Teachers’ welfare: a “major predictor” of government-aided primary schools’ performance in South Western Uganda, Isingiro District, using hierarchical multiple regression approach”

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to find out the impact of teachers’ welfare on performance of government aided primary schools in South Western Uganda, Isingiro district. Across sectional research design and post-positivist paradigm were used to collect datafrom 118 government aided primary schools in South Western Uganda, Isingiro District, where 475 respondents participated in the study. The study used closed-ended questionnaires, interview guide, and checklists. The schools to be included were selected using simple random sampling and were considered as unit of analysis while the respondents who included District officials, head teachers, teachers and school management committee members formed the unit of enquiry, these were selected purposively based on the knowledge they had on the subject matter. Each school selected, provided the information from the respondents, who in this case were the head teacher, two (2) teachers and a chairperson of school management committee member. The research was guided by the null hypothesis, Ho1: Teachers’ welfare has no significant relationship with performance of government-aided primary schools in Southwestern Uganda, Isingiro District. The findings of the study revealed a positive significant relationship between teachers’ welfare and performance of government aided performance primary school at 99% level of confidence (r=.546, p<.01), thus rejecting the null hypothesis (Ho1). The results signify that increase in teachers’ welfare, is highly associated with good performance of government aided primary schools in South Western Uganda, Isingiro District. The Unique contribution of this studywas, to suggest to the government through the Ministry of Education & Sports that, since teachers’welfareis the most importantpredictor of performance for government aided primary school, it is advisable that it should impose the minimum-wage law for government aided primary school teachers’ pay which possibly caters for teachers’ motivation when given some due care and attention. In addition, the Ministry of Education & Sports should create social benefits for government aided primary school teachers as a means to enhance their well-being and motivate them. Moreover, it is also recommended that government aided primary schools’ teachers be given some allowances such as rental, medical care and transport to motivate them.