quite low. This is seen in poor budgetary allocation, leading to low investment in education. In the last 10 years, total investments in social services (including health and education) have been below 40% of the capital expenditure. Capital expenditure of Nigeria was 28% of the entire budget in 2010 (CBN, 2011).

Generally, the exploring teacher motivational issues in Nigeria shows that teachers are poorly motivated and are dissatisfied with their living and working conditions. The key reasons for this are as follows:

Low wages when compared with other professionals

Low status in the society

Teachers not being promoted as at when due

Lack of career advancement opportunities

High teacher-pupil ratio

Poor work environment

Inadequate fringe benefits

Irregular payment of teacher salaries

Engagement of unprofessional teachers in the system

For education to attain the desired height there is need for key players to work at their peak. At this juncture, the role of teachers in educational development cannot be overemphasized. At all levels of education (nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary), teachers are the most primary stakeholders. Teachers are the instructors and the ones that can guarantee improved academic performance. Based on this fact, teachers are critical to raising educational standard. It is therefore important that they are effective in their duties. Unfortunately, this cannot be said to be the case. The educational sector is bedevilled by incessant strike action by teachers at all levels. In terms of their output, an immediate measure is the performance of students. At the national level, records from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) shows a general low level of performance. Particularly, performance in mathematics and English language has drop significantly in recent years, a study by Musa and Dauda, (2014). indicates that performance in mathematics in May-June WAEC SSCE examination has been poor in Nassarawa State since 2003 to 2014. Similarly, Maliki, Ngban and Ibu, (2009, have also found poor mathematics performance in WAEC examination in Bayelsa State in 2006.

Based on the establishment issues of incessant strike action by teachers, one may ask “what is their level of motivation”. As the most important resource in the educational sector, their motivation is very paramount. As found by Ahiauzu, Deprieye and Onwuchekwa, (2011). There is significant relationship between motivational factors and the performance of teachers. This is collaborated by IKenyiri and Ihua-Maduenyi, (2012), who posited that “motivation for teacher’s effectiveness is very crucial” However, teachers in Nigeria’s educational sector cannot be said to be satisfied. Afolabi, (2009) opined that teacher’s dissatisfaction is suspected to be major reason for decline in job commitment resulting in the poor performance by students. Therefore he found that majority of teachers would prefer other jobs as many have left teaching. However, the level of unprofessional teachers in the system already is high, most of which took the employment opportunity as a last resort to earn a living because they could not get their desired employment at the labour market. These set of teachers rather than impacting knowledge lacks the passion and commitment to teach irrespective of any measure of motivation that could be applied to them. It is against this background that the researcher undertook this study.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to investigate the level of motivation of teachers in Enugu educational zone and how this affects the sustainability of education in the state. Specifically, the study will:

• To analyse the contribution of motivation to teacher’s productivity
• To examine the extent of teacher motivation in Enugu educational zone.
• To analyse the effect of teachers’ motivation on the performance of students.

1.4       Research Questions

Based on the issues raised in the statement of problem, the researcher will seek to answer the following questions,

• Are teachers in Enugu educational zone motivated?
• What is the extent to this motivation?

(c)        How has teachers’ motivation impacted on the performance of students in Enugu educational zone?

1.5       Hypotheses of the Study

The following hypotheses will guide this study.

H₀₁: Teachers in Enugu educational zone are not motivated in their job.

H₀₂: Motivation of teachers does not affect their productivity and efficiency

H₀₃: Motivation of teachers does not have effect on the performance of students in Enugu educational zone

1.6       Significance of the Study

Given the important role played by education in human development, a research in this area is very important. This study will benefit the following group of persons: Ministry of education officials, teachers, policy makers, and post primary educational board and development experts.

Firstly, the Ministries of Education officials, Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) and Zonal Education Board will find this work useful as at it will provide them with information on ways of making teachers more productive. Hence as the agency saddled with the responsibility of managing educational standards, the knowledge gained here serves as a guide towards the improvement of the efficiency of teachers.

Also, stakeholders in the educational sector, policy makers and teachers will in like manner benefit from this research as they will understand how every of their action or inaction impacts on the performance students of in Enugu educational zone.

More so, the government of Nigeria at all level will find this very relevant as a solution to the incessant problems in the education sector in Nigeria. As such, the right policy will be fashioned from the knowledge gained from this research for positive performance of students.

Finally, this research will serve as a reference point for further research. It will also add to existing body of knowledge in this area.  

