Principals’ Motivational Strategies as Correlate of Teachers’ Job Satisfaction in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Ogbomoso Metropolis, Oyo State

Abstract

This study examines motivational strategies employed by principals’ as correlates of teachers’ job satisfaction in public senior secondary schools in Ogbomoso Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria.  Descriptive survey design of the correlational type was adopted. The population comprised 1,405 teachers across 49 schools, from which a sample of 336 teachers was selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a validated instrument titled Principals’ Motivational Strategies (PMSQ) and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ) given reliability coefficients of 0.73 to 0.85 for principals’ motivational strategies and teachers’ job satisfaction respectively. Likert 4 Scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Strongly Disagree (SD) and Disagree (D) were employed. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used for data analysis at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that principals commonly employ motivational strategies such as promotion, recognition, professional development and conducive work environments, all of which recorded mean scores above the accepted benchmark. Furthermore, significant positive relationships were found between promotion (r = 0.48), recognition (r = 0.54), and work environment (r = 0.62) and teachers’ job satisfaction. Among these, work environment exhibited the strongest influence. The study concluded that principals’ motivational techniques significantly enhance teachers’ job satisfaction, thereby improving commitment, instructional quality, and overall school effectiveness. It recommended the implementation of fair promotion systems, structured recognition practices, improved working conditions, and continuous leadership training for principals to strengthen teacher motivation and retention.