Teachers’ welfare and performance in public secondary schools in Uganda, a case study of Ssisa sub county, Wakiso district

Abstract

The study established the relationship between welfare and teachers’ performance in public secondary schools in Ssisa Sub-County. The study objectives were;to assess the relationship between providing housing to teachers and their performance in public secondary schools in Ssisa Sub - County, Uganda,to examine the relationship between providing teachers with meals at school and their performance in public secondary schools in Ssisa Sub - County, Uganda and to evaluate the relationship between providing allowances to teachers and their performance in public secondary schools in Ssisa Sub - County, Uganda.The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey design integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a population of 18,078 and three public secondary schools. The target population comprised 156 individualsfrom which a sample of 113 respondents was determined using Slovene’s formula. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews.With responses analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for quantitative data, while qualitative responses were analyzed thematically using content analysis. For objective one;The Pearson correlation results indicated a very weak positive relationship (r = 0.117, p = 0.243), showing that while housing may slightly enhance motivation, the relationship is not statistically significant, objective two;The Pearson correlation results indicated a very weak negative relationship (r = -0.075, p = 0.457), showing that while meals may contribute to teacher well-being, they do not significantly affect school performance and objective three;the provision of allowances has a very weak positive relationship with school performance, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.079 and a p-value of 0.433. Regression analysis indicated an F-value of 0.621 and a p-value of 0.433, demonstrating that variations in allowance provision do not significantly explain differences in school performance. the study concluded that, objective one;The study concludes that providing housing to teachers offers some motivational benefits, such as enhancing comfort and reducing personal financial burdens, objective two;meal provision plays a role in enhancing teacher welfare by improving nutrition and supporting general well-being and objective three;allowances are widely appreciated by teachers and contribute positively to motivation, job satisfaction and engagement in professional duties. The study recommended that School Management Committees (SMCs) should collaborate with local government authorities, NGOs, and private partners to construct staff housing within or near school premises.