1.7       Scope of the Study

Area of interest in this research is teacher’s motivation on student’s performance in Enugu Educational Zone in Enugu State. Hence the study covered teachers’ motivation, students’ performance secondary schools in Enugu Education in Enugu State and their productivity level. This study also looked into the concept and some theories of motivation, principles of motivation and ways through which staff can be motivated. Educational implication of motivation is discussed in this work.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

Relevant literatures were reviewed in this section. The motivational theories of Abraham Maslow, Fredrick Herzberg, McGregor and Victor Vroom are discussed under the theoretical framework. Previous studies were reviewed under empirical literature. The summary of the literature was presented and hence the gaps.

2.1 Concept and Conceptual Framework

A teacher is one who builds up, instructs, trains and guides them for healthy growth and stable adult life.  Teacher is also someone who instructs others or provides activities, materials and guidance that facilitate learning in either formal or informal situations. His job goes beyond teaching into moulding young lives, guiding youths, motivating students and general character – training (Majasan, 1995, Ofojebe and Ezugoh, 2010).

Motivation can be defined as a complex socially learned pattern of behaviour involving situations, needs, desires, mechanisms and results. It embraces all factors in an employee’s development to accomplish personal well as organizational goals. According to Ile, (1999). motivation is the mainspring of action in people. The leader who wishes to incite his followers to reach an objective must hold out the promise of reward once the objective is attained. Motives help people to fulfil their wants, drives, and needs). The term motive therefore implies action to satisfy a need. The term need, want, drive, and motive are often used interchangeably by psychologists. Motivation therefore can be defined as a willingness to spend energy to achieve a goal or a reward.

According to Peretomode, (1991), motivation is the process of influencing or stimulating a person to take action that will accomplish desired goals. However, teachers’ motivation is a way of empowering teachers in the occupation and involves the perceptions, variables, methods, strategies and activities used by the management for the purpose of providing a climate that is conducive to the satisfaction of the various needs of the employees, so that they may become satisfied, dedicated and effective in performing their task. In education, teachers should be motivated in order to boost their productivity, effectiveness, efficiency and dedication in performing their task, which will enhance quality assurance, quality education and quality instructional delivery in the educational system.

What is Motivation?

In the development of human resources, motivation plays a vital role in making human beings do the right thing at the right time without side attraction as a result of satisfaction. This is emphasized in the definition of Dobbins Bound and Fowler, (1995:439). who defined motivation as the inner of mind that is responsible for energizing, directing or sustaining good oriented behaviour.

Motivation is concerned with the cause of behaviour; why people act, speak or think in a particular way. School heads need to know how to motivate. In a school the school head needs to “get results through people “or” get the best out of people”.

This will be done best if the school head helps staff experience job satisfaction. This is known as “intrinsic motivation” which comes from within, and not “extrinsic motivation” which is too often based on fear. Results will then be the “best” that the teacher can produce and be more likely to be in line with the overall goals and ethos of the school.

Motivation is a state of tension arising from an unfulfilled need. These needs can be psychological or physiological. Physiological needs are hunger, shelter and drinks while psychological needs are emotional feelings, affection and curiosity.

Motivation is concerned with the cause of behaviour, why people act, speak or think in a particular way. Motivation is an important phenomenon; therefore principles need to know how to motivate. In a school, principal needs to “get results through people or get the best out of people.” In motivation, we have intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.  Intrinsic motivation is when one does something willingly and the person derives joy in doing it. Extrinsic motivation is when one is compelled or urged to do something.

Teacher Quality

There are several dimensions to teacher quality. Some view it from the angle of the qualification of the teacher, to others, it is the experience while to others, and it is the output of the teacher. No matter what the methodology, nearly all of the recent studies of teacher productivity include some measure of teacher experience, which serves as a proxy for on-the-job training. Results for elementary math are about evenly split between positive and insignificant effects of teacher experience on student achievement. In contrast, all but one of the eight recent studies that separately analyse elementary reading find that student achievement is positively correlated with teacher experience. At the middle school level the findings are essentially reversed.

Studies that include middle school consistently find positive effects of teacher experience on math achievement whereas the findings for the effects of experience on middle school reading achievement are evenly split between positive and insignificant correlations. The three studies of high school teachers yield conflicting results. Aaronson, et al. (2007). and Betts, et al. (2003). Find no significant correlation between teacher experience and student achievement while Clotfelter, et al. (2007). find strong positive effects. One difference in these studies is that Clotfelter, et al. utilizes course-specific end-of-course exams while the other studies rely on more general achievement exams.

