Work Behavior of Primary School Teachers

Abstract The current study aims to identify the task patterns of primary school teachers in public and private sectors. The objective of the study was to find out the performance of teachers in schools and to identify the gaps affecting their performance for possible rectifications. In this regard, the respondents were selected including male and female teachers from urban and rural setup, district level administrators and supervisors using random sampling. The data were collected from interview with the school administrators and supervisors and from official documents treating with both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results reveal that there were no written job descriptions for teachers and those unwritten required them to be punctual, dutiful and committed to the profession of teaching. In the light of results and findings, it was recommended that the deficiencies and gaps and task patterns of primary school teachers could be improved by providing incentives to teachers and transports facilities to supervisors, provide an effective supervision of schools for proper professional and administrative support to teachers and students.


INTRODUCTION
It is a descriptive study, which attempted to identify the task patterns of primary school teachers both in public and private sectors (male and female); their current duties and responsibilities in school, themes concerning the essential deadliness of working in school. It also highlighted general description of effective teachers, the social realities of teaching in the elementary school, and description of school improving efforts. Moreover, it explored the fundamental realities and needs for the improving of in service teacher education. The population of the study included both male and female teachers in urban and rural set up as well as all key informants who were the district level administrators and supervisors. The study examined primary school in rural and urban areas of Mardan district and find out their task pattern in those schools. In the process their collegial, competitive and adversarial relationship were also explored.
The National Education Policy 1998-2010 stated that there is an unsatisfactory quality of the teaching in the public sector. The large number of low quality teachers in the system is due to rule of mutations in governance, outdated structure of pre-service training, and in-service unsatisfactory and below required training. The past rich background of teachers and dignified eastern culture enjoyed by the teachers is eroded by the insertion and presence of huge number of incompetent teachers in this profession. The profession of teaching has become the last resort of employment for the young generation, especially males. Teaching is one of the most significant profession of the world. All the professions in the society have base in this noble profession.
According to Silverthone, Cai and Lin, (2006), contextual performance, which is teachers' task performance support the organizational, social and psychological environment where the organizational goals are followed. It is consisted upon occupation morality, job description, and assistance among the teachers. Climate has been described as description of the work environment. Thus, there is a need of reforms in all the areas, regarding improvements in qualification and standard of pre-training service, salaries of the teachers, development of professional skills, status and career development, and the workforce management and governance. Furthermore, there is a need to focus on the reforms of private sector involvement in the teaching profession as the increase in the share of private sectors in this profession is an addition to the already discussed complexities of the public sector.
It is imperative to take into account social realities of schooling in the curriculum plans in the area of teacher education. It would be also important for teacher trainers to identify ways and means, which could help to encourage a realistic evaluation and appraisal of the social, democratic and institutional realities around them. The teachers are in away, social actors, reformers and change agents. It is on this level that they have an interest and good reason to understand individual students. They are expected to have the autonomy and capability to bring about change and awareness among their students which could not be possible otherwise. Therefore, they genuinely feel that they could make things better in school.
The study is, therefore, prompted by such considerations to highlight some concerns and issues that would help the prospective teachers to think more about the actual social settings in order to address effectively those concerns and issues in schools provided that such considerations are guided by an understanding of the educational aims as envisaged in the national educational policies.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following were the objectives of the study:

I.
To analyze the present situation about the work patterns of primary school teachers on the basis of collection of data. II.
To observe the primary school teacher on duty in selected primary schools (both sexes) in rural and urban areas of Mardan district for assessment of their behavior towards their work. III.
To study the collegial, competitive and adversarial relationship of those teachers that affected their role performance. IV.
To identify the gaps which were to be addressed for remedial solution.

QUESTIONS OF THE STUDY
The study examined the following questions: I.
What are the task patterns of primary school teachers? II.
Are the teachers capable to complete their task? III.
What are the recommendations to fill up the gaps?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The education system of a country mostly depends upon the quality and capabilities of the teachers. In the hierarchy of trained teachers, the primary school teacher lay the foundation of education. They work for the overall development of the children in the primary schools. The study is significant as it assesses the work behavior of the primary school teacher and its result should be useful for educators and other stakeholders.

Population and Sample Size
Frey, J-H. (1983) stated the population means the totality of individuals, items and objects whether finite or infinite, but relevant to one or more characteristics of interest. The target population of the study included 500 Govt. primary schools including 250 each in urban and rural areas and 500 teachers including 250 males and 250 females. Similarly, one EDO, one ADO male and one female, and two ADDO were also included in the population.

