The Topic of this research is the influence of Teachers’ Motivation on the academic performance of Economic students in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra state. The general purpose of the study was to find out the influence of Teachers’ motivation on the academic performance of Economic students in Dunukofia Local Government Area. The study was a descriptive survey and the researcher employed the use of structured questionnaire in gathering data from the population of four hundred (400), drawing the sample size of one hundred and seventy (110) respondents. The data collection was analyzed using simple percentage techniques. In the course of the study, the researcher found out that teachers in Dunukofia Local Government Area did not receive regular payment of salaries and allowances and that poor salaries reduced the teachers’ performance in the class room. From the above, the findings, I recommended that regular payment of salaries and allowances should be made available to the teachers in Dunukofia Local Government Area, and that government should increase teachers’ salaries to help increase the job performance of the teachers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title PAGE i

APPROVAL PAGE ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

ABSTRACT v

TABLE OF CONTENT vi

CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 4

Purpose of the Study 5

Significance of the Study 5

Scope of the Study 6

Research Questions 6

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 8

Conceptual Framework 8

Theoretical Framework 25

Empirical Studies 26

Summary of Literature Review 29

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 31

Research Design 31

Area of Study 32

Population of the Study 32

Sample and Sampling Technique 33

Instrument for Data Collection 33

Reliability of the Instrument 34

Validation of the Instrument 34

Method of Data Collection 35

Method of Data Analysis 35

CHAPTER FOUR:DATA ANALYSIS 37

Data presentation and Analysis 37

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 45

Discussion of Findings 45

Conclusion 47

Implication of the Study 48

Recommendations 48

Limitations of the Study 49

Suggestions for Further Studies 50

Summary of the Study 50

References 52

Appendices 55

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education is largely a matter of a learning process that involves interaction between teacher and learner. When this process works well, real learning takes places. In the past, academic performance was often measure more by ear than today. In most developing countries especially Nigeria, there is a widespread desire to change the educational system to meet the new social and technological needs. In a country like Nigeria, dropout tendencies and teachers’ motivation have posed a lot of repercussions for the educational sector. Significantly, motivation is very essential to the continuing growth of educational systems around the world and they rank alongside professional knowledge and skills, center competencies, educational resources as well as strategies, in genuinely determining educational success and performance. According to Sergiovanni (2014), teachers are motivated when they are able to share a common body of knowledge. This can only happen when teachers have forums for discussions and training and development programmes.

The world “motivation” according to Longman Dictionary is derived from motive, which is an eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or force to it. Similarly, the roles and contexts of educations’ motivational methods and tools cannot be underemphasized because high motivation enhances productivity which is naturally in the interests of all educational systems (Ololube 2010, 2011).

According to Paul Bennell (2012), ‘’Over one-third of all the teachers at the survey primary schools in five of the six extended case study countries indicated that teachers at their school are ‘poorly’ or ‘very poorly’ motivated. Motivation levels appear to be chronically low in Nigeria. Teachers are expected to render a very high job performance, and the Ministry of Education is always curious regarding the job performance of its teachers. Also, the Ministry of Education demands a very high measure of loyalty, patriotism, dedication, hard work and commitment from its teachers (Ubom & Joshua, 2013).

Earlier research done on the subject matter by researchers in Pakistan, Nigeria, and the whole Sub-Saharan Africa as well notable case studies carried in Ghana on Education Management Information Systems, Induction for Teacher Retention, Motivation and Incentives for teachers and Teachers Job Satisfaction and Motivation for school effectiveness have yielded results to support the idea of motivation of teachers if there is to improvements in the performance of the schools.

Therefore, the value of teachers in preparing human beings for a useful living very high and as contained in the national policy on education (2010) that teacher help to “equip“ students to live effectively in modern age of science and technology.This has made the growing complexity in terms of environmental expulsion, resource mobilization and organization of education institutional the increasing societal demand the more result, oriented schools have made the duties of the staff in the schools to be more critical in organization behaviour, there is therefore a corresponding need for more pragmatic motivational design that will enhance the job performance of teachers in the schools.

Teacher motivation in developed countries is due to the fact that teachers are provided with good quality teacher training and development hence they have opportunities to further improve their training (Evans 2014). They work in acceptable physical school contexts. These countries are such as, the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and Australia. They remain motivated when they see their learners achieve academically as they expect incentives. A decade ago, one observer noted that performance incentives in schools were virtually untestedâ€– (Hanushek, 2016) Since then, a multitude of accountability programs have been implemented that mete out rewards or sanctions to schools and teachers based on some function of school test scores, especially under the guise of the U.S‘s. No Child Left Behind Act.

There is mounting concern that rigid compensation structures weaken teachers‘incentives hence the need to exert effort and improve student performance. In the United States and elsewhere, such concerns have catalyzed the use of monetary performance incentives, often based upon the level or growth of students‘ test-score performance. Nonetheless, pay-for-performance is relatively rare and existing plans are often small-scale and short-lived. In contrast, Nigeria school teachers have been eligible for large financial awards since 1993 that are based upon student test scores, among other factors.

Statement of the Problem

The ineffectiveness of teachers has really been matters of general concern in our society as the school system have been adversely affected. This is chiefly attributed to lack of motivation and incentive to teachers. It therefore contributes immensely as a serious setback in the academic performance of Economics students in secondary school particularly in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra state.

Teachers in Dunukofia L.G.A seemto experience irregular payment of salaries and allowances which hinder their dedication to duties. Poor salaries also affect their performance in the classroom as their promotions are not implemented which reduces their morale in teaching. The environment under which teachers teach or work is not conducive hence reducing their interest in their job as well as their output in teaching. It is this situation that has prompted the researcher to conduct a study to establish the various motivational strategies and how they influence students’academic performance in economics in Dunukofia Government secondary schools in Anambra State.

Purpose ofthe Study

This study sets out to investigate the influence of teachers' motivation on the academic performance of Economics students in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. In order to accomplish this purpose, the researcher sets out the following objectives.

1. To determine how irregular payment of teacher's salaries and allowances hinder their dedication to duties.

2. To find out whether non-implementation of teachers' promotions as they usually complain, affect their morale in teaching.

3. To determine how poor salaries received by teachers affect their performance in the classroom.

4. To find out whether the environment at which teachers work reduce their interest and output in teaching

Significance of the study

The study is of a great importance to various units in the system. The knowledge of the influence of teachers' motivation on the academic performance of Economics students in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra Statewould be of immense value to the school management, parents, government and all those who are interested in the educational progress of Economics student in particular and other students in general in various secondary schools.

However, the knowledge derived from this study would show that, if teachers are adequately motivated with good condition of service, they can improve considerably interms of their level of performance and their output might increase greatly. The implication of such improvement in performance level and increase in output is that Economics students have greater chances of achieving greater height in their academics and the best would be brought out of the students.

Furthermore, the findings of this research work, if the recommendations are strictly followed will help to change the attitudes of teachers to their work especially those of Economics and its related subjects.

Finally, this work would also reveal the areas of motivational factors that need to be improved for optimum performance of teachers.

Scope of the Study

The research is carried out in 10 Government Secondary Schools in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. This research work aimed at investigating the influence of motivation to the teachers on the academic performance of Economics students in Dunukofia L.G.A of Anambra state.

Research Questions

Does irregular payment of teachers' salaries and allowances hinder their dedication to duties?
Does non-implementation of teachers' promotions affect their morale in teaching?
Does poor salary reduce the performance of teachers in the classroom?
Does working environment under which teachers work affect their interest in their job as well as reduce their output.