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Evaluation of Factors that Affect Teachers’ Job Satisfaction and the Impact on Student Academic Performances

¹Ugwu Jovita Nnenna, ²Mbabazi Asiat, ³Tom Mulegi, ²Eze Chidinma Esther, ¹Aleke Jude Uchechukwu, ⁴Rachel Okwaja Puche and ⁵Eric Mabonga

¹Department of Publication and Extension, Kampala International University, Uganda.

²Faculty of Education Kampala International Uganda.

³Department of Public Administration and Management, Kampala International University, Uganda.

⁴Social Work and Social Administration, Kampala International University, Uganda.

⁵Accounting and Finance, Kampala International University, Uganda.

Email address: nnenna.jovita@kiu.ac.ug

ABSTRACT

Performance has various facets and is influenced by a variety of factors, such as organizational dedication and work ideals. Performance has been heavily sought throughout the history of education, both from teachers and from students, as a measure of production. Since teacher job satisfaction and student accomplishment are related, they offer a significant opportunity to enhance the educational process. However, if teachers are unable to show quality performance in the form of students’ achievement scores, the purpose of reaching academic goals remains unmet. This paper evaluated the elements that affect instructors’ job satisfaction and its impact on students’ academic achievement because that component is also the most crucial topic of research and the core of educational psychology. The study determined that students and management are the two key influencing factors at the school level based on secondary data. The institutional culture of the school and student management are included in the management side of education, whereas the learning environment for students is included in the student aspect. Similar workplace considerations included the opportunity for professional progress, workload pressure, and learning exchange. Finally, one important factor in influencing teachers’ happiness is how well their expectations are met across the board. As a result, this article came to the conclusion that there is a direct correlation between instructors’ job satisfaction and students’ academic success. As a result, it is important to improve teachers’ job satisfaction because doing so will improve students’ academic outcomes.

Keywords: Teachers, Job Satisfaction, Performance, Student, Academic Achievement

INTRODUCTION

The teaching and learning process essentially involves interactions among various individuals within a social context where the roles of teachers and students are usually well-defined. Teachers anticipate active participation from their students, while students, in turn, expect teachers to have a significant influence on their learning. Teachers serve as role models for their students, making their job performance pivotal to student success. Therefore, performance is a multifaceted aspect influenced by several factors, including work values and organizational commitment [1]. Throughout the history of education, performance has been a highly demanded criterion for both teachers and students. The satisfaction of teachers and their achievement scores are intertwined and represent a crucial potential source for enhancing the educational process. However, the achievement of academic goals remains unattained if teachers cannot demonstrate quality performance reflected in students’ achievement scores. Academic achievement is the most crucial indicator in the teaching and learning process, and it holds a central place in educational psychology. Academic assessments, primarily conducted through examinations and tests, are widely employed for evaluating students’ performance, irrespective of their academic level or field of study. Tests are commonly used to analyze students’ skills, abilities, and academic achievements, facilitating the assessment of their learning outcomes and progress to enhance education’s quality [2]. In this context, performance is closely linked to effectiveness, knowledge management, and overall quality. The evaluation of these factors aims to understand the elements influencing teachers’ job satisfaction.

Concept of Student Achievement

Defining a student’s grades is a complex endeavor. The most prevalent measure of achievement is typically the performance of students in academic achievement exams across subjects like reading, language arts, math, science, and history. The quality of schools, teachers, students’ backgrounds, and various other variables all play roles in determining academic accomplishments [3]. Consequently, academic achievement represents the ability to successfully complete educational tasks. These achievements can encompass general and subject-specific accomplishments, which are usually expressed in the form of marks, percentages, or other grading scales [4]. It’s essential to emphasize that academic performance extends beyond test and exam scores, encompassing students’ participation in extracurricular activities, cultural events, sports, and other endeavors within academic institutions and organizations.

