TEACHER MOTIVATION AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MITYANA MUNICIPALITY CENTRAL

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing the effects of teacher motivation on students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality, Mityana District- Central Uganda. The study objectives included: to examine the effect of teachers’ monetary-based motivation on students’ academic performance, to establish the effect of teachers’ work environment on students’ academic performance, to examine the effect of teachers’ promotions on students’ academic performance, and to find out the effect of fringe benefits on students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality. The research utilized a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, which allowed for the collection of data from a representative sample at one point in time. This design enabled efficient and cost-effective data collection, with both quantitative and qualitative methods used to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research problem. The study population was administrators (head teachers, deputy head teachers and directors of studies), students, Chairperson Board of Governors and teachers, totaling to 175. These were selected using purposive and a simple random sampling. The study revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between teachers’ monetary-based motivation and students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality where salary increment lead to teachers’ involvement in assessment, and school offers cash prizes especially when students perform well. The study also revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between teachers’ work environment and students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality. The study further revealed that there is a very strong positive correlation between teachers’ promotions and students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality. This suggests that teachers’ promotion has a positive impact on students’ academic performance, especially when teachers take duties and responsibilities willingly without grudging. The study finally revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between teachers’ monetary-based motivation and students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mityana Municipality. This implies that any attempt where teachers are given overtime allowances, they tend to have high syllabus content coverage. Salary increment leads to teachers’ involvement in assessment, and school offers cash prizes especially when students perform well. The study concluded that there is for secondary schools to get financial support from the government and development partners so as to further increase salaries and allowances of teachers so as to cope up with the increasing social and economic demands of nature thus able to fully concentrate in work for effective teachers’ job commitment. Teachers should be paid for the extra time spent on the field study work so as to make them feel well at work; and areas of further research were suggested.