ABSTRACT
This study investigated teachers’ interpersonal relationship and job performance in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Edo State. It also sought to determine whether there is a significant relationship between teachers’ interpersonal relationship and job performance based on the moderating variables of age, experience, gender, subject area of specialization, school location and school size. To guide the study, nine research questions were raised and seven hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.
The study was correlational design with teacher population of 2,770 from 308 Public Senior Secondary Schools in Edo State A total of 554 teachers and 62 principals formed the sample for the study. However, only data for 510 teachers in 62 schools were successfully retrieved and used for the study. The multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample of the study. Two research instruments, Teachers’ Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire and Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire, which were validated and had reliability coefficients of 0.89 and 0.85. The Mean and Standard Deviation, Pearson r and Fisher’s Z statistics were used to answer the research questions and test hypotheses.
Findings from the analysis revealed that the level of interpersonal relationship and level of teachers’ job performance were high in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Edo State. Furthermore, the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between interpersonal relationship and teachers’ job performance in Public Senior Secondary schools in Edo State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that principals should further strengthen the high interpersonal relationship that is existing among teachers by ensuring effective communication, interaction and collaboration. The high level of job performance should be sustained by the principal through more regular supervision of instructional activities. Similarly, the Ministry of Education should motivate and encourage performing teachers by giving them a word of recognition or granting them study leave to enhance their academic status.
