Thesis Abstract

<p> The purpose of this study is to investigate principals’ motivational strategies and<br>job satisfaction of secondary school teachers in Benue State. Descriptive survey<br>design was adopted in this study. A total of 235 out of 2282 teachers were selected<br>using stratified random sampling technique. Six research questions and four null<br>hypotheses guided the study. A structured questionnaire was used for data<br>collection. Three experts in the department of Educational Foundations carried out<br>the face validation. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.78 after the<br>reliability test. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research<br>questions while t-test statistics was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of<br>significance. It was found that teamwork and teacher involvement are motivational<br>strategies that give teachers job satisfaction in secondary schools in Benue state<br>and that there was no significant difference between the opinions of first graduate<br>and postgraduate teachers on the motivating factors. It was recommended that<br>teachers should be encouraged by payment of allowances for team activities and<br>any other functions that promote teacher-involvement in school administration.<br>Other recommendations included among others, that teachers should be adequately<br>occupied each day with functions that would make them happy. This can be done<br>by allowing teachers to make decisions about their work.<br>13 <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><div><p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>Background of the Study</strong></p><p>Secondary education is a very important level of education in Nigeria where<br>solid foundation for higher education and useful living is laid. According to<br>Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2004), secondary education is the form of<br>education children receive after primary education and before tertiary stage. She<br>also stated that the broad aim of secondary education within the national objectives<br>is the preparation of children for useful living within the society and for higher<br>education. Teachers are required at this level of education to help in the<br>achievement of the objectives and there is a need to motivate them, if the aims of<br>secondary education are to be achieved. On the other hand it appears that teachers<br>are not reckoned with nor appreciated in Nigeria. Emenike (2003) affirmed that<br>the Nigerian society still rate teaching as the lowest civil service job. Furthermore,<br>while other teachers work in order to satisfy their needs in life, those in Benue<br>State, Nigeria constantly agitate to a need for one thing or the other, which is a sign<br>of lack of job satisfaction</p><p>Job satisfaction is one of the most frequently investigated variable in studies<br>in organizational behaviour. This is probably due to its positive impact on<br>organizational effectiveness and efficiency (Obi, 1992). Obi (1997), also stressed<br>that teachers’ effectiveness lead to opportunities to produce and effect changes in<br>14 the school among teacher in secondary schools. Despite teachers’ efforts in school<br>effectiveness and efficiency, they neither get a commensurate remuneration nor the<br>prestige and social status, which they deserve. This implies that teachers who work<br>tirelessly for the development of the school through grooming of the students are<br>not accorded the necessary recognition and respect which these teachers deserve.<br>This also influences their job satisfaction and in the long run goes a long way to<br>affect teaching and learning. In search of job satisfaction, workers are usually<br>inclined to leave the job at hand for better ones. Okonkwo (1997) stated that<br>teachers who are not satisfied with their jobs, withdraw to other jobs which they<br>believe might satisfy their needs. This is the situation in Benue State where<br>teachers indulge in other activities during and after school teachers that are<br>detrimental to their professional calling. Since job satisfaction from the basis for<br>worker’ decisions about their work- whether they remain or quit, the parameter, for<br>measuring teachers’ job satisfaction in the teaching profession could be in their<br>length of service. Maintaining a high level of worker’s job satisfaction is vital in<br>increasing organizational productivity.</p><p>Job satisfaction is an acceptable and happy work condition. Emenike (2003),<br>defined it as a pleasurable, emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s<br>job, an affective to ones job and an attitude towards one’s job.</p></div><h3></h3><br> <br><p></p>