The Influence of Gender, Age, Training and Experience on Teachers’ Motivation in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas, Ekiti State, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of gender, age, training and experience of secondary school teachers on their motivation. The descriptive research design of the survey type was used for study. The population consisted of all the teachers in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas in Ekiti State. The sample comprises 500 teachers from 18 secondary schools in the two local government areas. Stratified proportional random sampling was used to select the sample for the study. A self-designed questionnaire tagged “Questionnaire on Teachers’ Gender, Age, Training and Experience and Conditions of Service” (QTGATECS) was used to collect the data for the study. The instrument was validated by research experts in Educational Management and Tests and Measurement Departments of Ekiti State University. The data were analysed using frequency counts, percentage scores, t-test. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that there was no significant difference in the motivation of male and female, untrained and trained, experienced and inexperienced teachers. However, there was a significant difference between young and old teachers in their motivation. It was concluded that teachers in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas had poor motivation and was recommended that teachers’ motivation on the job should be improved by principals and government who should ensure that teachers’ welfare, training, salary, loans and teaching aid requirements and other needs are adequately met.


INTRODUCTION
Teachers' conditions of service such as posting of teachers, salaries, promotion, duties and obligations expected of teachers and workload appears very vital in the teaching and learning environment. However, the conditions of service of teachers on the job appear low. Nowadays, it seems that teachers perceived their salaries and remunerations as very low and poor when compared to other professions. According to Aina (1992), there are arrears of salaries unpaid, and arrears of benefits and allowances suspended or forgotten and inflation rob teachers of their purchasing power. Many teachers find themselves in life-chocking frustration. Teachers seem unpaid for months and therefore cannot teach on empty stomachs. Fasanmi (1996) said that during every economic down turn, the teacher are the first to suffer from non payment of salary. In the same vein, Kanu (1988) opined that most often, teachers are owned salaries for month threatened with mass dismissal if they protest and even many teachers have been forcibly retired or rationalised after scores of years in the service, yet benefit would not be pay on time. Mkpa (1990) claimed that salaries were paid to teachers long after other civil servants had received theirs. Fringe benefits have been reluctantly granted to teachers.
Evidences abound that many teachers did not get their pensions and gratuities years after retirements. It is worthy of note that teachers represent an indispensable human resource in the educational system. No other factors of education can be effective unless teachers are available (Adedeji, 1998 andOmotayo, 2007). Therefore teachers' salaries and its prompt payment are vital for the success of the educational system. In support of this, Ibukun (1997) opined that prompt payment of salary is very important, no senior workers as well as junior worker would be happy if his or her name is omitted on the monthly pay-roll. This implies that adequate salaries and prompt payment of teachers are vital because teachers are very important in any educational section. Their salaries must be adequate and taken seriously. Moreover, teachers appear to complain about the delay in their promotions. Mkpa (1990) opined that promotions are known to be grossly delayed for teachers when compared with their counter-parts in the private and public sectors. This results in teachers' dissatisfaction with their job. In the same vein, teachers claimed that their duties and workload are too heavy. Edem (1990) asserted that teachers will be demoralised if he funds his class to large or too many lessons to teach daily which require a great deal of preparation or if his responsibilities are of intolerable complexity and magnitude, so that he exceeds the average of twenty-five (25) to thirty (30) periods per week. However, according to Hancock & Scherff (2010), the most significant predictors for teachers over use include teachers' absence of interest and indifference. Billingsley (2004) said overuse plays a part in teacher shortage problem and efforts to improve retention must be informed by an understanding of the factor that contributes to attrition/overuse. To worsen the conditions of service of teachers, the postings of teachers appears not to take into consideration, the comfort of the teachers and their place of residence as teachers are posted to schools too distant from their towns of residence. In view of the poor conditions of service. Mkpa (1990) opined that the history of teaching in Nigeria shows that the conditions of service have for a greater part been unpleasant. Due to poor conditions of service of teachers, those on the job are not happy. If they have choice, they will not choose teaching again. Lending credence to this is the result of a survey of 631 Nigerian teachers conducted by Akande (1989). He found out that more than 75% claimed that they would not make the same career choice if they could live their lives again. Also Moracco D' Arenzo & Danford (1983) studied 691 teachers in a stress survey, 350 of the teachers responded that they would not again become teachers if they had the choice while 335 stated that they would.
On perception of teachers' condition of service Atolagbe (1982) found out that teaching is not found among top five best preferred professions by Nigerians. Lornah, Sirima & Poipoi (2010) agreed that job satisfaction is essential to continuing growth of education system around the world and teachers are crucial element of educational opportunity structures. Nbina (2012) opined that teachers today are buffered by many challengers which dampen their moral to perform effectively. One tends to ask how do teachers themselves perceives their condition of services. However, Ladd (2009) opined that working conditions emerge as highly predictive of teachers stated intention leave their schools. Abiri (1970) observed that teaching in Nigeria is rarely enthusiastically chosen as a career owing partly to the erstwhile relatively. This results in teachers' dissatisfaction with their job. How then do teachers perceive their condition of service? It is against this backdrop that this study examined the influence of teachers' gender, age, training and experience on their perception of teacher's conditions of service.

Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of teachers' satisfaction with their conditions of service. This study would also examine the influence of gender, age, training and experience on teachers' perception of their conditions of service in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas in Ekiti State.

1.
To what extent are teachers satisfied with their conditions of service? 2.
Do gender, age, training and experience influence teachers perception of their conditions of service?

1.
There is no significant difference between male and female teachers' perception of their conditions of service.

2.
There is no significant difference between young and old teachers' perception of their conditions of service.

3.
There is no significant difference between trained and untrained teachers' perception of their conditions of service.

4.
There is no significant difference between experience and less experience teachers' perception of their conditions of service.

Methodology
The study is a descriptive research of the survey type. The population consisted of all teachers in public secondary schools in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas. The sample for the study consisted of 500 teachers selected from 15 out of 18 schools in the two local government areas. There are 1,415 secondary schools in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas. There are 1,253 teachers in Ado and 162 in Efon Local Government Area. Sixty five teachers were selected from Efon Local Government Area while four hundred and thirty five (435) for Ado Local Government Area. Stratified proportional random sampling was used to select the sample used for the study.
One self-designed questionnaire, tagged "Questionnaire on Teachers' Gender, Age, Training and Experience and Conditions of Service" (QTGATECS) was used to collect the necessary data for the study. Research experts in Department of Tests and Measurement and Educational Management of Ekiti State University validated the instrument. The test-retest method was used to test the reliability of the instrument and the reliability coefficient stood at 0.72. Frequency counts, percentage scores and t-test analysis were used to analyse the data collected.
The hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Research Question 1:
To what extent are teachers satisfied with their conditions of service? The result in table 1 shows that 439 (88%) of the 500 respondents affirmed in their response to the relevant questionnaire administered to them that the conditions of service of teachers were poor.
It could also be inferred from the table that teachers workload was too heavy, only 175 (35%) of the 500 respondents agreed that their workload was not too heavy while 325 (65%) of them affirmed that their workload was too heavy.
The table shows that teachers were not regularly supervised on the job. Their salaries and allowances were not adequate as claimed by 410 (82%) of the teacher respondents. As evident from the table 419 (85%) respondents said that teachers' promotion were not done as when due while 350 (70%) of the respondents claimed that their posting were not done regularly. 480 (96%) of the respondents said that the Education Laws were not available to them. 393 (79%) of the respondents claimed that if given another career choice, they will not choose teaching again. On the average 19% of the teacher respondents agreed that they had good condition of service while 81% said that they had poor conditions of service. This implies that teacher condition of service in secondary schools in Ado and Efon Local Government was very poor.

Hypothesis 1:
There is no significant difference between the perception of male and female teacher of their condition of service It could be observed from table 2 that t-cal of 0.77 is less than the table-value of 1.96 at degree of freedom of 498 and at 0.05 level of significance. This implies that the hypothesis which states that there is no significant difference between the perception of male and female teachers of their conditions of service is not rejected. By implication, male and female teachers perceived this aspect of their profession the same way.

Hypothesis 2:
There is no significant difference between the perception of old and young teachers of their conditions of service  Table 3 which shows the analysis of young and old teachers' perception of their conditions of service indicates that t-cal which is 2.03 is greater than the table value which is 1.96 at the degree of freedom of 498 and at P<0.05. The implication is that hypothesis 2 which states that there is no significant difference between the perception of young and old teachers of their conditions of service is rejected. This means that there is significant difference between the perception of young and old teachers of their conditions of service.

