Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs Theory: Relationship Between The Lower .

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021meet and form social affinity and bonds. One of the advantages of such affinity and bonds is that it helpsto provide needed collegial support (Egbo & Okeke, 2009).Teachers have need for such collegial support has it could enhance their performance and job satisfaction.The relationship between the lower needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and teachers’ servicedelivery appears to be of concern to educationists. There are concerns over whether or not satisfyinghuman needs will continue to be a motivator or it will cease to motivate employees. Some scholarsbelieve that satisfying the needs of employees causes them to aspire to satisfy higher needs thus theycease to be motivated by the lower needs, ones they are satisfied. Other scholars hold a contrary view(Abrahm, 2003; Okorie, 2009; Chika, & Chidiebele, 2012). If teachers’ lower needs are satisfied it couldlead to improvement in their service delivery. Specifically, the satisfaction of the lower needs onMaslow’s hierarchy of needs theory could increase teachers’ physical, mental and emotional fitness,causes teachers to attend school regularly and punctually, increase teachers’ positive collegial relationshipand cooperation as well as reduce stress, anxiety and distractions.It is also possible that if teachers’ lower needs are met, it could impede their service delivery. Thesatisfaction of teachers’ lower needs can account for negligence of duty, laziness, lack of commitmentand concentration, truancy, and others. It is in line with this backdrop that this study will be conducted.Statement of the ProblemPublic secondary school teachers are expected to produce students that maintain a high level of moralityand achievement in internal and external examinations. It therefore appears that teachers’ service deliveryis considered to be the most critical factor that affects the outcome of the delivery of public secondaryschool education in Nigeria and Rivers State in particular. This perhaps explains why teachers appear tobe held culpable for the worrisome persistent decline in students’ academic achievement and for theincrease in examination malpractice, hooliganism and drug abuse amongst young secondary schoolstudents and school leavers. This situation has forced educationists and other stakeholders to wonderwhether or not public secondary school teachers actually do what they are trained and recruited by thegovernment to do. What bothers the researcher is that amidst the unsatisfactory outcome of publicsecondary school delivery, teachers and other stakeholders decry the deplorable state of school facilities,failure of government to promote and increase teachers’ salary, low funding of education to cater for thesafety and welfare of teachers.The determination of whether or not teachers are doing their job in schools cannot be objectively carriedout without finding out whether or not the idiosyncratic lower needs of teachers are being met. Sequel tothis backdrop, this study critically examined a possible relationship that may exist between the applicationof Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to satisfy lower needs and teachers’ service delivery.Aim and Objectives of the StudyThe study examined Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory: Relationship between the lower needs andteachers’ service delivery in public secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, it:1. Examine the relationship between physiological needs and teachers’ service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.2. Investigated the relationship between safety needs and teachers’ service delivery in public secondaryschools in Rivers State. Nigeria.3. Ascertained the relationship between esteem needs and teachers’ service delivery in public secondaryschools in Rivers State, Nigeria.Research Questions1.What is the relationship between physiological needs and teachers’ service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria?2.What the relationship between safety needs and teachers’ service delivery in public secondaryschools in Rivers State. Nigeria?3.What the relationship between esteem needs and teachers’ service delivery in public secondaryschools in Rivers State, Nigeria?108

