Exploring Factors Impacting Teachers’ Performance and Commitment in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District
Silaji Turyamureeba and Julius Bitekyerezo
Department of Educational Foundation Faculty of Education, Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda
This research delves into the factors influencing teachers’ performance and commitment in primary schools within Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District. Conducted through interviews and self-administered questionnaires, the study gathered data from 120 respondents, comprising school management committee members, PTA members, head teachers, and teachers. It analyzes the demographic distribution, educational backgrounds, and viewpoints regarding the causes of poor teacher performance, including motivations, facilities, qualifications, absenteeism, and the school environment. Additionally, it investigates the impact of leadership styles on teacher commitment, exploring aspects like motivation, work recurrence, job opportunities, satisfaction, retention, rapport with leaders, and recognition. Notably, the research unveils a significant relationship between leadership styles and teacher commitment, providing insights into potential solutions to address teacher absenteeism.
Keywords: Teachers’ Performance, Teacher Commitment, Leadership Styles, Primary Schools, Ryeru Sub- Absenteeism, Motivation
In primary schools in Ryeru sub -county Rubirizi District, teachers have been allegedly reported to be having low school commitment according to Rubirizi District inspector of schools. The inspector of primary school’s highlights that teachers are very rarely at school which is a sign or a symptom of lack of commitment. As a result, this has led in the decline of pupil’s performance plus great rate of school dropout and repetition rates. This is supported by [1] who revealed that majority of head teachers are always rare in their offices in most parts of primary schools in Uganda to perform their bonuses. This anomaly results into the need and opens up a gap that needs to be filled by coming up with empirical solutions to avert the above predicament. Hence, this study approaches this situation by establishing the influence of leadership styles on Teacher’s Commitment in primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, –Rubirizi District.
According to [2], leadership styles had a significant relationship with teachers’ commitment and team efficiency. [3] claim that people who are motivated will always be more committed to work and, therefore, perform well. Countrywide with Rubirizi District inclusive in Uganda, there has been noticeable explosion in capacity building for head teachers and teachers through in-service training and other means whose decree is to advance the administration capability of all personnel involved in education running and training.
In spite of the above initiative by government of Uganda, in primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County,–Rubirizi District, there has been alleged reports on poor school leadership and low employees school commitment according to Rubirizi District inspector of schools. The inspector of primary school’s report highlights that teachers are very rare at school which is a sign or a symptom of lack of commitment. As a result, this has led in the decline of pupil’s performance plus great rate of school dropout and repetition rates. This is supported by [1], who revealed that majority of head teachers are always rare in their offices in most parts of primary schools in Uganda to perform their bonuses. From researcher’s point of observation or view from the above occurrence of events, school leadership ought to affect teachers’ commitment in Ryeru Sub-County,–Rubirizi District. This observation is supported by [4] who established that principal’s conduct was a significant predictor of teachers’ commitment. Therefore, this study aimed at establishing the influence of leadership styles on teacher’s commitment in primary schools in Ryeru sub county–Rubirizi District.
The study was intended to establish the influence of leadership styles on teacher’s commitment in primary schools in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
- To investigate the causes of poor performance of teachers in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, –Rubirizi District.
- To investigate the influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub County, Rubirizi District.
- To establish the relationship between Leadership styles style and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
Research Questions
- What are the causes of poor performance of teachers in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, –Rubirizi District?
- What is the influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub County, Rubirizi District?
- What is the relationship between Leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District?
Geographical Scope
This study focused on 8 primary schools found in Ryeru sub-county, Rubirizi District in western Uganda. The study area had 5 government and 3 private schools. The selected primary school include; Mugogo, Ndekye, Rugyenda, Nyakiyanja, Ndekye parents, Golden, Green Hill and Buzenga primary schools. The target population entailed head teachers and teachers.
This study only focused on two variables: leadership styles and teachers’ commitment. Leadership styles included inspirational motivation, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation and idealized influence. Teachers’ commitment is considered to include affective, normative and continuance.
This research considered a period of 2 years January 2015- September 2017 which period is expected to have good reasonable length of time to the researcher to analyze and establish the influence of leadership styles on teacher’s commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
Scholars. Different researchers may benefit from this study by understanding why leadership styles are important and necessary in educational institutions for better employees’ performance, and relating it with other scholars.
