Influence of job satisfaction on performance of science teachers in secondary schools in Kajiado North, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of job satisfaction on performance among secondary school science teachers in Kajiado North District. A number of researches have been conducted on employees' job satisfaction and performance separately but there has never been an attempt to establish the relationship between the two. This study came in to bridge this gap. The study sought to achieve the following set of objectives: to determine the influence of individual teacher characteristics on performance; to determine the extent to which work content influences performance among secondary school science teachers; establish the extent to which remuneration influences performance among the secondary school science teachers; to examine the influence of working conditions on performance among secondary school science teachers; and to investigate the influence of supervision on performance among secondary school science teachers.

The design for the study was ex post facto. The target population for the study consists of all secondary schools in Kajiado North District. Simple random sampling of each school to get a sample size of 24 out of 31 schools was conducted. Data collection was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data collected. The results are presented in tables and charts for clarity. Qualitative data was analyzed and presented in prose. The expected outcomes for this study included: to establish the influence of job satisfaction on performance among secondary school science teachers; establish the extent to which work content, individual teacher characteristics, remuneration, working conditions and supervision influences performance among the secondary school science teachers.

The study found out that: various aspect of work content influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers;. individual characteristic of teachers do not influence the performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers; various aspects of remuneration influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers; various aspects of work condition influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers; supervision influence performance III SCIence among secondary school science teachers and the various aspect of work content influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers.

It was concluded that: individual characteristic of teachers do not influence the performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers; various aspect of work content influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers; remuneration influences job satisfaction among secondary school science teachers and affects performance; working conditions influence performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers and supervision influence performance in science among secondary school science teachers.

The study makes the following recommendations: that the management of secondary school should enhance the various aspect of work content that influences performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers so as to improve their performance; individual characteristics of a teacher do not influence performance among science secondary school teacher therefore little can be done on these aspects in order to improve performance of science teachers; various aspect of remuneration that influences job performance among secondary school teachers should be enhanced to increase performance of teachers; working conditions of teachers should be made good in order to enhance on performance in sciences among secondary school science teachers and supervision should be enhanced to increase on performance in science among secondary school science teachers.

The study suggestions for further study includes: That the scope of the study should be expanded to base the finding at provincial level and hopefully a national level in order to prove the findings beyond any reasonable doubt that they apply across the board in the teaching profession and hence from the basis for frame of reference to educational managers who are charged with the responsibility of managing science teachers performance; a similar research study on influence of job satisfaction on performance among mathematic teachers should be conducted as mathematics is also regarded as a crucial subject as sciences in transfer of technology and that various aspects which include student's views and the teachers' spouses should be incorporated in the instruments to have a better insight as to why there is poor performance among science secondary school teachers in Kajiado North District.