TEACHER WORKLOAD AND TEACHER JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This study looked at the relationship between teacher workload and job performance in selected secondary schools in Lagos State’s Education District IV. The study’s goals were to determine what constitutes teacher workload and teacher job performance. Furthermore, to investigate the impact of several variables on effective classroom teaching, such as the number of teaching subjects, teaching periods, class sizes, teaching and non-teaching activities, as well as the impact of teacher workload on teacher job performance.
To guide the study, eight research questions and hypotheses were proposed. The research design was a descriptive survey in which a questionnaire was created to collect data for the study. The study enlisted the help of 250 teachers in total. The study’s findings revealed that there was no gender difference in teachers’ perceptions of teacher workload and job performance.
The findings also revealed that the number of teaching subjects, subject periods, teaching and non-teaching activities had no negative impact on the teaching and learning environment. Large class sizes, on the other hand, had a negative impact on teachers’ ability to teach and learn effectively in the classroom.
Finally, the findings revealed that teacher workloads have a negative impact on teachers’ job performance in the classroom.
Following the findings of the research, recommendations were made. They include the need to train more teachers to handle specific tasks in secondary schools, as well as the need for secondary school principals to not overburden or under burden teachers in order to ensure their optimal use.
Teachers must be properly motivated by management in order to be satisfied and perform well on the job. To avoid draining teachers’ energies, they should only be assigned to teach subjects for which they have been trained.
THE FIRST CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
The Study’s Background
Workload has resurfaced as a topic of renewed interest for both researchers and educators on a national and international scale. Researchers have identified some definitive concepts regarding Nigerian teachers’ workloads: workloads are increasing, non-teaching roles are becoming significantly more extensive, and teachers are being asked to take on responsibilities for which they are not properly trained (Adu, Titilola and Ifeoma, 2013; Onyene, 2004). The reasons for this are attributed to increased demand for education, which has resulted in increased school enrollment.
Overcrowded classrooms, as aptly noted by Akinsolu (2011), are considered un-conducive for both teachers and students alike, as the burden on teachers in terms of implementing, marking scripts and other continuous assessments, as well as the ability to give individualized attention to students in need of extra help, may appear to increase teacher workload in schools. It has resulted in poor learning and high school dropout rates on the part of students.
Meanwhile, teacher workload is defined as the totality of academic teaching work and committee workload assigned to a teacher in order to achieve the school’s overall educational objectives (Adu, Oshati and Ifeoma, 2013). For teachers, the demands of the classroom can be overwhelming. Workload has no well-defined boundaries; it is essentially limitless. While contracts with principals or school administration appear to define expectations for teacher workload, contract terms represent the bare minimum.
To meet the needs of every student, a teacher often does far more than is required, and some even attempt to do more than they can physically handle. According to research, in Nigeria, the demand to educate the teeming population has resulted in an overburdening of teachers in meeting these education needs. This could be explained by the low supply of teachers in comparison to the demand for education.
Research has revealed information about teacher workloads all over the world. According to a review of existing literature, many factors continue to mitigate and conspire against teachers in carrying out their duties of imparting knowledge, skills, and attitudes to students.
Teachers’ preparation time, assessment, reporting, supervision, attendance at meetings, class size, the implementation of new programs without adequate resources, and scheduling challenges that result in inappropriate and off-field teaching all contribute to teacher workload (Dibbon) (2004). Government expectations, curriculum requirements, and professional development requirements are also worth mentioning.
In accordance with the foregoing, it appears that teachers have four options: take on additional responsibilities, teach part-time, resign from the profession, or retire early. Although there is a wealth of research on teacher workload in Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria, there is a gap in the literature on teacher workload in Education District IV of Lagos State in relation to job performance in secondary schools. This research will fill a knowledge gap in the literature.
