Assessment of Science Teachers' Job Satisfaction Level: A Study of Gashu'a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria

Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 79 Assessment of Science Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Level: A Study of Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria Mohammed Umar Department of Science and Technology Education, Bayero University, Kano [email protected] | 07069108649 Abubakar Imam Isa Department of Integrated science, College of Education and Legal Studies, Nguru, Yobe State [email protected] | 08065155015 Ekunke, Unyime Abasi-Raphael Department of Basic Science College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New Bussa Niger [email protected] | 08066033376 Baranzi Naomi David Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna Niger State Daniel Olufemi Ajayi Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna Niger State [email protected] | 08039717345 Abdulsalam Tawakalitu Department of Science Education, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Universty, Lapai Niger State [email protected] | 08032306762 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17806219 Abstract This study assessed the level of job satisfaction of science teachers in Gashu’a education zone, Yobe-Nigeria. The study rested on Self-determination Theory (SDT). The design of the study was descriptive survey research. The population of the study included 289 secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a education zone. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 162 science teachers who participated in the study. The instrument for data collection was designated Science Teachers Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (STEJOSAQ) with reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained using Cronbach’s alpha through split half method. Mean, standard deviation and independent sample t-test were used to address research question and hypothesis respectively at 0.05 levels of significance. Findings of the study showed that there was no notable discrepancy in the job satisfaction between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria. Equally, the findings demonstrated that job satisfaction of secondary school science teachers was low. It was recommended that government should give priority to teachers’ job satisfaction by providing supportive working condition, professional development programs and special remuneration for secondary school science teachers to raise teachers’ job satisfaction levels. Keywords: job Satisfaction, Gender, Science teachers Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 80 Introduction The aim of national education goals is directed towards improving the quality of human resources, so that they can not only develop the intellectual facets of learning but also affective and manipulative facets. Students cannot be isolated from teachers whose responsibility is to guide in the learning process at school. Teachers are professionals who are have the responsibility of planning, implementing, assessing learning outcomes, conducting guidance and community service (Poniton, Harapan, & Nugroho, 2025). For several years, teachers in Nigeria under the auspices of the national union of teachers have been consistent in various demands including salary structure and separate condition of service for teachers at various levels of education in the country. However, most of their demands have not been executed. This scenario has made the profession unattractive, hence qualified teachers run away from the profession for greener pastures in other professions (Adigun, Oyetunde, Adedokun-shittu, Ajani, Irunokhai, Salisu, Adeyemi, Wealth, Aladeokin, Adenike, Adepoju, &Adekoya, 2025). Teachers are the primary instrument for knowledge dissemination playing exceedingly significant role in the general success and development of students (Ifediorah-okeke 7 Ugwama, 2025). Teachers’ job satisfaction is an individuals’ emotional response to work experience (Ertas & Pekmezci, 2025). Job satisfaction is a key measure of an individuals’ fulfillment and happiness in their profession, shaped by their appraisal of work experience (Chunxuel, 2025). The well-known predictors of teachers Job satisfaction in the teaching profession include salary structure, workload, duplication of responsibilities, insufficient cooperation among colleague and prestige attached to the teaching profession (Ibikunle, Afolabi & Bello, 2021) Teachers’ job satisfaction is a critical component regulating the overall effectiveness of educational system. High levels of job satisfaction are correlated with positive educational outcomes including improved students’ achievement, higher teacher retention of teachers and a more positive school climate (Liu, & Huang, 2025). Halen & Obi (2021) contended that teachers with higher satisfaction levels tend to hold positive attitude about the teaching job and a negative attitude is often portrayed by teachers who are dissatisfied with the teaching job. Prior researches explicitly revealed inconclusive findings with respect to gender and teacher job satisfaction. Some studies suggest that female teachers have higher job satisfaction while some reported male teachers have higher job satisfaction than female teachers, others reported no remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction among male and female teachers (Erylmaz Kennedy, Streitholt, & Johansson, 2025). Due these conflicting findings in relation to gender and teacher job satisfaction, there is the need to carry out the study on male and female teachers. In the study conducted by Toropova, Myrberg and Johansson (2021) titled “teacher Job satisfaction: the importance of school working conditions and teacher characteristics”, the study investigated the relationship between teacher job satisfaction, school working condition and teacher characteristics for eighth grade mathematics teachers, it was conducted in Sweden. Data were analyzed through confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling .Finding of the study demonstrated that there was a very strong correlation teachers job satisfaction and working condition of the school, also female teachers who are more expose to professional development and more efficacious had higher level of job satisfaction than male counterpart. This study adopted a different methodology and was carried out in Sweden while the present study was conducted in Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria. Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 81 Also, in the study conducted by Zhang and Chang (2025) on “the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction among teachers at newly established undergraduate institutions: the mediating role of work engagement, in Hebei province, china”. This study was carried out on a population of 637 university teachers in undergraduate institutions. The outcome of this study showed a remarkable disparity in the professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement among teachers of different gender, age, with female teachers having higher job satisfaction than male teachers, older teachers scoring higher than younger teachers, professional identity has a positive correlation with job satisfaction and work engagement. This research was carried out in entirely a different location from the current study, hence the need to conduct a similar study in Gashu’a Education Zone. Similarly, in the study conducted by khudair (2025) on “job satisfaction and it relationship with organizational commitment among university employee,” in this study, all the teachers in the technical institute within Kut formed the population of the study. The analysis tool were mean Pearson correlation coefficient and Spear-man Brown coefficient and t-test. The finding of the study revealed a high organizational commitment and no notable discrepancy among gender variable was shown. Also, there is avery strong positive correlation between organizational commitment and job satisfaction among university employee at the technical institute in Kut. Morover, Parveen, Khan, Shah, and Mahmood (2025) carried out a study titled “organizational commitment, job satisfaction and performance: a comparative study between subject specialist and lecturers”. This study’s design was a survey research design consisting of 155 and 360 subject specialist of government higher secondary schools and all lecturers of government colleges of Sargodha division respectively. Sampling techniques used in this studies were cluster, stratified, proportionate and simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean t-test. The outcome of the study showed that subject specialist have higher level of organizational commitment than lecturers also was no significant difference in the job satisfaction between male and female lecturers. This study was carried out in Sargodha division and therefore, there is the need to carry out a similar study in another geographical location (Gashu’a EducationZone). Statement of the Problem Matters associated with teachers’ job satisfaction among researchers draws a lot of attention in the educational circle as professionals have the mindset that job satisfaction influences effectiveness and efficiency, participation and employee retention (Ibikunle, Afolabi & Bello, 2021). Bawalla, Adenugba, (2021) claimed that public secondary school teachers are not satisfied with the teachers remuneration paid by the government. Teachers portray an unpleasant attitude towards teaching profession with majority holding the mindset that the job is a stepping stone for better carrier opportunities. This could be attributed to a variety of factors such as underpayments, inadequate teachers’ housing, inadequate teacher development programs, substandard working conditions among others (Halen & Obi, 2021). There have been claims by the government about reviving education system and the effort to procure desired qualitative and functional education by stake holders, the government. However, they disregard teachers’ job satisfaction, hence the need to conduct a study of this natureassessment of science teachers’ job satisfaction level: a study of Gashu’a education zone, Yobe-Nigeria. Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 82 Objective of the Study The objective of the study was to determine the job satisfaction level of secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria Research Question 1. Is there any remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction level between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone? Research Hypothesis Ho1: There is no remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction level between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone. Significance of the Study This study is exceedingly useful to teachers who are the direct beneficiary group. The research can lead to improved working condition; it can also bring about better support system for teachers such as professional development programs. The study is beneficial to school administrators (school boards) as it is a powerful and essential strategic and diagnostic toolallowing administrators to make and implement targeted retention strategies. Additionally, students also could be of benefit to the students who are the ultimate beneficiaries of having happy supported teachers, high quality instructions, improved academic outcomes, better student-teacher relationships, and positive role modeling is some of the scenarios where this research could help students. Methodology This study was conducted with population of senior secondary school science teachers. The study was designed as descriptive survey. The study was based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Self-determination theory is an empirically based theory of human behavior that is connected to how social-contextual factors support individual’s thriving in the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Mejias, Roldan, Lopez-Cabrales, 2025). Autonomy involves a sense of voluntariness and self-affirmation in one’s action, which significantly enhance motivation, while competence relates to individuals subjective assessment of their ability to perform a specific activity, relatedness refers to the sense of connection one feels with others in the academic environment which is essential for maintaining motivation and engagement (Bali, Chen & Liu, 2024). The population of the study comprised of 289 senior secondary science teachers in Gashu’a education zone. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 162 science teachers. The instrument for data collection was tagged Science Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (STEJOSAQ). It was adapted and modified from Ahmed, Noorami and Ali, (2025); Li, Kanchanapoom, Deeprasert, Duan, & Qi, (2025); Ayobami, and Afolabi, (2020); Usop, Askandr, Kadtong, Usop, (2013). The questionnaire was divided in to two sections (Section A and B), Section A consisted of Students’ demographic data, and section B assessed science teachers job satisfaction level. The questionnaire was based on 5 pointLikert scale Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree with their corresponding points of 1,2,3,4 and 5 respectively. Scores ranging 2.49 from below was considered negative (low job satisfaction or dissatisfied with the teaching job) while score of 2.5 and above were considered positive (high job satisfaction or satisfied the teaching job) on the science teachers’ job satisfaction questionnaire. The collected data were ordinal scale data. The instrument was validated by experts and pilot tested with 30 teachers who were part of the population but not in the sample. A reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained using Cronbach’s alpha through the split half method. The primary justification for the use of stratified random sampling was its ability to generate an unbiased representative sample Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 83 that allows for valid statistical generalization about the secondary school science teachers. Mean, standard deviation and independent sample t-test were used to address research question and hypothesis respectively at 0.05 levels of significance using SPSS.. Results Research Question1: Is there any remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction level between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone? Table 1 Mean and Standard Deviation Analysis of the Job Satisfaction Level of Male and Female Secondary School Science Teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone Gender N Mean SD Mean Difference Male 97 2.2 0.5 0.1 Female 65 2.1 0.6 As shown in Table 1 above, the mean job satisfaction score and standard deviation of male science teachers were 2.2 and 0.5 and for female science teachers was 2.1 and 0.6 respectively with a slight mean difference of 0.1 in favor of male science teachers. Ho1: There is no remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction level between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone. Table 2 Independent Sample t-tests Analysis on the job satisfaction level of male and Female Secondary school Science Teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone. Gender N Mean SD t df p-value Mean Difference 95%Cl Remark Male 97 2.2 0.5 0.654 160 0.149 0.1 -0.21, 0.41 Not Signt. Female 65 2..1 0.6 From Table 2 above, the observed p-value was 0.149 which is greater than the significance level of 0.05; thus, the null hypothesis was accepted. Therefore, there was no significant difference in the job satisfaction level of male and female science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone. 0 1 2 3 4 5 Job Satisfaction Score Male Female Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4 Series5 Journal of Education, Communication, and Digital Humanities-Vol.2, No.2, Sept. 2025 pg. 84 Figure: 1 Graphical Representation of Male and Female Science Teachers” Job Satisfaction Score in Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria Discussion of Findings The findings of this study therefore, uncovered that there was no remarkable discrepancy in the job satisfaction between male and female secondary school science teachers in Gashu’a Education Zone, Yobe-Nigeria. This means that the job satisfaction score of male and female science teachers in Gashu’a Education, Zone was quite similar. This result is in accordance with the findings of Khudair (2025); Parveen, Khan & Mahmood (2025) who found that there was no significant difference in the job satisfaction between male and female teachers. The findings of the study are contrary to the findings of Zhang and Cheng (2025); Toropova, Myrberg & Johansson (2021) who found that female teachers had higher job satisfaction than male teachers. Conclusion Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that there was no significant discrepancy in the job satisfaction level among male and female secondary school science teachers. The study further categorically revealed that secondary school science teachers have low level of job satisfaction. Limitations of the Study This study is delimited in its scope to specifically investigate the level of job satisfaction among secondary school science teachers within the public schools of Gashu’a Education zone. The research did not include teachers of non-science subjects or those from other educational zones. Recommendations Study confirms a serious problem that requires urgent attention. This finding justifies emergency policies such as science teachers’ allowance, improved hazard pay, setting up professional development program for science teachers, providing supportive working condition, provision of teaching aids and sustainable electricity to raise teachers’ job satisfaction levels and ensure teachers retention. References Adigun, J. O., Oyetunde, O. L., Adedokun-shittu, N. A., Ajani, A. H., Irunokhai, E. A, Salisu, M. S., Adeyemi, O. T., Wealth, A. S., Aladeokin, B. O., Adenike, O. A., Adepoju, O. V., & Adekoya, O. O.(2025). Assessment of computer studies teachers job satisfaction in private secondary schools in new Bussa metropolis, Niger state, Journal of Science research and Reviews, 2(1), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.70882/josrar.2025.v2i1 Ahmed, N., Noorami, Z., & Ali, Z. (2025). 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