INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPALS’ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES AND EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION ON TEACHERS’ WORK PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA
INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPALS’ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES AND EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION ON TEACHERS’ WORK PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA
Loise Wanjiku Ndirangu - Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Joseph G. Mungai (PhD) - Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
There is low motivation among the teachers in public secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-County. This has directly impacted their work performance especially in the quality of service delivery to learners. Motivation is a human resource management strategy that can be utilized to improve the work performance of employees. In the education sector, school principal is utilized this strategy to increase teachers' output. Consequently, the goal of this research was to explore how principals’ motivation strategies influence the work performance of teachers in public secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya with a bid to suggesting how the teachers’ productivity at their work stations can be improved through motivation. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of the financial incentives on the teachers’ work performance and to assess how recognition of exceptional performance affect teachers’ performance of their work. The study was anchored the Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation. The study employed a descriptive research design and targets to gather information from a sample of 180 participants who were teachers and principals using stratified and simple random sampling methods. The primary research tool was the questionnaire, which was used to gather quantitative data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 25, was utilized to evaluate the data into descriptive and correlational statistics. Descriptive statistics were analyzed into measures of central tendencies such as percentages, frequencies, means and measures of dispersion such as standard deviations. The study also employed Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Model and a linear regression model to test the direction, strength and predict the association among the dependent and the independent variable of the study. The findings of the analysis were presented in form of tables, and graphs while qualitative data gathered from focused group discussions were shown using thematic analysis and holistic description. The study ensured that ethical considerations were upheld so that the findings were credible. The findings revealed that financial rewards, and teachers' recognition have an impact on teachers' job performance. The significance of these factors is indicated by the p-values of 0.023 and 0.046, are less than 0.05, implying a statistically significant relationship. The study concludes that financial rewards, and teachers' recognition positively influence teachers' job performance, as the observed relationships are statistically significant. The study recommends that principals to consider the implementation of financial incentives as a motivational strategy. By offering financial rewards such as bonuses based on performance, principals can effectively motivate teachers to excel in their roles. However, it's crucial to ensure that these incentives are transparent, fair, and tied to measurable outcomes to avoid any potential feelings of inequity or demotivation among teachers. The principals should prioritize the recognition of teachers' efforts and achievements. This can be achieved through various means such as verbal praise, awards, or acknowledgment in staff meetings.
