Teaching Morale among Public Primary School Teachers in Tanzania: An Interplay of Job Satisfaction, Commitment and Emotional Well-being

Abstract

This study assessed the status of teaching morale among teachers in public primary schools in Tanzania. It specifically examined how job satisfaction, professional commitment, and emotional well-being interact to shape teaching morale among public primary school teachers in Tanzania. The study was grounded on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) by Deci and Ryan (1985) and employed a convergent mixed design within the framework of a mixed methods approach in Ilemela and Misungwi District councils in Mwanza region, Tanzania. Questionnaire, interview and documentary review were employed for data collection from 352 respondents. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively in terms of mean, standard deviation and skewness, while the qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The study revealed that, job satisfaction, emotional well-being and their professional commitment interact to shape teaching morale among public primary school teachers as been high. The study further revealed that low salary, heavy teaching load and poor working environment compromise full realization of teaching morale. It was therefore concluded that, teaching morale among public primary school teachers is high. Moreover, it was also concluded that, low salary, heavy teaching load, poor working conditions undermine teachers’ efforts to fully assume their roles and thus compromising their teaching morale. In response to the study findings, it is recommended that, the government should review teachers’ salaries, employ more teachers as a strategic mechanism to reduce the current teaching load and provide adequate teaching resources to heighten teaching morale.