Most notably, concern about teacher productivity is regarded as critical due to its apparent direct relationship with educational quality and eventual long-term effect on the future labor force. There is a wealth of literature on teacher workload and how it affects job performance in secondary schools; however, few are on the impact of gender on teacher productivity in public secondary schools. As a result, this study supplements previous research in this field.
Many symposia, conferences, and workshops have arguably focused on increasing the productivity of Nigerian teachers. It is widely acknowledged that the teacher is a critical factor in the classroom teaching and learning environment.
Whatever is preventing the teacher from achieving the desired results should be dealt with. Teachers must be made responsive to the task of delivering education goals without undue stress. It is very concerning that graduates at various levels know very little of what they are supposed to have learned in school. Similarly, poor school certificate examination results over the years have provided justification for the expressed concerns.
According to examination body reports, the failure rate for English Language in the last five years has surpassed the percentage of credits scored in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by it between 2001 and 2005.
During this time period, the candidates in Mathematics observed a fluctuating trend (WAEC, 2007). Furthermore, according to Punch Newspaper (2008), only 188,442 candidates (13.76 percent) obtained five credit passes or higher in English Language, Mathematics, and three other subjects out of a total of 1,369,142 candidates who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Nigeria in 2008.
While 947,945 candidates, or 83 percent, failed the examination. According to the findings, all is not well with students’ secondary school performance. There is no denying that poor performance and failure are frequently blamed on the workers by management.
Teachers in secondary schools, on the other hand, face similar challenges in terms of job performance. Given the foregoing, this study investigates the effect of teacher workload on teacher job performance in secondary schools in Lagos Education District IV.
Statement of the Issue
Concerns have been expressed over the years about the poor performance of school certificate examinations. According to the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the failure rate is on the rise. This suggests that all is not well with secondary school student performance. Management, on the other hand, usually blames poor performance and failure on the workers.
This is no different for secondary school teachers who are experiencing job performance issues. According to research, a teacher in his or her professional guise is burdened with both survival and self-reliance demands that draw him or her back as a member of the larger social economic system (Adekoya, 2000 in Onyene, 2004).
Teachers’ lack of time, collaborative activities, professional development, non-teaching responsibilities, and out-of-field teaching assignments have conspired and continue to conspire against teachers’ ability to achieve educational goals. As a result, a teacher is unable to meet the academic needs of all students and is dissatisfied with class size and school composition.
As a result, students are underperforming in school; a teacher is resistant to curriculum change, overburdened with class size, turnover, and attrition. The negative effects of an unrealistic workload have a significant impact on both teachers and the quality of their work life, as well as students and their academic experience.
Against this backdrop, this study investigates the impact of teacher workload on teacher job performance in secondary schools in Lagos Education District IV, where research studies appear to be scarce.
The Study’s Purpose
The overarching goal of this research is to investigate the impact of teacher workload on teacher job performance in Secondary Schools in Education District IV, Lagos State. It is specifically intended to:
1. Investigate secondary school teachers’ perceptions and experiences with teacher workloads.
2. Evaluate secondary school teachers’ perspectives and experiences with teacher job performance.
3. Determine the effect of class size on a teacher’s ability to teach effectively in the classroom.
4. Evaluate the impact of teacher workload factors on job performance.
5. Investigate the impact of subject teaching allocation on secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning.
6. Determine the impact of subject teaching periods on secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning.
7. Investigate the impact of teaching activities such as writing lesson notes, taking class attendance, and assessing students on the effectiveness of the teacher’s teaching and learning process.
8. Determine the impact of non-teaching activities such as attending meetings and responding to parents on secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning.
Research Issues
This study will be guided by the research questions listed below.
1. What are teachers’ perceptions and experiences with secondary school teacher workloads?
2. Are there any differences in the perspectives and experiences of male and female teachers regarding teacher job performance in schools?
