Motivational factors influencing teachers job performance in pre-school centres in Kenya

Pre-school teacher’s performance has become an important issue in the contemporary society given their responsibility of imparting knowledge and skills to learners by moulding them towards realizing their potentials in life at formative years. This calls for the need to create a favorable environment for teachers to perform their work. In order for public ECDE centers to provide the necessary conditions for children’s holistic development, teachers should be motivated. Their employment is not stable, resources are not adequate, the salaries are not sufficient and the leadership styles in the schools is not involving This ex post facto design study framed from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory aimed at establishing motivational factors influencing job performance of preschool teachers in public ECDE centers in East Karachuonyo Division, Rachuonyo North sub –county. The objectives of the study were to establish the influence of working conditions and socio-economic factors on job performance of preschool teachers in public ECDE centers. The target population was 150 preschool teachers and 60 head teachers totalling to 210 while a sample size was 97 preschool teachers and 39 head teachers achieved through stratified random sampling technique. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires while qualitative data was collected through interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented through verbatim reporting. Two ECDE experts were used to examine the instruments for construct validity while piloting was done for reliability. The study findings revealed that teachers had the potential to perform but they need to be motivated for them to have increased output in public ECDE Centres. The study recommended that the county governments and the communities should design means of motivating their teachers by improving their terms and conditions of service to enhance their productivity.