School administration. Leadership styles like inspirational motivation, individual consideration, intellectual stimulation and idealized influence may help the school administrators by reminding them about their roles hence improving on leadership styles in schools.
Teachers. Teachers are likely to benefit from findings as they may know which School leadership styles should be used in schools so as to improve on teachers’ commitment.
Ministry of Education, Science and Sports. The study may help the ministry of Education /policy makers by making them aware of the need for good leadership styles so as to offer a competitive advantage in primary schools.
NGOs. Non-governmental organizations may benefit by understanding the leadership styles strategies which should be employed to maintain quality and generally accepted standards.
Researcher. The study may help the researcher to acquire enough knowledge about leadership styles and teachers’ commitment. The study may also help him in acquiring a Bachelor Degree in education of Kampala International University since it is one of the requirements.
Research Design
The study employed quantitative methods. Cross-sectional research design was used and this enabled the researcher to collect data from different categories at a single point in time. This helped in generalization of results.
The study population consisted of 96 School management committee members, 56 PTA members, 8 head teachers and 64 teachers from the selected primary schools in Ryeru sub -county, Rubirizi District.
The sample size of 40 School management committee members, 24 PTA members, 8 head teachers and 48 teachers were used in this study.
Table 1: Sample size and sampling methods
| No | Category of Respondents | Population Size | Sample Size | Sampling Method |
| 1 | School management committee members | 96 | 40 | Census sampling |
| 2 | PTA members | 56 | 24 | Census sampling |
| 3 | Head teachers | 8 | 8 | |
| 4 | Teachers | 64 | 48 | |
| Total | 224 | 120 | ||
Random sampling was used to select 5 government aided schools and 3 privately owned schools in Ryeru Sub-County. In addition, census sampling was employed to select all 153 teachers and 8 head teachers.
Self-administered questionnaires comprising of closed ended questions and adopted from [6] Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire was adapted to measure leadership styles. The questionnaire has four sub–scale; inspirational motivation, intellectual, idealized influenced and individualized consideration. The scale is scored on a four-point likert scale from strongly agree (4) to strongly disagree (1). Commitment Questionnaire [7] was adapted to measure teachers’ commitment in primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
After the approval of the proposal, the researcher acquired an introductory letter from the school of educational research studies Kampala International University Western Campus. This letter introduced the researcher to the school administrators, who introduced the researcher to the respondents to gather data from head teachers, and teachers in primary schools in Ryeru sub county–Rubirizi District. The researcher explained the purpose of the study to the participants. The questionnaires were distributed to the participants to fill them. The completed questionnaire was collected, checked for completeness and where gaps are, the participant was asked to complete immediately.
Data Quality Control
Instrument Validity
To ensure validity of the instrument, a pilot study was conducted in all selected schools. This involved 10 teachers from the selected schools. These respondents were not used in the final research. The reason behind the pilot study assessed the clarity and relevance of the instrument items so that those found inadequate are either discarded or modified to improve the quality of the research instruments thus increasing the validity. The researcher also seeks the supervisors’ guidance in order to improve validity of the instrument. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was finally computed which determined the validity of the research questionnaire using the formula;
CVI = Total number of items rated as valid
Total number of items on the instrument
If the content validity index (CVI) is 0.7 and, it was accepted [8] to use the instrument.
The Content Validity Index (CVI) was then calculated using the formula below;
CVI = n
N
Where n = the number of items rated as relevant, N= Total number of items in the questionnaire. The items in both the questionnaires and interview guides were taken to be valid because the CVI for each instrument was 0.70 and above.
Instrument Reliability
The researcher used Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient to ascertain the internal consistency of the research instrument and Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) helped to compute Cronbach’s Alfa coefficient. According to [9], a reliability coefficient of above + 0.60 is deemed satisfactory. Reliability of instruments was established by piloting the instruments in a few selected schools outside the area of research. Consistence of instruments was also computed using Cronbach’s alpha co-efficient formula and was found to be.
a = k (1- ∑SD12)
k-1 ∑SDt2
Where,
a = Reliability
∑SD12 =Sum of the variance of individual
item in the Questionnaire.
In this study, data analysis was analyzed in respect to the stated objectives and research questions. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics that is, frequency tables, arithmetic means, and standard deviations was used to answer objectives 1 and 2. Correlation coefficient was used to establish the variation of leadership styles with teachers’ commitment [8].
