Bridging Motivational Gaps: A Framework Tailored to Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda
Abstract
This study, entitled "Bridging Motivational Gaps: A Motivational Framework Tailored to Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda," explores the pressing issue of tutor motivation within Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in the region. The objective of this study is to ex-amine the motivational strategies employed in Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in Eastern Uganda and develop an integrated framework that aligns tutor needs with institutional objec-tives to enhance professional growth and tutor satisfaction. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study adopts a case study design, drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Participants in-cluded tutors, principals, members of Boards of Governors, and Parent-Teacher Association representatives, whose diverse perspectives provided comprehensive insights into the motiva-tional dynamics at play. The findings indicate that existing motivational strategies in TTIs are predominantly financial, such as allowances for supervision and school practice. However, tutors underscored the critical value of non-financial incentives, including recognition, lead-ership opportunities, and avenues for career development. The study underscores the need for a holistic approach to motivation, integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic factors alongside structured feedback mechanisms and enhanced institutional support. As an original contribu-tion, this research introduces the Integrated Motivational Framework for Teacher Training In-stitutions (IMF-TTI), a conceptual model aimed at aligning tutor needs with institutional ob-jectives, fostering professional growth, and enhancing overall tutor satisfaction. The study recommends institutional adoption of the IMF-TTI framework to systematize balanced moti-vational strategies and address existing challenges, thereby advancing tutor performance and educational outcomes in Eastern Uganda. Directions for future research are also provided, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of motivation in educational contexts.
Downloads
References
Afolabi, M. O., Essien, A. E., & Ogunsola, M. O. (2022). Effect of recognition and career advancement on employee job performance: A study of Nigerian Brewery Plc. Imagbon, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Business Management and Strategy, 13(1), 34-47.
Akirapa, D. M., & Masagazi, J. Y. (2022). Management of education services in prisons: A case study. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 6(5), 477– 484. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2022.6524
Ampofo, E. T., Karatepe, O. M., Mensah, I., & Wilberforce, M. T. (2023). The effect of employee recognition on restaurant employees’ job embeddedness, knowledge sharing and service orientation: abusive supervision as a moderator. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(10), 3612-3637.
Bell, B. S., Tannenbaum, S. I., Ford, J. K., Noe, R. A., & Kraiger, K. (2017). 100 years of training and development research: What we know and where we should go. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 305.
Bozalek, V., & Zembylas, M. (2024). Psychology, the posts, and qualitative research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1-18.
Cabauatan, R. R., & Manalo, R. A. (2018). A Comparative Analysis on Selected Issues on Economics of Education in ASEAN Countries. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 7, 68-78.
Chakraborty, D., & Biswas, W. (2020). Motivating factors in a teacher’s research and developmental activities and their impact on effective quality teaching in higher education institutions. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 12(4), 609–632. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-07-2018-0161
Chaudhry, A. Q., Munawar, S., & Sittar, K. (2020). Role of Principals' Motivational Strategies and Performance of Elementary Schools Teachers Regarding their Academic Qualification. Journal of Elementary Education, 29(2), 109-120.
Cloutier, C., & Ravasi, D. (2021). Using tables to enhance trustworthiness in qualitative research. Strategic Organization, 19(1), 113–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127020979329
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2023). Revisiting mixed methods research designs twenty years later. Handbook of mixed methods research designs, 21-36.
Din Bandhu, M. M. M., Nittala, N. A. P., Jadhav, P., Bhadauria, A., & Saxena, K. K. (2024). Theories of motivation: A comprehensive analysis of human behavior drivers. Acta Psychologica, 244, 104177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104177
Diwakar, S., Kolil, V. K., Francis, S. P., & Achuthan, K. (2023). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among students for laboratory courses: Assessing the impact of virtual laboratories. Computers & Education, 198, 104758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104758
Dzogovic, S. A., & Bajrami, V. (2023). Qualitative research methods in Science and Higher education. Journal Human Research in Rehabilitation, 13(1), 156-166.
Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2023). Expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: Reflections on the legacy of 40+ years of working together. Motivation Science, 9(1), 1.
Enworo, O. C. (2023). Application of Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria to assess trustworthiness of qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems. Qualitative research journal, 23(4), 372-384.
Ewool, E. M., Azinga, S. A., & Kamil, N. M. (2021). The influence of employee recognition on employee engagement: The moderating role of salary satisfaction. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Science, 11(3), 433-456.
Gamieldien, Y., Case, J. M., & Katz, A. (2023). Advancing qualitative analysis: An exploration of the potential of generative AI and NLP in thematic coding. Available at SSRN 4487768.
Gopinath, R. (2020). Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction on the Effect of Self-Actualization to Organisational Commitment and Job Involvement. Solid State Technology, 63(6), 16500-16511.
