Influence of Staff Motivation on School Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Mbale District

Abstract

This study on the influence of staff motivation on school academic performance was carried out in selected secondary schools in Mbale district. The study was prompted by the fact that between 2002 and 2006 the academic performance in the secondary schools in Mbale district at the Uganda Certificate of Education examinations was very poor compared to the overall national performance. Also, in 2003, the Education Standards Agency carried out a survey in which they found out that the staff motivation in the secondary schools in Mbale was inadequate. The researcher therefore found it necessary to undertake this study to find out if the poor school academic performance was accounted for by the inadequate staff motivation. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design in which interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from head teachers, chairmen BOG/PTA, teachers and members of the support staff in the selected secondary schools. The results of the study indicated that all the secondary schools surveyed offer some motivational strategies to the teachers; for example allowances such as PTA, transport, accommodation and honorarium. However, the motivation is not only inadequate but it varies from one school to another. The results further indicated that the teachers are influenced differently by the motivation offered to them. To some, the motivation offered positively influences them to become committed to teaching while majority of them do not get influenced by the motivation offered. It was also found out that inadequate motivation has a negative influence on the schools’ academic performance. The study recommends, among other things, provision of both monetary and non monetary incentives to the teachers in the secondary schools in Mbale district to help enhance their commitment to teaching so as to improve on the schools’ academic performance.