The Influence of Teacher Motivation on Planning Instruction, a Case of Primary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Abstract

Planning for instruction plays a pivotal role in connecting curriculum to instruction. Even experienced teachers rely on it to ensure the direction of their teaching and bolster the confidence. The ability to plan for instruction effectively can affect not only a teacher’s success but also the results of education reform. For teachers to gain the respect they deserve they need to act professionally in their classrooms and this can be realized if they are well prepared. Teaching calls for more than the love of learners and good knowledge of the material to be taught. It calls for proper planning which lead to mastering of techniques, imagination, versatility and an understanding. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between teacher’s motivation and planning for instruction. The study subscribes to what is termed as general theories of instructions embodied in what recent psychologists’ term instructional theories. A descriptive survey design approach was employed in this study. Stratified and purposive sampling procedures were used in the study. Questionnaires, observation and interview schedules were employed, validated and administered in the field to obtain data used in the present study. The results indicated that motivation both socially and financially encourages teachers to be thorough in their preparation for instruction. Teachers should be motivated through improved remuneration and improved teaching and learning conditions and this enhance curriculum implementation. The study recommends that teachers need to be motivated through various incentive such as better remuneration, quality in-service programmes, fair administration and provision of adequate and variety of teaching and learning media. The study is relevant to all stakeholders and policy makers in education.