Relationship between Preschool Teachers’ Job Satisfaction and their Preparation of Teaching Instruments

Abstract

Teacher experience has been associated with teacher instructional practices. Stakeholders in education relate years of teaching with improved teacher practical skills and knowledge of teaching and handling children. Teacher-child ratio, employment terms and working hours are associated with teacher job satisfaction and have a high influence on preschool teacher effectiveness in classroom activities. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the correlation between pre-school teachers’ job satisfaction and preparation of teaching instruments. The descriptive survey research design was used to conduct the study. Multi stage sampling technique was used to sample 17 (25%) public pre-schools/head teachers out of 68 of them and 34 (25%) out of 136 pre-school teachers. Data collection involved use of questionnaires for preschool teachers and oral interviews for head teachers. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed, whereby respondents verbatim are recorded, percentages means medium and modes are analyzed and standard deviation calculated. Chi-square 2 tailed Test was computed to establish the significant influence of teachers’ job satisfaction on preparation of teaching instruments. The Chi-test did not find a significant relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and preparation of teaching instruments. Therefore, the level of job satisfaction does not influence preschool teachers’ preparation of teaching instruments. However, more than 50% of preschool teachers reported that they were not satisfied with their current terms of service. The study therefore recommended that Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) should implement the ECDE policy governing preschool teachers’ employment, develop salary scales and job groups for preschool teachers to increase their motivation and job satisfaction. Key Words: Teaching Instruments; Job satisfaction; Preschool Teacher