TEACHER MOTIVATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS IN UNIVERSAL PRIAMRY EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL DIVISION, MITYANA DISTRICT UGANDA

AB~TRA~T

Teacher motivation has become an important issue given their responsibility to impart

knowledge and skills to learners. Consequently, this report is a study carried out in Central

division, in Mityana district which aimed at studying their relationship between teacher

motivation and academic perfonnance of pupils in Universal Primary Education (UPE) Schools.

Teacher motivation has been seen to be at its lowest In Central division, this stemming from a

number of variables ranging from personal variables like age, gender, marital status etc.

Situational / organizational variables like salary (pay), supervision, working conditions, company

policy, recognition etc. These have greatly contributed to the demonization of teachers and

hence a dramatic fall in academic performance of pupils in UPE schools. Wafbla (1991) also

suggests that among the factors that demean the teaching profession in AUican countries are poor

buildings in which teachers operate. Herman (1999) cited various factors that demotivates

workers among which include low salaries, lack of fringe benefits, poor working conditions. In

order to improve teacher motivation and perfonnance at worlc, the study recommended increase

in the salary of primary teachers to match the increased cost of living, provision of

accommodation to teachers, strengthening of supervision as well as instituting awards for good

performance, among others Research findings have found out that the major demotivators cited

by Herman (1999) are predominantly embraced in most UPE schools in Uganda and hence the

need to investigate the case of Central division in Mityana District.

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