Teacher motivation in public junior high schools at Afigya Kwabre North District

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher motivation and its influence on teacher’s performance and retention in Junior High Schools at Boaman Circuit of the Afigya Kwabre North District. The objectives of the study were to: find out the kind of motivation available for teachers in Junior High Schools at Boaman Circuit of the Afigya Kwabre North District, ascertain the level of teacher retention, influence of motivational packages on teachers retention in Junior High Schools and identify strategies that promote teacher retention. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population for the study was 128 teachers from 10 Junior High Schools. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 64 teachers. A sample of 64 teachers was used for the study. Structured questionnaire was used as data collection instrument for the study. The reliability test yielded Cronbach Alpha of 0.79. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that the motivational package available to teachers was the participatory decision making. The study also revealed that strategies that could be used to promote teacher retention were regular training, education and development, conducive and congenial working environment, and participatory decision making. The study recommended that the District Director of Education should ensure that the best motivational packages are implemented to enable teachers perform better for the success of education. Also, the Afigya Kwabre North District Director of Education should reinforce the use of participatory decision making to sustain teachers’ interest to perform and remain in the teaching service.