STAFF WELFARE AS DETERMINANTS OF JOB COMMITMENT AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ABEOKUTA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OGUN STATE

Abstract

Teachers’ job commitment remains a fundamental factor influencing instructional effectiveness, students’ academic achievement, and overall educational quality. Across developing countries, declining levels of teacher commitment have become a major educational challenge, largely attributed to inadequate staff welfare provisions. In Nigeria, persistent welfare-related challenges such as delayed promotion, inadequate healthcare services, job insecurity, heavy workload, and limited opportunities for professional development have contributed to reduced teacher motivation and instructional effectiveness. Against this background, this study examined staff welfare as a determinant of job commitment among senior secondary school teachers in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria.

The study adopted a descriptive survey research design to systematically investigate teachers’ perceptions of welfare provisions and their level of professional commitment. The population consisted of all senior secondary school teachers in public and private secondary schools within the study area. A total enumeration sampling technique was employed to ensure comprehensive representation of respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Staff Welfare and Teachers’ Job Commitment Questionnaire (SWTJCQ). The instrument was validated by experts in educational planning and administration and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha coefficient, which yielded a reliability index of 0.85. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, while simple linear regression analysis was used to determine the predictive influence of staff welfare on teachers’ job commitment at 0.05 level of significance.

Findings revealed that the level of staff welfare among senior secondary school teachers was moderate, with healthcare services, job security, and working conditions receiving relatively higher ratings compared to promotion opportunities and professional development opportunities. Teachers’ job commitment was also moderate, with high commitment observed in lesson preparation and instructional delivery but relatively lower commitment in mentoring, participation in academic programmes, and engagement in professional development activities. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between staff welfare and teachers’ job commitment, indicating that improvements in welfare provisions significantly enhance teachers’ instructional dedication and academic engagement.

The study therefore recommends that government and educational authorities should prioritize the provision of comprehensive staff welfare packages, including improved healthcare services, timely promotion, and enhanced professional development opportunities, in order to strengthen teachers’ job commitment and improve educational outcomes.