School culture and teacher motivation: a case of secondary schools in Arua municipality, Arua district, Uganda

Abstract

This study was about “School Culture and Teacher Motivation, a case of Secondary Schools in Arua Municipality”, Arua District. The purpose of the research was to examine the influence of school culture on teacher motivation in selected secondary schools in Arua District. The objectives of the study included: to establish the influence of shared vision on teacher motivation in secondary schools in Arua District, examine the influence of participative decision making on teacher motivation, examine the influence of support for innovation on teacher motivation and explore the most effective strategies for improving teacher motivation in secondary schools in Arua district. The methodology adopted was a cross sectional survey design. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The study was conducted in 10 schools in Arua Municipality and study population constituted head teachers and teachers in the selected secondary schools. Data was collected using interviews and questionnaires. The findings were coded and content analysis techniques, themes and patterns were used to analyse qualitative data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to describe data and presentation was done inform of tables and graphs. Pearson‟s moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between School Culture and Teacher Motivation. The findings revealed that there was a moderate positive correlation between school culture and teacher motivation. This implied that the school culture influenced the teacher motivation in those schools. The teachers encountered problems of little salary, delayed payments, not being appreciated or given allowances for extra duties, not being involved in decision making among others. Schools therefore need to develop strong cultures of rewarding, acknowledging teachers‟ efforts, paying in time and giving more tasks and responsibilities to the teachers; they could make teachers more motivated.