As discussed by Rockoff, (2004). and Kane, et al. (2006), the estimated effects of experience may be biased if sample attrition is not taken into account. For example, less effective teachers might be more likely to leave the profession and this may give the appearance that experience raises teacher value-added when, in reality, less effective teachers are simply exiting the sample. Alternatively, selection could work in the opposite direction; more able teachers with higher opportunity costs may be more likely to leave the profession, leading to a spurious negative correlation between teacher experience and student achievement. One method of addressing the attrition issue is to include a teacher-specific effect, to control for unmeasured teacher ability, along with the experience measures. The teacher-specific effect should purge the influence of teacher time-invariant ability on experience, yielding unbiased estimates of the marginal product of experience. While the recent gain score studies all include a teacher specific effect, only two of the eight panel data studies, Hanushek, et al. (2005). and Rockoff, (2004), employ teacher fixed effects in addition to student fixed effects.

Both of these studies analysed only a single school district. In our work we are able to include to include both student and teacher fixed effects using data for the entire state of Florida. In addition to experience, the other commonly measured aspect of teacher training is the attainment of graduate degrees. Nearly all of the recent panel-data and random-assignment studies include a measure of post-baccalaureate degree attainment, typically whether a teacher holds a master’s degree. Except for positive correlations between possession of a master’s degree and elementary math achievement found by Betts et al. (2003), Dee (2004) and Nye, et al. (2004), recent research indicates either insignificant or in some cases even negative associations between possession of graduate degrees by a teacher and their students’ achievement in either math or reading.

In contrast to experience and possession of advanced degrees, the pre-service undergraduate training of teachers has received much less attention in the recent literature. Two studies, Aaronson, et al. (2007). and Betts et al. (2003).consider the effect of college major on later teacher productivity, but fail to find a robust relationship between undergraduate major and the impact of teachers on student achievement. Three studies, Kane et al. (2006), Clotfelter et al. (2006, 2007a). consider general measures of the quality of the undergraduate institution attended and find little or no relationship to teacher productivity in elementary or middle school. A fourth study, Clotfelter, et al. (2007b) does find a positive and significant relationship between the prestige of the undergraduate institution and productivity of high school teachers. Kane et al. (2006). also analyse the relationship between undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and teacher productivity in elementary and middle school. As with the other measures of undergraduate education, they find no significant relationship between GPA and subsequent teacher performance.

There are at least two shortcomings of recent estimates of the impact of undergraduate education on teacher productivity. First, recent work has relied on relatively gross measures, like college major, which may obscure significant variation in college coursework. Second, none of the recent studies that include measures of undergraduate training control for the pre-college ability of future teachers. Thus, for example, a positive observed correlation between undergraduate institutional prestige and future teacher productivity could mean that institutional quality enhances the productivity of future teachers or simply that more able students are accepted into elite institutions and individual ability is determinative of productivity as a teacher.

In the Nigerian school system, teacher quality could be examined in various ways. It could be examined in terms of teacher’s qualification and teachers’ competence (Akinwumiju, 1995). It could also be examined in terms of teacher’s status, teachers’ teaching experience and teacher’s dedication to duty (Adeyemi, 2007). It could as well be examined in terms of teacher’s integrity and teacher’s job performance (Wilson & Pearson, 1993; Ayodele, 2000).

In terms of competence, researchers have argued that teacher competence is a function of teacher qualifications (Aghenta, 2000). How competent a teacher could be in teaching seems to depend largely on teacher’s qualification. This contention supported Mullen’s, (1993). argument that the level of a teacher’s subject matter competence is a prime predictor of pupils’ learning. He argued that it is not only the qualifications obtained by a teacher that could contribute to a teacher’s quality but actual achievement in terms of subject matter competence.

Researchers have also attributed the low achievement of pupils in schools to teachers’ inadequate knowledge of the subject matter. Oladejo, (1991). for instance, conducted a survey on teacher factor in the effective teaching and learning of English as Second Language (ESL) in Kaduna State, Nigeria and found that out of the 95 teachers in his sample, 44 (46.3%) were degree holders in English Language having qualifications relevant to what they taught while 53.7% were non-degree holders or teachers specialized in other subjects teaching English Language in schools. He then argued that the problem of getting competent teachers has been a major problem to students’ learning outcomes. He however observed that children of “all aptitude levels achieved more when taught by teachers who exhibited competency in classroom management.”

