Challenges and Trends on Teacher Motivation and Commitment at Senior High Schools in Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Abstract

Research on teacher motivation existed for sometimes now because of its importance to teachers and other stakeholders, including parents and students, administrators, government and its agencies (Coven, 2018, Hussain & Hassan, 2016). The issue of quality education has also received considerable critical attention in recent years because of its significance to national development. However, what worries most researchers is the general concepts surrounding teacher motivation and job commitment that has been well known in developed countries but it was not until early 1970s that small-scale research and case studies began to emerge in developing countries (Ngimbudzi, 2009; Murage&Kimani 2014). Even that, the major difficulty according to research for most managers is how to create and align this type of motivation to achieve the organisational objectives (Seniwoliba, 2013). Studies have shown that motivated personnel are critical for the success of their departments in particular and the organisations as a whole (Paul, 2017, Sawitri, Suswati and veHuda 2016). However, it has been found that only scanty institutions have instituted a policy geared toward motivating employees and as a result, only few employees enthused about their jobs and are committed fully to their organizations (NN & Jacob, 2015; Suthara, Chakravarthib & Pradhan, 2014). According to Suhag, Larik, Tagar,and Solangi (2016), motivation can lead to many behaviours and it is important to understand the importance of motivation in an educational setting; this, unfortunately is lacking not only in the educational sector but other sectors of the Ghana economy. Sawitri, Suswati and veHuda (2016) assert that teachers hold the key and foster excellence in the educational system. Teachers develop, design and guarantee quality assurance in teaching and learning. For the growth and development of educational system worldwide, job commitment and motivation of teachers become very important. It has also been established that for a given school to perform exceptionally, the input of teachers is critical in this regard (Akafo & Boateng, 2015). However, the motivation and commitment level of teachers become subject of debate in recent times (Paul, 2017, Coven, 2018). The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges and trends on motivation and commitment level of teachers from Senior High Schools (SHS) in Ghana by concentrating on greater Accra region which the capital. 2. Literature Review At present, there is no universal accepted definition or explanation of what 'teacher motivation' comprises of at least in the developing world (Guajardo, 2011; Hasan & Hynd, 2014). Many writers and researchers in the field of international education development over the past years are debating on this topical issue on whether a universal

The Motivational Challenges of Teachers in Junior Secondary Schools in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State

“…Intrinsic motivation is a stimulus that comes from within a person or from the activity itself, which has a positive impact on behavior, performance, and well-being (Vulley, 2021). In contrast to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic is when the action is performed for itself and not for material or social reinforcement.…”

“…According to Vulley (2021), external motivation arises from earning externally controlled rewards such as rewards like prestige, pay, positive evaluations from others and material possessions. In this study, teachers' external motives include salaries, free housing, free meals, weekly services and additional tuition, prepaid financial problems, vacations, and external management fees such as free medical care.…”

Motivation as Correlates of Teacher Job Satisfaction in Senior High Schools at Kassena Nankana East Municipality

“…Literature showed that there are a lot of discontent about opportunities for career advancement, unattractive working conditions, compensation and poor human relations in schools (Shbail, & Shbail, 2020). Little attention has been given to teacher motivation that ensures quality teaching (Vulley, 2021). The questions that arise are that what relationship exists between motivation and job satisfaction of senior high school teachers at Kassena Nankana East Municipality?…”

“…Shbail and Shbail (2020) postulated that motivation enhances teachers satisfaction and largely determines how satisfied they are with their teaching. Ministry of Education in Ghana demands high measure of loyalty, dedication, patriotism, hard work, and commitment from teachers and thus need to be motivated (Vulley, 2021). The role of motivational techniques cannot be underestimated since attractive motivational techniques promote high performance among teachers.…”

“…These make teachers dissatisfied with the job. The dissatisfaction of teachers may be characterized by inadequate motivation such as low remuneration and poor conditions of service (Vulley, 2021) The West African Certificate Examination results in Ghana over the years have indicated continuous decline in percentage pass despite numerous efforts made by Ministry of Education in conjunction with the private sector, non-governmental organizations and religious bodies to improve students' academic achievement (Hervie & Winful, 2018). Several supervision and monitoring programmes are put in place to improve percentage pass in the senior high school examinations yet all efforts seem to prove futile (Hervie & Winful, 2018).…”