A study of factors affecting teacher morale in a state public school system in Nigeria, 2002

This study examined the influence of selected morale factors on teacher morale in a State Public School system in Nigeria. The study was based on the proposition that teacher morale is influenced by a multitude of variables and factors. Further, just as each school or district is unique, it was logically assumed that the influence of selected morale factors would vary from one school or school district to the next. The aforementioned assumptions were based largely on findings from the related research on teacher morale. Ten independent variables were considered, and four intervening variables were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data obtained through the survey instrument distributed to and collected from the teachers of the Imo State School. The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO) was distributed to 292 teachers. The sample consisted of 292 teachers who completed questionnaire. The findings revealed a significant relationship between principal leadership style, satisfaction with teaching, rapport with teacher, salary, work load, curriculum issues, and teacher status. Conversely, significant relationships were not found between community support of education, school facilities, and continuous salary availability. Targeted moderating variables such as age, gender, school type, and teaching experience in this study showed no significant relationship to morale. Conclusions drawn from the study indicate principal leadership style, satisfaction with teaching, rapport with teachers, salary work load, curriculum issues, and teacher status affect teacher morale. However community support of education, school facilities, continuous salary availability, and moderating variables (gender, age, school type, and teaching experience) have no effect on teacher morale. Further studies are recommended that the Imo State School District should take some steps to improve principal leadership style, founding, professionalize teaching, add morale content in the school curriculum, and improve community support of education. Implication from this study may suggest that parody the studies conducted in developed countries will not be effective in Nigeria