In an effort to safeguard the respondents in this research, the researcher discerned four ethical doctrines. The first one is deliberate consent which necessitated that the respondents were not forced to participate in research [10]. This refers to the right of the respondents to be educated about the nature, techniques, and likely hazards that are tangled in a given research before they participate. The respondents were also informed that participation was deliberate and the respondents had the right to pull out from the study because they were contented. The researcher thus allowed the participants to freely agree to participate in the study. On the other hand, the respondents remained unidentified during the study as a condition to assure their privacy in partaking in the study [11]. The researcher protected the identity of the respondents who were involved in this study by substituting their names with pseudonyms. Lastly, the insinuation of disclosure where the researcher reminded each respondent that the information obtained from them was completely intended to support the study. This implied that all the information that was collected was used for research and persons names and official titles were omitted in this report [12]. The data collected shall not be altered against the views of the respondents. All information from all respondents was confidentially kept to protect the views of the respondents from danger. All sources of information were acknowledged.
Out of the total population, 224, a sample size of 120 were selected to be interviewed and answered the questionnaires, thus giving a response rate of 90%.
Table 2: Showing composition of the respondents
| No | Category of Respondents | Sample Size | Percentage |
| 1 | School management committee members | 40 | 33.3 |
| 2 | PTA members | 24 | 20 |
| 3 | Head teachers | 8 | 6.7 |
| 4 | Teachers | 48 | 40 |
| Total | 120 | 100 | |
Source: Field data September 2017
According to table 2, a total of 120 respondents were interviewed and responded to self-administered questionnaires. Those who took part in the study included Head teachers 8 (6.7%), Teachers 48 (40%), School management committee members 40(33.3%) and PTA member 24(20%). This means that respondents were interested in the topic at hand and participated willingly.
Gender Distribution of the Respondents
The study examined the gender composition of the people interested in the study and Table 3 below shows the findings.
Table 3: Showing the gender distribution of the respondents.
| Gender | Frequency | Percentage |
| Male | 72 | 60 |
| Female | 48 | 40 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
From table 3 above, the males who answered to the research questions were 72 (60%) while female were 40 (40%) implying that male respondents were the majority in the study
Marital Status of the Respondents
The respondents were grouped into three categories, that is, married, single and divorced. This was intended to ascertain the category of women, men and the youth who had knowledge about teachers’ absenteeism and academic performance in primary schools in Ryeru sub -county, Rubirizi District. The findings are highlighted in table below.
Table 4: Marital Status of the Respondents
| Marital status | Frequency | Percentage |
| Single | 11 | 9 |
| Married | 104 | 87 |
| Divorced | 5 | 04 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
According to table 4 above, the largest group of respondents was married 104 (87%), 11(9%) of respondents were not married only 5(04%) were divorced.
Age Brackets of the Respondents
The study also examined the age brackets of the respondents and table 5 below shows the outcome of the study
Table 5: Age of respondents
| Age brackets | Frequency | Percentage |
| 20-30 | 84 | 70 |
| 31-40 | 24 | 20 |
| 41 and above | 12 | 10 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
It is evident in table 5 that the largest age group 84 (70%) was between the age bracket of 20-30 years, 24 (20%) were in the age bracket of 31-40 years while 12 (10%) were above 41 years of age. This showed all the respondents were mature enough for the questions.
Educational Background of the Respondents
The researcher considered the educational level of respondents as a good indicator of analysis. The table 6 below showed the classification of the respondents according to their educational level.
| Educational level | Frequency | Percentage |
| None | 68 | 56 |
| Certificate | 44 | 37 |
| Diploma | 05 | 04 |
| Degree level | 03 | 03 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
The table 6 above showed that the majority 68(56%) of the respondent had no qualification and these were both PTA members and School management committee members, 44(37%) had certificates, 05(04%) had diploma while 03(03%) had degree.
To investigate the causes of poor performance of teachers in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County,–Rubirizi District.
The first objective was to investigate the causes of poor performance of teachers in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County,–Rubirizi District.
