CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE
STUDY
Education
is largely a matter of a learning process that involves interactions between
teacher and learner. When this process works well, real learning
takes place. In the past, academic performance was often measured more by
ear than today. Teachers' observations made up the bulk of the assessment and
today's summation, or numerical, method of determining how well a student is
performing is a fairly recent invention. Grading systems came into existence in
the United States in the late Victorian period and were initially criticized
due to high subjectivity. Different teachers valued different aspects of
learning more highly than others, and although some standardization was
attempted in order to make the system fairer, the problem continued. Today,
changes have been made to incorporate differentiation for individual students'
abilities, and exploration of alternate methods of measuring performance is
ongoing. The tracking of academic performance fulfills a number of purposes.
Areas of achievement and failure in a student's academic career need to be
evaluated in order to foster improvement and make full use of the learning
process. Results provide a framework for talking about how students fare in
school and a constant standard to which all students are held. Performance
results also allow students to be ranked and sorted on a scale that is
numerically obvious, minimizing complaints by holding teachers and schools
accountable for the components of every grade. Performance in school is
evaluated in a number of ways. For regular grading, students demonstrate their
knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presentations, turning
in homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers evaluate in the form of letter or number grades and
side notes, to describe how well a student has done. At the state level,
students are evaluated by their performance on standardized tests geared toward
specific ages. Many people emphasize the importance of good teachers, and some
policies are designed to promote teacher quality. Research using student scores
on standardized tests confirms the common perception that some teachers are
more effective than others and also reveals that being taught by an effective
teacher has important consequences for student achievement and based on a set
of achievements students in each age group are expected to meet. Many factors
contribute to a student's academic performance, including individual
characteristics and family and neighborhood experiences. But research suggests
that, among school-related factors, teachers matter most. When it comes to
student performance on tests, a teacher is estimated to have two to three
times the impact of any other school factor, including services, facilities,
and even leadership. Teachers at all levels of the education system should be
adequately trained, respected, remunerated, and able to participate in
decisions affecting their professional lives and teaching environments. When
teachers are enabled to do their job effectively, their students are enabled to
learn effectively. A well-motivated teacher always completes the tasks set for
him, even when such tasks or assignments are difficult or seem uninteresting
Motivation
involves a number of psychological factors that start and maintain activities
towards the achievements of personal goals and refers to reasons that underlie
behaviour that is characterized by willingness and volition. Motivation in
education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior
towards subjects matter, Ormord (2003).
Motivation
of teachers and students in the teaching and learning process can direct
behavior towards particular goals, leads to increase effort and energy, enhances
cognitive processing, increases imitation of and persistence in activities,
determines what consequences are reinforcing and it can also lead to improved
performance.
Orphlims
(2002) is of the view that motivated teachers always look for better ways to do
their teaching job and, as a result, they are more productive. Therefore, it
means that motivated teachers are determined to give their best to achieve the
maximum output (qualitative education).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
This
research is aimed at finding out the effects of motivation on job performances
of teachers.
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The
purpose of this research is to find out the effect of motivation on teachers’
performance in the school system. The study specifically tends to:
1. Find
the extent to which government pays salaries as at when due to the teachers.
2. Find
out the extent to which promotion of teachers at and when due influences
teachers performance.
3. Find
out the extent which such programs like seminars, conference and workshops that
are conducted for the teachers can enhance their performance in the class.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY
It
is hope that the final result of this research work will help in finding
possible ways in which motivation can influence productivity/ performance in
teaching and learning process and also improve learning on the part of
students. It is important for the researcher to put into consideration, the
significance of teachers’ motivation and academic performance of students.
However,
this research will be significant in the following ways:
1. When
teachers are being motivated, the society/ government will benefit immensely in
the sense that the teachers put in their best, the students will contribute properly
to the economic growth and development of the nation and the welfare of its
citizens.
2. Parents
will also benefit when teachers are being motivated in the sense that the
students will be responsible to their parents and also the money spent on them will
not be in vein because they will help in carrying out family responsibilities.
3. Students
will benefit equally when teachers are motivated because the research will
enable them to enhance and improve their performance.
4. The
teachers also benefit a lot when positive motivation is given to them in terms
of promotion, fringe benefit, salaries are paid at and when due, they will give
in their best in the teaching process. And also their standard of living will
improve.
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY
The
study covers some selected secondary schools in Surulere Local Government Area;
and is limited to finding the effect of motivation on teachers’ performance and
the academic performance of students.
1.6 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
To what extent does irregular payment of teachers’ salaries affect teachers’ performance
on their work?
2.
To what extent do seminars, conferences and workshops for teachers influence
teachers’ performance?
3.
To what extent does inadequate promotion of teachers affect teachers’
performance in the classroom?
4.
To what extent does negligence of teachers’ welfare affect teachers’
performance in the classroom?
1.7 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
H1:
There is a significant relationship between teacher’s motivation and their job
performance.
H2: There is a significant difference between
public and private school teacher’s performance.
H3: There is a significant difference in
motivation in both public and private school teachers
H4: There are differences in motivation and
performance across individual demographics.
1.8
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The following problems limited the
extent to which the researcher to have gone in carrying out the research.
1. Inadequate
financial resources affected the study; hence the sample size was small.
2. Limited
time available to the researcher also influence the research. This was because;
the research was carried out during the school academic program.
1.9 DEFINITION OF
TERMS
1.
TEACHER: A person whose job is teaching, impact knowledge in an individual.
2.
STUDENT: A Person who is studying in school.
3.
PERFORMANCE: How well or badly you do something.
4.
MOTIVATE: A reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way.
5.
CLASSROOM: A room where a class of children or students is taught.
6.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: This deals with making headway in school.
7.
SCHOOL: A place where learners are educated.