MOTIVATION AND TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION AS CORRELATES OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE.

Abstract

This study investigated motivation of teachers and teacher job satisfaction as correlates of students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Anambra State. It utilized the correlational research design. Two research questions guided the study and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population comprised 5,761 teachers in the 258 public (state government owned) secondary schools in the State. The sample comprised 1,728 teachers, drawn using stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a researcher developed instrument titled ‘Motivation and Teacher Job Satisfaction and Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire’ It was duly validated by three experts who are all lecturers in the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. A reliability index of 0.84 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. Out of 1,728 copies of the instrument administered, 1,700 copies representing 98.4% were duly completed, retrieved and used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings revealed that there is a positive correlation between motivation and students’ academic performance, and a substantial positive correlation between teacher job satisfaction and students’ academic performance. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that since teachers are happy with their jobs if they have professional achievement, recognition, opportunity to participate in decision making, receive living wage and have good relationships with their boss, that the state government and secondary school administrators should make efforts to uphold these conditions so as to improve teacher job satisfaction and ultimately students’ academic performance.