IMPACT OF LECTURERS WELFARE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF TERTIARY INSTITUTION STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education has long been acknowledged as the foundation upon which any nation can run efficiently. Its sociopolitical and economic development is totally dependent on the quality of education provided to its citizens. Any government that wishes to be recognized as a developed country must invest heavily in human resources. As a result, a country is deemed to be developed if the majority of its people are well educated. As a result, people who influence the required information or those who construct or mold the character should be appropriately attained and inspired, knowing that their well-being is the key to performance and improvement. As a result, it is assumed that a motivated teacher always completes the tasks assigned to him, even if they are tough or appear to be uninteresting. Teachers are a crucial actor in the learning process that occurs in schools, and teachers are powerful tools for increasing quality education in secondary schools through efficient classroom methods (Davison, 2011). Depending on the incentives they confront, their attitudes and efficacy can differ. Pay structure has the potential to be an incentive tool in the hands of education policymakers, and merit pay plans have lately been studied and implemented in various nations. However, whether or not connecting teachers' remuneration to student success is an effective way of enhancing student performance has been a point of contention in educational debates. Although Geeta & Francis (2010) establish causation as going from greater wages to improved student accomplishment, the link is subject to multiple interpretations. One reason for a beneficial influence of salaries on accomplishment is that higher wages presumably attract better quality persons into the pool of applicants for teaching jobs. A second perspective is that more remuneration increases accomplishment by increasing the effort of current teachers. According to the efficiency wage idea, higher-paid instructors are more willing to work more in order to keep their more valuable jobs. These different reasons for the wage effect on student success will be tested in the paper.

According to Patrick & Jane (2013), lecturer incentives have been met with mixed reactions. Proponents of teacher incentive programs think that teacher rewards are intended to promote teacher motivation and effectiveness, resulting in higher productivity and pupil success. Opponents of the theory, on the other hand, believe that monetary incentives, particularly tiny ones, crowd out intrinsic motivation and result in poor outcomes (Jacob, 2011). According to Hanushek (2010), one hypothesis is that compensating teachers for student success improvements will boost student achievement by drawing more competent teachers to the field or improving the effectiveness of current instructors. According to Brain (2011), education is one of the most important channels through which governments may address economic growth and fairness challenges. Human capital is important for a country's economic growth (Topel 2012), and over the last two decades, skill-biased technological advancement has raised the returns to education, aggravating pay disparity between the most and least educated members of our society (Katz & Murphy 2010). Simultaneously, cognitive capacity has grown in importance as a predictor of labor-market success in this country.

Recognizing the importance of education, economists have devoted substantial time investigating the factors that influence academic attainment. There is a substantial body of work on the role of financial resources in determining educational results.' Researchers, on the other hand, have paid far less attention to remedial programs aimed to improve the performance of low-achieving children, such as summer school and grade retention (Eide & Showalter, 2011).

As a result of a lack of motivation and incentives, many lecturers have left the universities for greener pastures in higher-paying places. Students in most universities face disadvantages due to overcrowding and a lack of suitable learning facilities. In certain cases, they do not have enough textbooks or laboratory equipment. This is in stark contrast to private schools, where the number of students is limited because adequate facilities are available and teachers are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the students perform well in examinations. However, lecturers' willingness to go the extra mile to ensure good student performance may be frustrated if there is no motivation and encouragement on their side. Although it is thought that the reward for teachers is in heaven, there is no doubt that if there is limited or no motivation for instructors in terms of rewards and creativity, their morale will suffer, which would have a detrimental impact on student performance. Because the few lecturers on the government payroll are underpaid, the majority of them work part-time or run their own businesses to make ends meet. This significantly diminishes their dedication to the classroom (which demands for sacrifice). However, a lack of motivation for teachers may have an impact on their dedication to their teaching task. Poor student performance may also be the result of professors who are not dedicated to their duties, which may have an impact on students' academic goal setting, which will disproportionately affect individuals who have set lower goals for themselves (Aremu, Ayotola, 2000). Teachers' roles in national building and natural growth cannot be wiped away – Anibeze- Vanguard Newspapper 2012 – page 12 prioritizes teachers' wellbeing.