3. What effect does class size have on secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching?
4. How does the teacher workload factor affect teacher job performance?
5. What effect do subject teaching allocations have on secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning?
6. How do subject teaching periods affect secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning?
7. What effect do teaching activities such as taking class attendance, writing lesson notes, and assessing students have on a teacher’s effective teaching and learning?
8. How do non-teaching activities such as attending meetings and responding to parents affect secondary school teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning?
Hypotheses for Research
This study will be guided by the null hypotheses listed below.
1. Male and female teachers’ knowledge of teacher workload in school is not significantly different.
2. Male and female teachers’ knowledge of teacher job performance in school does not differ significantly.
3. Subject teaching allocations have no effect on teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning in school.
4. Subject teaching periods have no effect on teachers’ effective classroom teaching and learning in school.
5. Class sizes have no effect on a teacher’s ability to teach effectively in the classroom.
6. Secondary school teaching activities have no significant impact on teachers’ effective teaching and learning.
7. Non-teaching activities have no significant impact on secondary school teachers’ effective teaching and learning.
8. Factors affecting teacher workload have no discernible effect on student academic performance.
The Study’s Importance
This study has implications for providing a clear picture of how workload intensification affects secondary school teachers’ performance and personal well-being in Education District IV, Lagos State, and what school leaders can do to balance the workload.
The study focuses on the various roles (teaching and non-teaching) that these teachers must assume each day, their experiences with workload intensification, and what actions, if any, must be taken to improve the working lives of teachers in this Education District IV. It is worth noting that the most important school factor in improving students’ achievement is teaching quality.
The study’s findings are critical for all stakeholders in public secondary school education, including educational districts, commissioners and ministers of education, the Nigerian Teachers’ Union, school supervisors, school administrators, classroom teachers, and the general public.
The findings of the study are important to the education district teachers’ association because they will expand their understanding of the perceived workload issues in Lagos Mainland secondary schools, including professional development concerns.
The ultimate goal of this study was to effect positive educational change in the work lives of teachers. The study’s findings will be shared with education stakeholders in an effort to persuade policymakers to make positive changes that will benefit not only secondary school teachers’ work lives, but also students’ achievement in this study area.
It is critical that the Education District Department of Education recognizes and comprehends the direct relationship between the quality of teacher performance and student achievement in order to improve student achievement.
The Study’s Scope
The study examines the effect of teacher workload on secondary school teacher job performance. It focuses on secondary school teachers in Lagos State’s Education District IV. The study examines workload from the standpoint of intensification.
This study looks at five aspects of performance: preparation time, collaborative activities, professional development, nonteaching duties, and out-of-field teaching assignments. It includes 250 teachers chosen at random from ten secondary schools in Education District IV, Lagos State. Obtaining information from respondents may also present some challenges.
Terms with Operational Definitions
The terms listed below are operationally defined.
Workload: The amount of work assigned to or expected of a worker in a given time period.
It is also the amount of work that must be completed by a person or machine in a specific amount of time. Excessive workload can cause stress or burnout in a teacher at work, as well as a decrease in productivity.
A teacher is a trained professional in the field of education who assists pupils, students, or learners in learning.
Performance is the extent to which an individual performs his or her role in accordance with the organization’s specified standards. High levels of performance result in high levels of effective production.
Teacher Performance: refers to how a teacher performs his or her daily diverse tasks (including teaching and nonteaching responsibilities), whether assigned or self-imposed, in order to do the job well. “Data-driven planning, instructional delivery, assessment, learning environment, communication, professionalism, and student achievement” are among the performance standards.
Constructivism entails the formation of knowledge and beliefs by the learners; they ascribe meaning to their experiences; it entails shared inquiry, reflection, and met cognition.
Constructivist Paradigm: a research paradigm in which the researcher “looks for the complexity of views rather than narrowing meanings into a few categories or ideas; the goal of research is to rely on the participants’ views of the situation being studied as much as possible.”
Limitation
This study is only being conducted in a few secondary schools in Lagos State’s Mainland Education District IV.
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