Usage of Capitation Grants to Enhance Teachers’ Motivation in Public Secondary Schools in Longido District – Arusha Region, Tanzania

Joyce, A. Mbulinyingi & Christine Mnjokava
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Arusha
Email: joycembulinyingi2022@gmail.com/ cmnjikava@yahoo.com

Abstract: This study investigated the usage of capitation grants to enhance teachers’ motivation in public secondary schools in Longido District in Arusha Region. Specifically, the study assessed the barriers to the effective usage of capitation grants on enhancing teachers’ motivation and suggested strategies for the effective usage of capitation grants to enhance teachers’ motivation in public secondary schools. The study was guided by Financial Control Theory and convergent mixed methods design. Target population was 281 individuals (271 teachers and 10 school heads). The sample size consisted of 91 respondents; 81 teachers obtained through stratified and simple random sampling and 10 school heads purposefully sampled. Data collection was done through questionnaires and interview guides. Validity was established through expert judgment. Reliability of questionnaires for Likert-type items was determined after a pilot study in three secondary schools using Cronbach Alpha Method. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used where coefficient r = 0.864 was obtained. The trustworthiness for the interview guide was ensured through peer debriefing and triangulation. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze quantitative data in SPSS version 25 and results were presented in tables. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically alongside research questions and presented in narrative forms. The study revealed inadequate financial resources allocated to schools as a challenge that impedesimprovement of teaching and learning environments, thereby affecting teachers’ motivation. In conclusion, capitation grants were found to be rarely utilized for teachers’ motivation, recommending the need for policy adjustments to prioritize continuous teacher motivation and development.