Table 7: Shows causes of poor performance of teachers in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County,–Rubirizi District.
| causes of poor performance of teachers | Frequency | Percentages |
| Motivation, | 48 | 40 |
| Lack of facilities | 17 | 14 |
| Teachers’ qualifications and skills | 29 | 24 |
| Teachers’ absenteeism | 14 | 12 |
| School environment | 12 | 10 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
From table 7 above, it is evident that 48(40%) supported motivation, 17(14%) of the respondents supported lack of facilities, 29(24%) supported teachers’ qualifications and skills, 14(12%) supported teachers’ absenteeism while 12(10%) supported school environment. This implied that the level of teachers’ absenteeism is affected by the above factors in Ryeru sub-county, Rubirizi district. All the respondents took part in discussion of causes of poor performance among teachers.
Influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub County, Rubirizi District.
The researcher was also interested in establishing the influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub County, Rubirizi District. The results of the study are presented in table 8.
Table 8: Influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment in primary schools of Ryeru sub -county, Rubirizi district.
| Influence of leadership styles on teachers’ commitment | Frequency | Percentage |
| Thoughtful of motivation | 19 | 16 |
| Recurrence of work | 36 | 30 |
| Opportunities for job promotion | 24 | 20 |
| Job satisfaction | 7 | 06 |
| Retention survey | 7 | 06 |
| Rapport with leaders | 7 | 06 |
| Report recognition | 10 | 08 |
| Trustful thoughts | 10 | 08 |
| TOTAL | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
From table 8 above 19 respondents accounting to (16%) said that thoughtful of motivation is one of the influence of leadership styles, 36 respondents accounting to (30%) Recurrence of work, 24 respondents accounting to (20%) said supported opportunities for job promotion, 7 respondents accounting to (06%) supported job satisfaction, 07 respondents accounting to (06%) supported the retention survey. Most/all of the respondents supported all the factors that influence teachers’ commitment hence reliable data.
Relationship between Leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
The third objective of the study was Relationship between Leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District. The table 9 below summarized the findings.
Table 9: Relationship between Leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District.
| Responses | Frequency | Percentage |
| Yes | 108 | 90 |
| No | 12 | 10 |
| Total | 120 | 100 |
Source: Field data September 2017
The 9 above shows the majority 108 (90%) of the respondents said that there is relationship between leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District while 12 (10%) said there are no relationship between Leadership styles and Teachers’ commitment in selected primary schools in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District in Ryeru sub -county, Rubirizi. This implies that there are possible solutions to control teachers’ absenteeism in selected primary schools in Ryeru sub -county, Rubirizi. Therefore, the research shows that there is a great relationship between leadership styles and teacher commitment since the highest percentage (90%) supported it.
Summary of findings
The study’s findings underscore critical factors influencing teachers’ performance and commitment in primary schools within Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District. Examining demographic distributions revealed insights into the composition of respondents, predominantly comprising teachers and various committee members, with a majority being married individuals between the ages of 20 to 30 and predominantly holding certificates or no formal qualifications. The identified causes of poor teacher performance motivation, lack of facilities, qualifications, absenteeism, and school environment shed light on multifaceted challenges affecting educators. Notably, motivation emerged as a significant factor, supported by a considerable portion of respondents. These insights emphasize the need for targeted strategies to enhance teacher motivation and improve working conditions. Moreover, the exploration of leadership styles’ impact on teacher commitment revealed noteworthy findings. As per respondents, elements such as thoughtful motivation, work recurrence, job promotion opportunities, and rapport with leaders significantly influence teacher commitment. This highlights the pivotal role leadership plays in fostering an environment conducive to teacher dedication and productivity. The most striking revelation was the substantial correlation between leadership styles and teacher commitment, as acknowledged by a vast majority of respondents. This correlation suggests that effective leadership styles directly contribute to enhancing teacher commitment, potentially addressing issues like absenteeism in primary schools.
In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between various factors affecting teachers’ performance and commitment. The identified correlations between leadership, motivation, and commitment present opportunities for targeted interventions and policy implementations. Addressing these findings could significantly enhance the overall educational landscape in Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District, potentially mitigating challenges related to teacher absenteeism and improving educational outcomes.
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CITE AS: Silaji Turyamureeba and Julius Bitekyerezo (2023). Exploring Factors Impacting Teachers’ Performance and Commitment in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Ryeru Sub-County, Rubirizi District. INOSR ARTS AND HUMANITIES 9(2):51-59. https://doi.org/10.59298/INOSRAH/2023/2.6.4000