The Impact of Reward and Punishment on Teachers’ Job Performance in Federal Unity Colleges in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of reward and punishment on teachers’ job performance and, consequently, improve students’ academic performance. The study employed a descriptive research design, specifically a survey type. The sample consisted of twelve (12) colleges and two hundred and forty teachers on Grade Level 10 and above. The instrument, Reward, Punishment, and Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (RPTJPQ), was used to obtain data. Descriptive statistics (percentages) were used to analyse research questions. The findings revealed that the levels of application of reward and punishment, as well as teachers’ job performance, were high, with average ratings of 69.2%, 68.5%, and 76.2%, in Federal Unity Colleges in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. The study concludes that the fair and consistent application of reward and punishment can significantly enhance teachers’ job performance if applied fairly, justly, and consistently by school management. The study recommends, among others, that teachers should be promoted as and when due without further delay and that the Federal Civil Service Commission resolve the stagnation caused by service elongation for teachers in these colleges. Community support should be encouraged to create a more reliable source of funding to reward teachers, and opportunities for in-service training and professional development should be provided.