Working Conditions as a Correlate of Teachers' Job Satisfaction in Delta State Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between working conditions and teachers’ job satisfaction in public secondary schools in Delta State. Despite the crucial role educators play in the school system, there is a notable gap between their working conditions and overall job satisfaction. The study was guided by two research questions that explored the nature of teachers’ working conditions and the relationship between workplace interpersonal relationships and job satisfaction. A mixed- method research design was employed for data collection. The population is made up of 11,010 teachers from 488 public secondary schools across the state. A sample of 200 teachers was selected using the stratified random sampling technique to ensure representativeness from all the senatorial districts housing the 488 public schools. The data collected using the questionnaires were analysed using SPSS, mean, frequency, and standard deviation. Additionally, regression analysis was conducted to identify key factors influencing teachers' job satisfaction. Findings indicated that teachers in Delta State experienced unfavourable working conditions which were not significantly impacting their job satisfaction as evidenced by a group mean score of 2.24, which falls below the benchmark of 2.50. Furthermore, the study revealed a significant relationship between workplace interpersonal relationships and job satisfaction among teachers in the state. The study concluded that improving the work environment is essential for enhancing teachers' job satisfaction in Delta State. It was recommended that the work environment for teachers should be improved upon to promote job satisfaction by ensuring that they are provided with necessary work tools, adequate administrative support, regular training as well as opportunities for a greater measure in decision making in the school. Furthermore, the interpersonal relationship between teachers and principals should be friendly and non-toxic to enhance job satisfaction.