Hammond, L. D. (2017). Teacher education around the world: What can we learn from international practice? European Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 291–309.
Gunaseelan, O. P., Virakul, B., Piriyakul, M., & Russ-Eft, D. F. (2024). Factors Influencing Career Advancement of Thai Female Foreign Service Officials: The Mediating Effect of Readiness and the Moderating Role of Gender-Role Attitudes. International Journal of Public Administration, 47(3), 141-158.
Hiolin, J. L. & Billones, M. G. (2019). Principals’ motivational strategies and teachers’ performance among schools of Pigcawayan West district. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 7(3), 167-175.
Hirose, M., & Creswell, J. W. (2023). Applying core quality criteria of mixed methods research to an empirical study. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(1), 12-28.
Huang, T. C., Wang, Y. J., & Lai, H. M. (2022). What drives internet entrepreneurial intention to use technology products? An investigation of technology product imagination disposition, social support, and motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 829256. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.829256
Ibitomi, T., Ojatuwase, O., Emmanuella, O., & Eke, T. (2022). Influence of intrinsic reward on employees’ performance in deposit money banks in Ondo State, Nigeria. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 10(3), 528-541.
Iqbal, N., Khan, M. M., Mohmand, Y. T., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2020). The impact of in-service training and motivation on job performance of technical & vocational education teachers: Role of person-job fit. Public Organization Review, 20, 529-548.
Iwu, C. G., Ezeuduji, I. O., Iwu, I. C., Ikebuaku, K., & Tengah, R. (2018). Achieving quality education by understanding teacher job satisfaction determinants. Social Sciences, 7(25), 1–13.
Kanygin, G., & Koretckaia, V. (2021). Analytical coding: Performing qualitative data analysis based on programming principles. The Qualitative Report, 26(2), 316-333.
Kashefian-Naeeini, S., Shokrpour, N., & Pakdel, F. (2024). Optimizing EFL learning: Exploring the role of learner background factors and the nuances of their effects on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among university students in a mixed-methods study. BMC Psychology, 12, 535. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02034-8
Kharadze, N., Katsitadze, N., Giorgobiani, M., Dzebisauri, L., & Pirtskhalaishvili, D. (2023). The nexus of employee motivation and leadership: A study of the government employees in Georgia. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (JEECAR), 10(7), 1121-1134.
Kumari, K., Barkat Ali, S., Un Nisa Khan, N., & Abbas, J. (2021). Examining the role of motivation and reward in employees’ job performance through the mediating effect of job satisfaction: An empirical evidence. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 10(4), 401-420.
Kurniawan, R., & Anindita, R. (2021). Impact of Perceived Supervisor Support and Rewards and Recognition Toward Performance Through Work Satisfaction and Employee Engagement in Employee Marketing Banks. Business and Entrepreneurial Review, 21(1), 171-192.
Layek, D., & Koodamara, N. K. (2024). Motivation, work experience, and teacher performance: A comparative study. Acta Psychologica, 245, 104217.
Le, A. T. T., Tran, T. V., Tran, T. M., & Phan, T. H. (2024). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors as Motivation Roles in Scientific Research Activities of Professors at Several Vietnamese Universities. Sage Open, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241230838
Liang, X., & Bautista, O. O. (2021). Analysis of the difference in college teachers’ professional pressure and strategies to improve teachers’ mental health under the expectancy theory. Work, 69(2), 543-557.
Lopez, J. M. T. (2021). Concept of education: Confluence of definition criteria, temporary formative orientation and common activity as core content of its meaning. Revista Boletín Redipe, 10(1), 28-77.
Manalo, R. A., de Castro, B., & Uy, C. (2020). The mediating role of job satisfaction on the effect of motivation to organizational commitment and work engagement of private secondary high school teachers in Metro-Manila. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 9, 133-159.
Masagazi J.Y. (2022). “Managing Burnout Among Teaching Staff at Private Universities in Uganda: A Case Study. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa. 7(1):1-33 https://doi.org/10.25159/2312-3540/10233.
Masagazi, J. Y., Lugemwa, P., & Mirembe, E. (2024). Pioneering online assessment solutions: Empirical experiences from educational practitioners. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) 13(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.5121/ijite.2024.13201
Megawati, M., Hamdat, A., & Aida, N. (2022). Examining linkage leadership style, employee commitment, work motivation, and work climate on satisfaction and performance. Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management, 2(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v2i1.86
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2024). Demystification and actualization of data saturation in qualitative research through thematic analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241229777.
Okon, M. G., John, N. E., & Imagha, O. (2023). Employee well-being: recognition and non-academic staff performance in select federal universities, South-South geo-political zone, Nigeria. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(1), 13-26.
Okereke, L. O., & Asha, B. (2022). Effect of Non-Monetary Rewards on Employees’ Performance in Mount Meru Referral Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. East African Journal of Management and Business Studies, 2(4), 1-8.