Empirical Review

Job performance is significantly influenced by intrinsic motivational factors within the teaching profession. Teachers who experience greater job satisfaction tend to perform better in their roles. Multiple studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between job satisfaction and job performance [5]. However, factors such as organizational commitment, intrinsic motivation, and job performance do not consistently show significant correlations [5]. In one study, the job satisfaction and performance of 588 teachers from different school boards were compared, revealing notable differences. The study indicated that teachers in central board schools tend to be more satisfied, which positively affects their job performance compared to teachers in state and matriculation board schools. Another study explored the impact of job satisfaction/dissatisfaction on Iranian English teachers’ performance, highlighting the role of job satisfaction in influencing performance [6]. Similarly, research on public secondary school teachers in Nairobi County emphasized the importance of job satisfaction in affecting job performance. The study concluded that factors like salary, professional development opportunities, working conditions, and recognition significantly impact job satisfaction and, consequently, encourage teachers to excel in their roles [7, 8]. A descriptive research design study investigated the influence of job satisfaction on primary school teachers’ work performance in Kinondoni district. The study indicated low levels of job satisfaction, particularly concerning school supervision, communication feedback, teaching-learning materials, school-parent relationships, on-the-job training, promotion opportunities, salary, and transportation facilities. Low job satisfaction was found to negatively impact primary school teachers’ performance, leading to absenteeism and retention issues [9]. In a study of public secondary school teachers in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, it was found that job satisfaction significantly correlates with work performance. Factors like pay, promotion opportunities, recognition, qualifications, among others, were identified as key influencers of job satisfaction and work performance. The study suggested that failing to meet teachers’ needs through motivation or incentives can result in apathy, frustration, and inefficiency [10]. Another study investigated the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction, their performance, and students’ academic achievement. The findings revealed significant positive correlations between job satisfaction, job performance, and students’ academic success [11].

Factors affecting the Teachers’ Job Satisfaction

Various studies have examined elements that directly or indirectly impact teachers’ job satisfaction. In research on college teachers’ job satisfaction, factors such as work treatment, job pressure, leadership behavior, gender, and age were identified as influencing job satisfaction levels [12]. Existing research often categorizes factors affecting teacher job satisfaction into four levels: individual, school, work, and others. At the individual level, objective factors include educational background, teaching experience, gender, professional status, income, workload, and teaching subjects, while subjective factors encompass occupational preference and work engagement. School-level influences encompass both institutional culture and student management, while factors like the learning environment affect students. Workplace factors include professional growth opportunities, work pressure, and learning exchanges. Other factors, such as geographical location and urban or rural settings, operate at different levels [13]. When considering these factors together, they can be grouped into three categories: individual elements, institutional elements, and the alignment between individuals and their roles. For instance, professional title, educational background, and job satisfaction are factors that teachers can control themselves, but these have weak correlations with job satisfaction. On the other hand, age has a weak correlation but can explain job satisfaction. Salary levels have the most significant impact on teacher job satisfaction, as it represents a key aspect of compensation and aligns with teachers’ expectations from the organization [12].

The Impact of Job Satisfaction on Academic Performance

From 2010 to 2021, numerous studies conducted in various countries consistently showed a positive relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and students’ academic achievements [14]. Teacher morale was found to be closely linked to students’ academic outcomes [15]. When teachers are dissatisfied with their work, it can manifest in various ways, including classroom absenteeism, ultimately affecting students’ academic performance negatively. Conversely, teachers who find their profession valuable tend to be more satisfied and contribute to better student outcomes. Research conducted in sub-Saharan African nations, Uganda and Nigeria, demonstrated that satisfied teachers tend to be more effective in teaching, thereby enhancing students’ learning experiences [16]. Teachers with high job satisfaction tend to invest more effort in teaching and learning [17]. On the contrary, low job satisfaction can lead to a lack of enthusiasm for teaching, resulting in issues such as reduced teaching quality and negative impacts on students’ academic performance. Additionally, low job satisfaction can affect teachers’ organizational commitment and the attractiveness of the teaching profession [18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23]. However, some studies have shown different results, indicating that teacher job satisfaction may not have a significant relationship with student grades [19]. Despite such variances, many scholars agree that job satisfaction among school teachers generally reflects their motivation and dedication to students’ academic success [19, 20, 21, 22, 23].

Summary/Conclusion

Performance is a many-sided feature that depends on many aspects, including work values and organizational commitment. As an indicator of productivity, performance has been highly demanded throughout the history of education, either from teachers or from students. Since the job satisfaction of teachers and their achievement scores are interlinked, they represent a vital potential source for improving the educational process. However, the goal of achieving academic goals remains unfulfilled if teachers cannot demonstrate quality performance in the form of students’ achievement score. That aspect is also the most important area of research and at the heart of educational psychology; hence, this paper appraised the factors that affect teachers’ job satisfaction and its influence on student academic performance. Based on secondary data, the study identified the two main influencing variables at the school level which are students and management. In conclusion therefore, there is need to enhance the job satisfaction of teachers as this will lead to better academic outcomes for the students.

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CITE AS: Ugwu Jovita Nnenna, Mbabazi Asiat, Tom Mulegi, Eze Chidinma Esther, Aleke Jude Uchechukwu, Rachel Okwaja Puche and Eric Mabonga (2023). Evaluation of Factors that Affect Teachers’ Job Satisfaction and the Impact on Student Academic Performances. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN EDUCATION, 3(3) 6-9.

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