ABSTRACT

The pace at which teachers are motivated for greater service is deteriorating in Nigeria is alarming. The fall in performance and productivity of the secondary school teachers is of a great concern to the stakeholders. These unfortunate situations are roped on poor management, undue political interference, poor remunerations, lack of prompt promotion, non-payment of staff entitlements and other fringe benefits due for the staff in the service and the delay in payment of staff salary. It is in light of the aforementioned scenario that the research was conducted to understand the motivational factors and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. However, the objectives of the research was to identify the factors that informed staff poor performance and productivity ,to understand the factors that sustain staff performance and productivity and also to examine the reasons behind the rate of labour turnover ,absenteeism and nonchalant attitudes of the staff in these local government councils. Data for the research were generated both from primary and secondary sources, and was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively ,with more focus on quantitative technique using inferential statistical tool of Chi –square, was used to test the hypotheses. The research findings revealed that managements of these schools had failed in meeting the staff welfare. Workers performance and productivity depends on the kind of motivational incentives provided to them; and that staff absenteeism and turnover is as results of lack of job satisfaction by majority of staff. The research concluded that the solutions is for the management of the local government and the State government to keep abreast with the dominant needs and the changing expectations of these teachers and equally be in constant survey of motivational incentives in relation to staff performance and productivity.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Secondary schools are established to educate students to enable them contribute to the economic, political and social cultural well, being of their country. In Isu Local Government Area of Imo State, there appears to a hindrance in the realization of objectives of secondary school. An important factor responsible for the non-attainment of the overall purpose of secondary school is due to inadequate motivation of staff.

Secondary schools teachers are different in sex and status. However sufficient efforts are not made by the Government, proprietors and some parents to motivate the secondary schools teachers in Isu Local Government Area to teach the students. Bulya (1992) asserts that: The Government is not left out in making the teachers feel inferior.

One of this is economic depression; the first group to bear the brunt is teacher. I for see the year 200AD as the year teacher will go home with no pay if the economy continues to deteriorate as if there is no charge of altitude on the part of administrations of teachers’ welfare. In the 1989 Budget, the Government had decreed that car refurbishing loan be given to desiring officers. Deserving education officers teaching in secondary schools also filled from but non-benefited from the loan. This game added to the teachers’ frustration. Thus, the Nigeria teachers continue to render essential service to the nation without adequate compensation by the Government.

Thus, there is need to motivate teachers in Lagos State to enable them teach their students very well. The teachers should be paid their salaries on time, the parents of students should not snub teachers and the government should give car loans to the teachers, entertainment allowance and meal subsidies.

Furthermore, Bulya (1992) observes that the delay is the payment of teacher’s salaries is responsible for the poor image of the teacher. He added that in 1993, primary school teacher’s salaries were delayed in Gongola State for months old industrial action. In the same year teachers in Bauchi Local Government Area appealed to the State Government to do everything possible to ensure that they were paid arrears of their two months salaries.

The non-payment of secondary schools teacher’s salaries on time makes it difficult for them to meet their family financial obligations at home. Some of the teacher’s dress shabbily, some feel shy to introduce themselves as teachers while some families are no longer proud of their members taking up the teaching profession. They see it as the last resort.

Hence, teachers need to be motivated by the government, proprietors, all and sundry to enable them perform in the secondary schools.

No wonder Okon and Anderson (1982) argued that since money provided power for its possessor, it has a double effect in lending status. Money permits a person of wealth to exhibit a life style, which others may enjoy. The person who is envied has a higher status than the person who is pitied wealth can be obtained through salaries earnings so give the teachers their due that they may live and be envied by others.

Since teacher are very important in our secondary schools because they teach the students, there is need to motivate the teachers to enable them perform in teaching student in secondary school in Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. Bolarinwa (1996) shows that academic performance of students in our schools is deters rating compared to the olden days because of the teacher. He added that those responsible for this kind of change are the teachers and one of the reasons behind this could be the status of the profession in Nigeria now.

He added that many people see teaching as a job that could be done when there is no other choice. There is no adequate encouragement for teachers who are in a position of steering the wheel of education of learners. Teacher’s salary package is the least in the society compared to other profession, some administrators do not seen teaching as something government should spend so much on, they see it as a profession that gulp so much money and nothing to show for it.

Thus, most local government chairpersons pay more attention on award of contracts to their own benefits. Since they do not care on how good contract is carried out, loss attention is paid to teacher’s welfare, salaries are paid when the chairperson likes. Money allocated by federal government to local government on primary education were diverted and used on different projects. Those eventually created a change in the quality of classroom instructions and the output, since teacher’s salaries were not paid for months.

Ogonor (2003) stated that: The Nigerian educational system has suffered government. In the period of financial constraint, the educational system bears the brunt at certain periods teachers’ salaries were unpaid for a period of about a few months. In situations as stated teachers freely engaged in other activities unchecked while school was in session because there was no moral justification to call the neglected and hungry teachers to order.

Ogonor (2003) added that apart from irregular payment of teacher’s salaries many teachers have never had the opportunity or being sent on in-service training to update their learning in competence for an upward period of about ten years. Hence many teachers are enabling to respond to current changes in curriculum and pedagogy.

In Nigeria, like in most developing countries the teachers are very important. This is mainly because of the role they play in educating the students and in the political, social. Educational and economic development of the country, In addition to its traditional role of educating the student, it not only accounts for about 50% of Nigerian work force but also serves as instrument for development.