Comparative investigation of job motivation, perceived job stress and job satisfaction on teacher's efficacy among public and private secondary school teachers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The study examines the comparative investigation of job motivation, perceived job stress and job satisfaction on teacher‟s efficacy among public and private secondary school teachers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive design of correlational type. A Sample of two hundred hundred fifty public and private secondary school teachers were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Four scales were used to collect information. Eight research questions were raised and answered in the study. Data collected were analyzed using T-test and Multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the teaching efficacy of public and private secondary school teachers; t (248) = -3.206, p < . 05, there was also a significant difference in the job motivation of public and private secondary school teachers; t (248) = -2.159, p < . 05, a significant difference also was observed in the perceived stress of public and private secondary school teachers; t (248) = -3.648, p < . 05 and a significant difference in the job satisfaction of public and private secondary school teachers was also observed; t (248) = -2.742, p > . 05. The Regression analysis revealed that there was a joint effect of the independent variables (job motivation, perceived stress and job satisfaction) on public school teachers‟ efficacy (R = .598, P < .05). 34.3% of the variance was accounted for by the predictor variables when taken together. The significance of the composite contribution was tested at (P < .05). Furthermore, there was also a joint effect of the independent variables (job motivation, perceived stress and job satisfaction) on private school teachers‟ efficacy (R = .641, P < .05). 39.4% of the variance was accounted for by the predictor variables when taken together. The significance of the composite contribution was tested at (P < .05). It is recommended from the findings of the study that the welfare of teachers who are the engine room of secondary education is very critical to their efficacy most notably in the private secondary school section. Also, Government, employers and stakeholders in the secondary education must ensure the wellness of teachers  еrnest. kelvin26@gmail.com Okpako, E. : Comparative Investigation of Job Motivation, Perceived Job Stress. ЗБОРНИК РАДОВА  ГОД. 23  БР. 22  ДЕЦЕМБАР 2020  25–42 26 in order to facilitate the learning process towards good teaching, self-development of teachers, students and nation at large. Keyword: Teacher Efficacy, Job motivation, Job Satisfaction, Perceived Stress, Teachers. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Globally, education remains the engine room of development in all sectors. These underscores, the importance of teachers, especially at the secondary school level, which is a feeding sub-sector of education at the tertiary level. The primary goal of any school is the attainment of academic excellence by the students though there may be other peripheral objectives. The extent to which this goal is achieved depends principally on the workforce most especially the teaching personnel. Teachers like other employees in an organization play a crucial role in the actualization of the school goals and objectives as well as in the implementation of educational policies and principles. Teaching efficacy is highly related to students‟ outcome as the end-product of education. Their perceived strength and effectiveness is reflected in the standard of education and performance of students in internal and external examinations hence; they constitute the oil that lubricates the factors of academic achievement and educational enterprise as a whole. When teaching efficacy decreases, it will adversely affect students‟ outcomes. Education is to bring out abilities and potentials in individual and also to nurture what has been brought out. It is the building stones of any scientifically and technological advancement, which lays a good foundation that would facilitate the development of human and capital resources that will bring about a sane society. However, education has been found wanting in these regards due to the reduced efficacy of teachers who are the major key player in transforming educational objectives into reality. Teachers are arguably the most critical professional in nation‟s development (Bishay, 2006) consequently; their efficacy at work is paramount to the educational development of the society. An educational system is usually considered to be the fundamental principle of a developing country. Effective teachers are vital for the accomplishment of an educational system. A high demanding educational system has made the teaching profession extremely challenging, as high performance is expected from teachers. Teachers who are satisfied with their jobs usually have a high degree of professional capabilities and feel that they could manage, organise