The influence of financial incentives on the performance of teachers in public secondary schools in Kajara County, Ntungamo District. A cross-sectional study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/q49wsa86Keywords:
Financial incentives, Teacher performance, Public secondary schools, Kajara County, UgandaAbstract
Background
Financial incentives play a crucial role in enhancing teacher motivation and performance, particularly in public secondary schools. This study investigates the influence of financial incentives on teacher performance in public secondary schools in Kajara County, Ntungamo District, Uganda.
Methodology
The study used a descriptive correlational cross-sectional design under a mixed-methods approach to examine teacher motivation and performance. From a target of 300 respondents, 169 were selected through purposive and stratified sampling. Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS (Version 25) using descriptive and correlational statistics, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed.
Results
The majority of the participants, 56.7% of respondents, were male, and 36.0% were aged 30–39 years. Descriptive findings showed that teachers strongly agreed they receive monthly salaries (Mean = 3.78, SD = 1.14) but disagreed that the salary is sufficient (Mean = 2.01, SD = 1.02) or paid on time (Mean = 2.34, SD = 1.10). The overall mean of 2.24 (SD = 1.00) indicated general dissatisfaction with financial incentives. Teacher performance was rated low (Overall Mean = 2.25, SD = 1.03), with teachers showing limited lesson preparation, poor punctuality, and low engagement in co-curricular activities. A strong positive correlation was found between financial incentives and teacher performance (r = 0.786, p < 0.01), indicating that improved financial motivation significantly enhances performance outcomes.
Conclusion
It was established that inadequate, irregular, and inequitable financial incentives undermine teacher motivation and performance.
Recommendations
There is a need to provide timely salary payments, introduction of performance-based rewards, provision of housing and transport allowances, and strengthen of teacher SACCO support schemes to enhance teacher productivity and educational quality in public schools.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Herbert Mugabe, Dr. Muhammad Ssendagi, Edmand Bakashaba (Author)
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