Hypothesis 3:
There is no significant difference between the perception of untrained and trained teachers of their condition of service  Table 4 reveals that t-cal which is 0.57 is less than table value which is 1.96 at the degree of freedom of 498 and at 0.05 level of significance. This implies that hypothesis 3 which states that there is no significant different between the perception of untrained and trained teachers of their conditions of service is not rejected. It means that there is no significant difference between the perception of untrained and trained teachers of their condition of service Hypothesis 4: There is no significant difference between the perception of inexperienced and experienced teachers of their condition of service. April 2013, Vol. 2, No. 2 ISSN: 2226  It could be observed from table 5 that t-cal which is 1.39 is less than the table value of 1.96 at the degree of freedom of 497 and the level of significance at 0.05. By implication, the hypothesis which state that there is no significant different between the perception of inexperienced and experienced teachers of their conditions of service is not rejected. This means that there is no significant difference between the perception of inexperienced and experienced teachers of their conditions of service.

Discussion
The study revealed that teachers perceived their conditions of service to be poor. This is evident from the fact that teachers' work load was too heavy, teachers' salaries were not adequate and teachers' request for special salary scale was not met and teachers were not regularly supervised. Moreover, teachers' promotions were not done as and when due, posting of teachers were not done regularly, disciplinary rules were not adequately applied and copies of the Education Laws were not made available to them. The heavy workload of teachers could be as a result of the fact that schools were understaffed. Hence, teachers would not be able to cover the required aspects of the school syllabus.
Irregular supervision of teachers is also not helpings issues and these have grave implications for the educational system. This is not unconnected with teachers' dissatisfaction with their irregular postings, inadequate salaries and delay promotions. The implication of this is that their job and students could adversely affect. This explains teachers dissatisfaction with their conditions of service and majorities refusal to choose teaching again if given the choice. This agrees with the findings Morocco D' Arienso & Danford (1983) and Akande (1989).
The result of this study revealed that there was no significant difference between the perception of male and female teachers of their conditions of service as evident from table 2. This means that sex is not a factor for teachers' perception of their conditions of service. They perceived their conditions of service alike. The reason for this could be that teachers of both sex are treated alike and the same rules guide them on the job.
The study also revealed that there was significant difference between the perception of young and old teachers of their conditions as shown on table 3. Young teachers had poor perception on their conditions of service while old teachers had more positive perception. The young teachers are between 18 -39 years while old teachers are between 40 -60 years of age.
The reason for this disparity in their views may be that young teachers prefer prestigious jobs than teaching which is plagued by poor public image and thus perceived teaching differently from old teachers who had stayed long on the job and are use to teachers' conditions of service.
The study also showed that there was no significant difference between the perception of untrained and trained teachers of their condition of service as evident on table 4. The reason for the teachers' agreement on the conditions of service could be because both trained and untrained teachers saw the conditions of service of teaching, the same way. This means that training of teachers is not a factor for the perception of their conditions of service.
The study revealed that there was no significant different in the perception of inexperienced and experienced teachers of their conditions of service as shown on table 5. The reason that could be advanced for this agreement in their assessment could be that both categories of teachers saw their profession in the same light. This means that experience of teachers is not a factor to the way they perceived their conditions of service.

Conclusion and Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, it could be concluded that male, female, inexperienced and experienced teachers perceived their conditions of service alike in secondary schools in Ado and Efon Local Government Areas. This means that sex and experience do not make difference in the way teachers perceived their conditions of service. The young and old teachers differ in the perception of their conditions of service. This implies that age is factor in the way teachers perceived their condition service. The untrained and trained teachers also agree in their perception of their conditions of service. Training of teachers does not make difference in how teachers perceived their conditions of service.
Based on the findings, it was recommended that Government and school principals should improve teachers' conditions of service so that all categories of teachers will appreciate the teaching profession and perceive it in the same light. The State Government should ensure that teachers' salaries, remunerations are adequate and promptly paid. Promotions of teachers should be done by Government as at when due while posting of teachers should be done without any threat to their comfort and their families welfare. School principals should ensure that copies of the education law are made to each teacher and they should make sure that Government displinary rules are adequately applied rules are adequately applied.