and perform specific tasks and behaviour, even in case of failure (Gkolia, Belias, Koustelios, 2014). Teachers Efficacy is defined as the extent to which a teacher believes he or she can affect student performance; teacher efficacy has been related to individual differences in teachers‟ feedback toward and expectations for students (Gibson & Dembo, 1984) and to teachers‟ control orientations (Woolfolk & Hoy, 1990). Okpako, E. : Comparative Investigation of Job Motivation, Perceived Job Stress. ЗБОРНИК РАДОВА  ГОД. 23  БР. 22  ДЕЦЕМБАР 2020  25–42 27 Moreover, teacher efficacy has been positively associated with academic achievement in students (Anderson, Greene, Loewen, 1988; Ashton & Webb, 1986). According to Bandura (1993), links between efficacy and achievement might be explained by the learning environments teachers create for their students. For instance, teacher efficacy could play a role in the goal‟s teachers set for themselves and their students, how motivated teachers are to create a positive learning environment, how much effort they expend in teaching students, and how they react when faced with difficult situations. Each of these factors could lead to positive or negative instructional practices, which could then impact student achievement. The first factor that will be considered in this research is perceived job stress, and according to Mason (1975), stress was approached in four different ways, Stimulus or external force acting on the organism, Response or changes in the physiological functions, External force and resistance opposed to it and Comprehensive phenomenon encompassing all these. The teachers serve one of the most stressful professions. Stress is costly to the individual as well as to the institution where he/she works (Cooper & Marshal, 1978). Borg (1990) conceptualizes teacher stress as negative and potentially harmful to teachers' health and effectiveness. In a survey assessing the stress levels of various jobs by the Health and Safety Executive, teaching came out top. The report found that 41.5% of teachers reported themselves „highly stressedʼ, while 58.5% came into a „low stressʼ category, while 36% of teachers felt the effects of stress all or most of the time. This is indeed an alarming state and visibly also the biggest reason for school teacher‟s poor performance in their duties and quitting at a very high percentage or seeking professional help to fight back stress. Stress has become increasingly common in the teaching profession primarily because of increased complexities and increased economic pressure on individuals. A significant source of distress among teachers is the result of a failure of the school to meet the social needs and jobs demands of the teachers. According to Schwarzer and Greenglass, (1999) in their study of the relationship between occupational stress and teacher efficacy, they asserted that the construct of teacher-efficacy suggests a protective effect when coping with adversity. They stated further that an optimistic belief in one‟s competence to deal with daily challenges enhances the motivation to engage in constructive ways of coping. Thus, self-efficacious teachers would perceive the physical demands of daily teaching as being less threatening than those teachers that harbor self-doubts about their professional performance. Successful adaptation to stressful demands, in turn, would prevent the emergence of occupational stress and rebuild teaching efficacy (Caprara et al., 2003; Schmitz & Schwarzer, 2002; Schwarzer & Greenglass, 1999; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). Motivation is also another factor of interest in this study; motivation and performance are critical factors in terms of organizational success and achievements. Motivation plays a vital role in the organization as it tends to increase the productivity of employees and to prompt the organizational goals to achieve in an efficient way (Jehangir, 2015). Motivation also takes part in an important role for Okpako, E. : Comparative Investigation of Job Motivation, Perceived Job Stress. ЗБОРНИК РАДОВА  ГОД. 23  БР. 22  ДЕЦЕМБАР 2020  25–42 28 teachers as it helps to achieve the target efficiently. Teacher motivation is essential because it improves the skills and knowledge of teachers directly influential on student‟s achievement (Mustafa & Othman, 2010). If in school, teachers are not adequately motivated, they tend to be less committed to effective teaching. Looney (2003) conducted a study on teacher motivation and teaching efficacy. A total of 229 teachers from nine high schools in a middle-class school district participated in the study. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicate that: motivation was a significant and positive predictor of teachers‟ overall efficacy and efficacy for classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement. Hoy and Woolfolk (1993) explored the relationship between organizational characteristics which are principal influence, motivation and schools‟ emphasis and teacher efficacy. Mainly, they sampled 179 teachers fr