Osei, P. C., & Bjorklund, D. F. (2024). Motivating the Learning Process: Integrating Self-Determination Theory into a Dynamical Systems Framework. Educational Psychology Review, 36(3), 89.
Pavlenchyk, N., Pavlenchyk, A., Skrynkovskyy, R., & Tsyuh, S. (2023). The influence of management creativity on the optimality of management decisions over time: An innovative aspect. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (JEECAR), 10(3), 498-514.
Pirtskhalaishvili, D., Kharadze, N., Katsitadze, N., Dugladze, D., & Sulkhanishvili, T. (2023). Study of the factors influencing the satisfaction of employees in the territorial units of the Tbilisi city hall. Access Journal-Access to Science, Business, Innovation in the Digital Economy, 387-399.
Porfírio, J. A. F., Rodrigues, R., Magalhães, F., & Carrilho, T. (2024). Organizational purpose and employee motivation: An fsQCA analysis. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-04-2024-0140
Ridwan, M., Fiodian, V. Y., Religia, Y., & Hardiana, S. R. (2024). Investigating the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in shaping digital entrepreneurial intention: The mediating role of self-efficacy. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJIE-02-2024-0036
Rivera, M., Qiu, L., Kumar, S., & Petrucci, T. (2021). Are traditional performance reviews outdated? An empirical analysis on continuous, real- time feedback in the workplace. Information Systems Research, 32(2), 517-540.
Saif, U., & Siddiqui, D. A. (2019). Tangible Rewards or Intangible Rewards–Which Play the Most Significant Role in Increasing Job-Hopping Behavior in Generation Y Employees in Pakistan? Available at SSRN 3510943.
Scherbaum, C. A., Naidoo, L. J., & Saunderson, R. (2022). The impact of manager recognition training on performance: a quasi-experimental field study. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 43(1), 57-70.
Serdyukov, P. (2017). Innovation in education: What works, what doesn’t and what to do about it? Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching and Learning, 10(1), 4–33.
Setyawati, N. W., PG, D. S. W., & Rianto, M. R. (2022). Career development, motivation and promotion on employee performance. East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 1(9), 1957-1970.
Sharma, S. K., Mudgal, S. K., Gaur, R., Chaturvedi, J., Rulaniya, S., & Sharma, P. (2024). Navigating sample size estimation for qualitative research. Journal of Medical Evidence, 5(2), 133-139.
Shikalepo, E. E. (2020). The role of motivational theories in shaping teacher motivation and performance: A review of related literature. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 4(4), 64–76.
Sigmundsson, H., Haga, M., Elnes, M., Dybendal, B. H., & Hermundsdottir, F. (2022). Motivational Factors Are Varying Across Age Groups and Gender. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), Article 5207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095207
Sikira, R., Madaba, R., & Filbert, R. (2024). Impact of recognition on employees performance in the Manufacturing Industries in Tanzania: A Case of Tanga Cement Company. Valley International Journal Digital Library, 6059-6073.
Slemp, G. R., Field, J. G., & Cho, A. S. H. (2020). A meta-analysis of autonomous and controlled forms of teacher motivation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 121, 103459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103459
Tomoaia‐Cotisel, A., Allen, S. D., Kim, H., Andersen, D. F., Qureshi, N., & Chalabi, Z. (2024). Are we there yet? Saturation analysis as a foundation for confidence in system dynamics modeling, applied to a conceptualization process using qualitative data. System Dynamics Review, e1781.
Unsal, S., Ageam, R., & Korkmaz, F. (2017). Exploring teaching profession from a sociological perspective: Evidence from Turkey. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(5), 874–880.
Warrilow, G. D., Johnson, D. A., & Eagle, L. M. (2020). The effects of feedback modality on performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(3-4), 233-248.
Xing, L., Sun, J. M., & Jepsen, D. (2021). Feeling shame in the workplace: examining negative feedback as an antecedent and performance and well‐being as consequences. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(9), 1244-1260.
Yeh, C. H., Wang, Y. S., Hsu, J. W., & Lin, S. J. (2020). Predicting individuals’ digital autopreneurship: Does educational intervention matter? Journal of Business Research, 106, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.08.020
Zhou, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Distance Education: A Self-Determination Perspective. American Journal of Distance Education, 38(1), 51– 64. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2023.2177032
Zin, M. L. M., Ibrahim, H., Aman-Ullah, A., & Ibrahim, N. (2022). Transformational leadership, job enrichment and recognition as predictors of job satisfaction in non-profit organizations. Nankai Business Review International, 14(2), 338-351.
Copyright (c) 2025 Margaret Sarah Nafuna, Joel Yawe Masagazi, PhD, David Andrew Omona, PhD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