The length of teaching experience of a teacher has been an important factor determining how effectively the teaching-learning process in a school has been achieved. The importance of experienced teachers in schools has been highlighted by many researchers (Akinleye, 2001; Commeyras, 2003). Researchers have also given different opinions about teaching experience and pupils’ learning outcomes in schools (Waiching, 1994; Dunkin, 1997). Their arguments were based on the fact that experience improves teaching skills while pupils’ learn better at the hands of teachers who have taught them continuously over a period of years.

Teachers’ integrity seems to be another variable of teacher quality in the school system. Academic integrity has been defined as the dignity which an individual exhibits in the pursuit of academic knowledge (Beehr, 1996; McCabe, 2001). Others have described it as the prestige of oneself in his or her educational endeavours (Glasner, 2002; Obi, 2004). As such, how a teacher conducts himself or herself effectively in a school system is a function of his or her integrity (Chandon, 2000; Uyo, 2004).

In the same vein, teacher’s job performance is another variable that could determine teacher quality in a school system. It refers to the actions of the teacher in performing certain jobs or duties in the school. It is the totality of the input of the teacher towards the attainment of educational objectives (Ajayi, 2005; Olorunsola, 2010). It is the act of accomplishing a given task in a school organization. It could be measured through the level of teachers’ competency in subject matter, lesson note preparation, content covered, level of coverage of scheme of work, lesson presentation, monitoring of pupils work, effective supervision, effective leadership and the disciplinary ability of the teacher (Adeyemi, 2008).

Notwithstanding the aforementioned variables of teachers’ quality, how teachers’ have been performing their job effectively in relation to the internal efficiency of the school system has been a matter of concern to stakeholders in education (Jones, 1997; Ige, 2001; Olubor, 2004). The term efficiency refers to the relationship between the inputs and the outputs of a system (Nwandiani, 1998). The inputs into the system include the pupils, teachers, furniture, equipment and facilities as well as finance and time while the output comprises the pupils’ who graduate at the end of the system (Adeyemi, 1998).

2.3 Theoretical Framework

The theories that are related to the work were considered to be vital to this study and they include: Incentive Theories, Alderfer’s ERG Theory, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory, Hertzberg’s two factory theory, McGregor’s X and Y theory and Vroom Expectancy theory  

2.3.1 Incentive Theories: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation can be divided into two different theories known as Intrinsic (internal) motivation and Extrinsic (external) motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation: The study of intrinsic motivation started around early 1970s. According to Ryan and Deci, (2000), intrinsic motivation is the self-desire to seek out new things and new challenges, to analyse one’s capacity, to observe and to gain knowledge. It is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward. The phenomenon of intrinsic motivation was first acknowledged within experimental studies of animal behaviour. In these studies, it was evident that the organisms would engage in playful and curiosity driven behaviours in the absence of reward. Intrinsic motivation is a natural motivational tendency and is a critical element in cognitive, social, and physical development. Students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to engage in the task willingly as well as work to improve their skills, which will increase their capabilities. Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they: attribute their educational results to factors under their own control, also known as autonomy or locus of control believe they have the skills to be effective agents in reaching their desired goals, also known as self-efficacy beliefs are interested in mastering a topic, not just in achieving good grades. An example of intrinsic motivation is when an employee becomes an IT professional because he or she wants to learn about how computer users interact with computer networks. The employee has the intrinsic motivation to gain more knowledge

Advantages: Intrinsic motivation can be long-lasting and self-sustaining. Efforts to build this kind of motivation are also typically efforts at promoting student learning. Such efforts often focus on the subject rather than rewards or punishments.

Disadvantages: On the other hand, efforts at fostering intrinsic motivation can be slow to affect behaviour and can require special and lengthy preparation. Students are individuals, so a variety of approaches may be needed to motivate different students. It is often helpful to know what interests one’s students in order to connect these interests with the subject matter. This requires getting to know one’s students. Also, it helps if the instructor is interested in the subject to begin with.

Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can lead to over justification and a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation. In one study demonstrating this effect, children who expected to be (and were) rewarded with a ribbon and a gold star for drawing pictures spent less time playing with the drawing materials in subsequent observations than children who were assigned to an unexpected reward condition. However, another study showed that third graders who were rewarded with a book showed more reading behaviour in the future, implying that some rewards do not undermine intrinsic motivation. While the provision of extrinsic rewards might reduce the desirability of an activity, the use of extrinsic constraints, such as the threat of punishment, against performing an activity has actually been found to increase one’s intrinsic interest in that activity. In one study, when children were given mild threats against playing with an attractive toy, it was found that the threat actually served to increase the child’s interest in the toy, which was previously undesirable to the child in the absence of threat.