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The general objective of this study was to identify factors teachers consider as most important and likely to motivate them most in their job. Three research questions were set for this particular study; these were: to what extent are teachers in secondary schools motivated, what factors teachers find most important for their motivation and lastly what efforts have been made by the government to address teachers’ demands for their upkeep?
The study employed a case study research design to answer the above research questions where Mkinga District was selected as the area of the study. Both primary and secondary techniques of data collection including interview and questionnaire were employed. The sample consisted of fifty nine respondents with fifty questionnaire respondents randomly selected from selected secondary schools and nine interview respondents purposively selected from the MDC senior officials and from secondary schools. Quantitative data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics such as tables, frequencies and percentages while the qualitative responses were coded, categorised and analysed into themes. There was also the use of respondents’ direct quotes.
The findings of the study show that teachers in MDC were lowly motivated. Their motivation was to a large extent affected by the factors such as poor working conditions, low salary/pay, unfavourable policies on secondary school education, delays in promotions and community’s negative perception towards teaching. These factors in reverse emerged as the factors teachers considered important and that would likely motivate them to perform. The findings further show that government has made some efforts to improve teachers’ motivation, for example building houses nearby teachers’ working places, increasing salaries and paying teachers arrears; the government has also been improving teaching facilities such as provision of mobile laboratories to enhance effective teaching and learning process and building laboratories.
With regards to the Herzberg’s Two Factor theory, the findings of the study overwhelmingly support the theory as the respondents considered both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations as important for their job performance and wellbeing. However, the findings challenge Herzberg’s suggestion that lowering intrinsic motivation would not decrease staff motivation. Teachers considered both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations as equally important.
Based on the findings, the study recommends inter alia that the government should improve teachers’ compensation and pay, improving working conditions by building more teachers’ houses with availability of such services as electricity and water for teachers, building laboratories with equipment and improving classrooms conditions and teaching facilities to facilitate easy teaching-learning processes; the government should also review policies on secondary education for example by making teachers participate and have a say on matters regarding the management and the delivery of secondary education including teachers personal development . |
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