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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education is basically a process of acquisition of knowledge that necessitates interaction between the instructor and the learner. Genuine learning happens when this technique is successful. In the past, academic performance was typically determined more by ear than it is today (Coleman, 2012). Teachers’ observations constituted the majority of the evaluation, and the present summing, or numerical, method of evaluating a student’s performance is a comparatively recent development (Lion, 2017). Grading systems developed in the United States during the late Victorian era and were first criticized for their high degree of subjectivity. Different teachers placed a greater emphasis on particular aspects of learning than others, and despite efforts to standardize the system, the problem continued. Today, improvements have been made to accommodate for pupils’ particular abilities, and research into other methods of judging accomplishment continues.
Motivation and performance are critical factors in an organization’s success. According to Inayatullah & Jehangir (2017), motivation is critical in a company since it increases employee productivity and enables expected objectives to be accomplished efficiently. For teachers, motivation is critical to their performance since it significantly adds to their competency. Education is the backbone of any progress, and the effectiveness of any country’s education system is directly related to the teachers, who are the primary input into the school system that enables it to achieve and complete its objectives.
The Nigerian federal government understands the need of motivating teachers in order to improve the country’s educational quality. That is why the government has placed a premium on teacher education in its educational planning and growth, “…since no educational system can surpass the quality of its instructors” (FGN 2012). This commitment has prompted the government to implement several reforms and advances in teacher education and welfare. The National Action Plan and 10-year Strategic Plan placed a premium on expanding teacher education options and upgrading teacher credentials. The changes include the establishment of the Pivotal Teachers Training Program (PTTP), the Federal Teachers Corps, and the establishment of the Teachers Salary Scheme (TSS) with additional incentives. This was done to elevate the prestige and working conditions of teachers.
Teachers are crucial to the development of students’ futures and the Nigerian academic system. Teaching is one of the least respected professions in Nigeria today, as it is in the majority of developing countries globally. Teachers, in all of their forms, are the nation’s builders; they teach the children who will eventually contribute to the nation’s growth (Coleman, 2012). Teachers are not adequately compensated for their vital role. If not for the federal government’s recent implementation of many fringe benefits and remunerations, including a new compensation system nicknamed “elongated salary,” housing and transportation, and utilities. Teachers would have remained exceedingly impoverished if all employees in the nation got rent and leave payments (Eze 2014). These additional compensations serve as additional incentives for teachers to give their utmost in order to promote a more positive attitude toward work, which results in higher productivity and efficiency. Regrettably, teachers do not receive these benefits as regularly as other workers. This usually leads in an endless cycle of strikes inside the educational system. According to Mbipom (2000), strikes for better working conditions have cost both staff and students large amounts of time. As a result, no one appears to care as long as the hydra-headed examination malpractice continues. The resultant consequences are visible in the educational system’s annual production of half-baked and ill-equipped goods.
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Despite the government’s gorgeous design, instructors have not been appropriately inspired to do their jobs. To reach high and quality standards in any nation, the requirements of teachers must be treated seriously (Ofojebe & Ezugoh, 2010). Our educational system’s future is in the hands of teachers, who not only facilitate learning but also define the quality of teaching provided to students. It should be noted that teachers are the heart of the educational process; their numbers, education, training, quality and commitment to duty, effectiveness and efficiency, competence, productivity, and capability all depend on them (Gbenda Batur – Lawa, 2006: 92–93).
It is rather sad to state that there is a failing in the education sector’s service delivery. According to Udi (2012), students’ performance on the West African School Certificate has deteriorated significantly over the last decade. Teachers have been blamed for the low standards. Teachers have complained about neglect, a lack of suitable educational materials, inconsistent and low pay, and bad working conditions.
Teachers are human beings with wants and aspirations, and those needs and aspirations differ by individual. When these demands are not addressed, they (teachers) suffer withdrawal syndrome, absenteeism, and abdication of duty, all of which have a detrimental effect on their work performance and productivity. Teachers’ performance is defined by their responsibility to teach students, which includes the use of instructional materials, teaching methods, continuous evaluation of students, preparation of lesson notes and plans, participation in extracurricular activities, regularity, punctuality, guidance, and counseling, among other things. Teacher effectiveness is contingent upon their ability to integrate all of these factors while mentoring and delivering subject matter to pupils (Aacha, 2010). It is apparent from Aacha’s perspective that instructors’ jobs comprise developing children into full and entire humans equipped for life’s travels.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of motivation’s on teachers’ job performance in the educational system. Specifically, other objectives of this study are:
i. To determine whether motivation influences job performance.
ii. To determine whether teachers are adequately motivated on their job performance.
iii. To determine whether teachers motivation on their job performance impacts on students academic achievement.
iv. To examine the types of motivation given to teachers on their job performance.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions will be answered in this study;
i. Does motivation influence job performance?
ii. Are teachers adequately motivated on their job performance?
iii. Does teachers motivation on their job performance impact on students academic achievement?
iv. What are the types of motivation given to teachers on their job performance?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The outcomes of this study are believed to assist in discovering possible processes through which motivation might effect productivity/performance in the teaching and learning process, as well as enhance student learning. The researcher’s primary objective should be to examine the link between instructor motivation and student academic progress.
On the other hand, this research will be significant in the following ways:
A. When instructors are motivated, society/government benefits significantly, as teachers give their all and pupils contribute adequately to the nation’s economic growth and development, as well as the welfare of its residents.
B. When teachers are motivated, parents benefit as well since children will be accountable to their parents and the money spent on them will not be squandered because they will assist with household tasks.
C. Motivated instructors benefit students equally since the research helps them to enhance and increase their performance.
Teachers gain greatly as well when positive incentives such as promotion, fringe benefits, and prompt salary payment are offered; they will give their best during the teaching process. Additionally, their standard of living will improve.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study focuses on the impact of motivation’s on teachers’ job performance in the educational system. It is precisely focused on determining whether motivation influences job performance, determining whether teachers are adequately motivated on their job performance, determining whether teachers motivation on their job performance impacts on students academic achievement and examining the types of motivation given to teachers on their job performance.
Teachers of selected public schools in Calabar South, Cross River State will be the respondents for the survey of this study.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The researcher encountered minor obstacles while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject due to the nature of the discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Furthermore, the researcher did this investigation alongside other academic activities. Furthermore, the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. Despite the constraints encountered during the research, all elements were minimized in order to provide the best results and make the research effective.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Impact: A marked effect or influence
Motivation: Motivation is what explains why people or animals initiate, continue or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-directed behavior.
Teacher: A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. Informally the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone.
Performance: The action or process of performing a task or function
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