| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of job satisfaction among secondary school mathematics teachers in Kinangop sub-district. The study also investigated whether there was any significant difference among the mathematics teachers and live independent v.uinhlcs or school category, sex, age, professional qualifications and teaching experience. The problem
was high turnover of mathematics teachers, leading to dismal performance in mathematics at KCSE level. Review in literature established a strong link between levels of job satisfaction and performance. A questionnaire was used in data collection. The questionnaire had three
parts. Part A had five items that elicited demographic information from the respondents. Part B of the questionnaire was the mathematics teachers job satisfaction level measurement instrument (JSLMI). This part consisted of L five job factor of work content, remuneration , working conditions, work environment, recognition and interpersonal relations. Each job factor had six sub-items and respondents were to rate them in a five point Likert scale. Part C had three items. Item one required respondents to indicate their overall level of job satisfaction. Item two asked the respondent to indicate eight job factors from the most important to the least important. The sample
for the study was derived from a population of 90 mathematics teachers. The instrument was administered to 75 or them in Kinangop sub-district . The sample was selected using simple random sampling method. To conduct the study, five null hypothesis were tested. T-tests for
independent samples were used to test if there were significant difference in the levels of job satisfaction and gender and category of the school. A hypothesis was rejected or not rejected at 0.05 level of significance. One way analysis of variance was used to test if there were significant difference between levels of job satisfaction and age, professional qualifications and
teaching experience. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that most mathematics teachers in
secondary school were male, at 82.93% . Most teachers were also found to be relatively young, where those below age of 40 years represented 90.24%. This is attributed to the fact that most mathematics teachers quit teaching to look for "greener" pastures. Most mathematics teachers, 75% are degree holders implying that they are employable in other sectors of the economy.
Educational managers need to motivate them in their job to maintain high levels of retention. About IO(~l of the mathematics teachers were in private schools. On testing the hypothesis it was found that there were no significant differences In any of the demographic variables and levels of job satisfaction. Also there was no significant difference in the levels of job satisfaction and school category. The implication was that mathematics teachers satisfaction in their job was not affected by any of the demographic variables of age, sex, professional qualification or teaching experience.
On overall levels of job satisfaction, the teachers were found to be satisfied in the job factor of interpersonal relations, with a mean score of 3.00 and almost satisfied in the job factor of recognition, with a mean score of 2.79. The mathematics teachers were however found to be dissatisfied in the job factor of remuneration, with a mean score of 1.80 and slightly satisfied in the
job factors of work content. mean score of 2.31 and working conditions,
mean score of 2.06. The study revealed that 43.9% of secondary school mathematics teachers
are satisfied with their job while 53.7~'o were either slightly satisfied or not
satisfied. On career aspirations, ()S.XfVtI of the teachers indicated that they would prefer to go for further studies, while 35.2(% indicated that they would like to either change employer or start a business enterprise. The teachers ranked teacher-centered job factors as the most important
aspects of teaching to them. These were job factors of remuneration, job security and working conditions.
Recommendations:
Based on the findings, it was recommended that:
1. There is need to improve on teacher-centered job aspects such as
remuneration.
2. More female student teachers should be encouraged to take
mathematics as a teaching subject so as to act as role model to girls,
thus boosting their performance in mathematics.
3. The TSC and HELB should consider assisting mathematics teachers
financially to go for further studies. | en |
