Effects of Teachers’ Recognition on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance: A Study of Arusha District Council, Tanzania

Loishiye Lengaram Saiteu
Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA)
Email: loishiyesaiteu@gmail.com

Abstract: The study examined the Effects of teachers’ recognition on secondary school students’ academic performance in Arusha District Council, Tanzania. Objectives were to assess the extent to which teacher’s recognition influences students’ academic performance and the effective strategies to enhance teacher’s recognition in public secondary schools. Social Action Theory guided the study. Sequential explanatory design was adopted. Sample size consisted of 172 (162 teachers, 9 school heads and one DSEO) from 9 public secondary schools. Teachers were selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. School heads and one DSEO were purposively sampled. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to collect data. Validity was established through expert input. Reliability was determined using Guttman split half method and reliability index, TQ; r=0.987 was reported. Credibility of qualitative instrument was established through detailed reporting of the research process. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze quantitative data in the SPSS version 25 and results were presented in tables. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis and was presented in narrative forms. Results show that teacher recognition plays a crucial role in influencing various aspects of teaching and learning ultimately leading to improved student academic performance. In conclusion, enhancing teacher recognition in public secondary schools is crucial for improving teacher motivation, job satisfaction, and overall performance. In recommendation, a culture of teacher recognition within a school should be initiated and supported and a collaborative environment where teachers feel valued and motivated to excel should be created. This may lead to higher academic achievements among students.