Welfare can be defined as the availability of resources and the presence of conditions necessary for lecturers to live in a reasonable, comfortable, healthy, and secure manner, such as good working conditions, a secure environment for academic business, regular promotion, in-service training, regular payment of salary, and other work incentives that aid the teachers' performance standard.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The function of the lecturers welfare within the educational setting is a significant aspect in achieving educational goals and objectives in student academic achievement. In today's society, most people believe that a student's performance in achieving educational goals is quite significant. The poor performance of students in relation to educational goals and objectives may be linked to a lack of concern for the well-being of lecturers. It is widely assumed that students from high and middle socioeconomic status families are better exposed to a learning environment at home due to the provision and availability of extra learning facilities and attend a private universities, whereas children from very low socioeconomic status families attend a public school and may not have any opportunity to expose to a better learning environment with highly motivated teachers. Lecturers have the most influence on the success and defects of students' academic performance since their teaching motivations are vital in assisting them in learning, and one strategy is likely to yield different results than another. Lecturers desire to complete a task is determined by the predicted reward. Efficient teaching and moral will occur when there is significant motivation in terms of pay and innovation from both employers; also, the students' performance may serve as a motivator for the teachers in order for them to perform efficiently in the subject. This motivation can be elicited by extrinsic or internal stimuli, both of which are significant in directing and controlling the learner's behavior toward the achievement of the desired goals (Jacob,2001). Lecturers must therefore be motivated in a variety of ways, including the organization of seminars and workshops, the upgrading of tests, performance appraisal, timely payment of salary and wage, the provision of necessary physical facilities such as laboratories, and verbal encouragement for students, among others. This would go a great way toward motivating teachers, which would improve student achievement (Topel,2010). These findings have piqued the interest of researchers in the investigation of strategies that may boost student accomplishment through instructors, such as boosting lecturers training, raising teacher compensation, or reinforcing teacher incentives (Lazear 2011). In fact, lecturers incentives, whether individual or collective, may boost student accomplishment if they are successful in matching public or even social goals with the teachers' ambitions.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of lecturers welfare on academic performance of tertiary institution students. Specifically but not limited to, other objectives of this study are:

i.          To determine if lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University is good

ii.        To determine the different areas that makes up lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University

iii.      To examine the ways of improving lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University

iv.      To determine the different challenges encountered  in the improvement of lecturers in Michael Okpara University

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions which are in line with the objectives of this study will be answered:

i.          Is lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University good?

ii.        What are the different areas that makes up lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University?

iii.      What are the ways of improving lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University?

iv.      What are the challenges encountered  in the improvement of lecturers in Michael Okpara University?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 It is clear that the structure, nature and composition of academic performance in every school is functionally dependent on the welfare of the lecturers. However, lecturers are often limited by many factors in preparing the students for effective teaching and learning development. The findings of this study will be of great importance to the government, the curriculum planners, university administrators, the students and the entire society.

To the government, the findings of this study will guide the government on decision making and the need to make provision for lecturers welfare

To the curriculum planners the findings and recommendations of the study will guide the curriculum planners on the need to incorporate the welfare of the lecturers in consideration of the their different need and background. That could lay a proper foundation of academic performance on students.  The university administrators will also fine the recommendations of this study in understanding reasons behinds the poor performance of the students as a result of negligence on lecturers welfare

To the entire society, the findings and recommendations of this study will be of a great benefit to anybody who has interest in knowing the problems and strategies of impact of lecturers welfare on students academic performance.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on the impact of lecturers welfare on academic performance of tertiary institution students. Specifically, it will be focused on determining if lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University is good, determining the different areas that makes up lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University, examining the ways of improving lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University and determining the challenges encountered  in the improvement of lecturers in Michael Okpara University.

Lecturers of Michael Okpara University will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to the impact of lecturers welfare on academic performance of tertiary institution students. Specifically, it will further be limited to determining if lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University is good, determining the different areas that makes up lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University, examining the ways of improving lecturers welfare in Michael Okpara University and determining the challenges encountered  in the improvement of lecturers in Michael Okpara University.

Lecturers of Michael Okpara University will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study. This serves as a limitation of this study as the findings of this study cannot be used anywhere else until further research is carried out.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: a marked effect or influence

Lecturer: Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct research.

Welfare: statutory procedure or social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need.

Academic performance: Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.

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