Sample of the Study
The sample of the study included the following subjects: 54(10.5%) government primary schools of the target population of500 primary schools (both sexes) were selected from the urban and rural areas of district Mardan. 54(10.8%) teachers including 27 male and 27 female teachers both from urban and rural areas were sample for the study One EDO, one ADO male and one ADO female and two assistant ADDO female were included in the sample (100 percent).

Data Collection and Analysis
The study used both primary and secondary sources for data collection. The data were obtained from questionnaire, interview and observation. The office record and a study of relevant documents provide secondary data. The analysis of data was done with the help of Tables respectively.

I.
A uniform type of close-ended questionnaire was fielded to the subjects. II.
A check list containing five informative questions was prepared for the purpose of knowing work behavior, time keeping, regularity, punctuality and attention of observed teachers in the selected school III.
Six interview questions in written form were also prepared for the key informants of education department of Mardan district. IV.
The questionnaire was a pilot tested upon teacher and the interview were held with the information in order to make a holistic approach to the problem in order to maintain unbiased data from the techniques, pilot testing was conducted. Unnecessary and unwanted questions were removed, and some new questions were added.

Validity and Reliability of the Study
Measurement experts and many educators believe that measurement device should possess certain qualities. Perhaps the two most common technical concepts in measurement are validity and reliability. For a test to be valid, it must first be reliable. Worthern and borg (1993) stated that reliability refers to measure of how stable, and consistent the tools of the study are. Validity refers to the extent to which certain inferences can be made from test source or other measurement. It is complementary to reliability. The questionnaire that was developed in a very systematic manner did maintain the elements of validity in the study. In order to maintain reliability, the researcher had collected the data himself without using any subjective measures.

FINDINGS
Out of 54 subjects both taken for the purpose of questionnaire and observation checklist the percentage responses in majority cases were made part of the findings, which were presented in this section as under: 1. A sizeable Number of 34 (63%) of teacher reported that they had joined the profession of teaching due to economic needs and religious obligation.  4. From the analysis it was found that 47(87%) teachers were of the views that they had job satisfaction.   Total 54 100 7. A majority of 28(52%) teachers were found engaged in the school activities. 8. A majority of 30(56%) teachers were congenial to teaching learning process. 9. Co-curricular activities were found poor as 40(74%) teacher did not take interest in co-curricular activities during their observation. 10. A majority of 32(59) % teachers were found busy in teaching activities. The study answered all the three-key question formulated for solution of the problem. It was found that there were no written job descriptions for teachers. They were, therefore, not capable to know and complete their task, on time and the gaps were identified for appropriate solutions.

II.
It was found that unwritten tasks of teachers included proper teaching; maintaining discipline and character building of students, observing time schedule of school hours and maintaining of record etc. III.
The teacher lacked profession know-how and commitment to the profession of teaching due to many reasons including low salary and lack of proper incentives. IV.
The absenteeism among teacher was common due to poor supervision and monitoring of schools. V. The weak monitoring system was due to non-availability of transport facility. VI.
The study found that majority of teachers maintained among themselves collegial and competitive relationship but in rare cases teacher had adversarial relationships, which could be improved through role models. VII.
Due to falling standards of education teacher's academic qualification were needed to be enhanced in global perspective. VIII.
The majority of teacher seemed satisfied with their job but for low salaries their commitment to the profession of teaching was not there.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The findings and conclusions of the study were made the basis for the following recommendations: I.
To make up the deficiency in professional knowledge: short courses should be made as the regular feature of service for teachers. II.
In order to get the commitment of teachers to the professional of teaching, the teaching profession should be made more attractive through incentives. III.
The organization and management of primary schools should be properly planned as planning is considered to be a powerful instrument for change and development. IV.
The education department has no written documents for job descriptions of teachers. Therefore, teachers are not clear about their task patterns. It is suggested that job descriptions should be developed for teachers in orders to make them aware about their tasks and responsibilities. V.
In order to discourage adversarial relationships among teachers they should be motivated towards positive behaviours and collegial relationship by giving them role models. VI.
In order to check absenteeism of teachers the monitoring and supervisory system of education deportment be strengthened and the supervisory staff be provided transport facility.

VII.
Currently the basic required academic qualification for the appointment of primary school teachers is secondary school certificate, which is the bare minimum standard and the new trends in education demand better qualified teachers to look into the emerging trends of global education. It is, therefore, suggested that the minimum academic qualification should be raised to B.A/B.S.C for new entrants. VIII.
Lack of attention on the part of teachers is creating problems of indiscipline of students in the primary schools. The indiscipline of students, in turn, adversely affects the teaching -learning process. It is therefore, needed that the school should maintain discipline among students. IX.
There is no strong relationship between the school and the community, which is necessary for building up the confidence of the parents in school activities. It is, therefore, recommended that this relationship should be strengthened.