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021HypothesesHo1: There is no significant relationship between physiological needs and teachers’ service delivery inpublic secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.What the relationship between physiological needs and teachers’ service delivery in public secondaryschools in Rivers State. Nigeria?Ho2: There is no significant relationship between safety needs and teachers’ service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.Ho3: There is no significant relationship between social needs and teachers’ service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.METHODOLOGYThe research design that guided the study was correlational survey. The population of this studycomprised of 268 public secondary schools in Rivers State. The schools have a population of 8,452teachers. The sample for the study comprised 1,268 teachers which represents 15% of the population. Thesimple random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The research instruments utilized fordata collection in this study were of two set of scales. The first is titled: Maslow Need Hierarchy TheoryScale (MNHTS). The second instrument is titled: Teachers Service Delivery Index (TSDI). The two setsof instrument were used to elicit responses from respondents. The scale (MNHTS) has two sections A andB. Section A covered information on instructions on how to fill the items while section B consists of 25items drawn from the research questions. More so (TSDI) comprised 25 items drawn from researchquestions. The scales adopted the modified Likert scale of;Strongly Agree (SA) 4Agree (A) 3Disagree (D) 2Strongly Disagree (SD) 1Two experts in measurement and evaluation from the Department of Educational Psychology determinedthe validity of the instrument. Cronbach alpha statistic was used to determine the reliability of theinstrument. The reliability coefficients for Maslow Need Hierarchy Theory Scale (MNHTS) and TeachersService Delivery Index (TSDI) are 0.88 and 0.81 respectively. The reliability indices for the subscales ofphysiological needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs and self-actualization needs are 0.86,0.74, 0.87, 0.89 and 0.74 respectively. Research questions 1-3 were answered using linear regressionanalysis. Hypotheses 1-3 were tested using the degree of difference associated with linear regression.PRESENTATION OF FINDINGSResearch Question 1: What is the relationship between physiological needs and teachers servicedelivery in public secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria?HO1: There is no significant relationship between Physiological needs and teachers service delivery inpublic secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.Table 1: Pearson Product Moment correlation between psychological needs and teachers servicedeliveryV a r i a b l e sPhysiological needsteachers service deliveryNR1 , 2 4 8.82Sig.0.01D e c i s i o nSignificant Positive high relationshipTable 1 showed that the Pearson Moment Correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.82. This showedthat there is a positive high relationship between Physiological needs and teachers service delivery inRivers State, Nigeria. By implication, an increase in the independent variable leads to a correspondinghigh increase in the dependent variable. The calculated probability value of 0.01 is less than the criticalprobability value of 0.05. Therefore, the null is rejected. By implication there is a significant relationshipbetween Physiological needs and teachers service delivery in secondary schools in Rivers State.109

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021Research Question 2: What is the relationship between safety needs and teachers service delivery inpublic secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria?HO2: There is no significant relationship between safety needs and teachers service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.Table 2: Pearson Product Moment correlation between safety needs and teachers service deliveryV a r i a b l e sNRS i g . D e c i s i o ns a f e t yn e e d sSignificant Positive high relationship78 0 . 0 1Teachers service deliver y 1 . 2 4 8 .Table 2 showed that the Pearson Moment Correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.78. This showedthat there is a positive high relationship between safety needs and teachers service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State. By implication, an increase in the independent variable leads to acorresponding high increase in the dependent variable. The calculated probability value of 0.01 is lessthan the critical probability value of 0.05. Therefore, the null is rejected. By implication there is asignificant relationship between safety needs and teachers service delivery in public secondary schools inRivers State.Research Question 3: What is the relationship between social needs and the teachers’ service delivery inpublic secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria?HO3: There is no significant relationship between social needs and teachers service delivery in publicsecondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria?Table 3: Pearson Product Moment correlation between social needs and teachers service deliveryV a r i a b l e sNRS i g . D e c i s i o nS o c i a ln e e d sSignificant Positive high relationship77 0 . 0 1Teachers service deliver y 1 , 2 4 8 .Table 3 showed that the Pearson Moment Correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.77. This showedthat there is a positive high relationship between social needs and teachers service delivery. Byimplication, an increase in the independent variable leads to a corresponding high increase in thedependent variable. The calculated probability value of 0.01 is less than the critical probability value of0.05. Therefore, the null is rejected. By implication there is a significant relationship between social needsand teachers service delivery.DISCUSSION OF FINDINGSRelationship between Physiological Needs and Teachers Service Delivery in Public SecondarySchoolsThe finding of the study revealed that there is a significant positive high relationship betweenPhysiological needs and teachers service delivery in secondary schools in Rivers State. This finding is inagreement with Peretomode (2012) that staff motivation is a purposive and goal oriented behaviour,performance and attitudes towards work. The service delivery and attitudes to work could be seen as afunction of various factors as physiological, psychological and environmental factors as they areattributed to individuals, in the work place. Sujan (2009) defined motivation as that which causes,channels, and sustains motivation as a complex socially learned pattern of behaviour involving desires,situations, needs, mechanisms and results. Staff motivation is an administrative skill which Ojo (2006)called management cantered which comprised customer focused, facts-based, team driven and seminarled which aim at providing satisfaction to the staff to enable them realize the organizational goal.The principals in secondary schools who embrace the motivational approach to teachers as an inducementstrategy have the teachers’ loyalty and support because he satisfies their basic needs. As a result theteachers themselves would want to spend quality time with the students to maximize effective teachingand learning even at extra personal costs. By effective motivation in secondary schools, the subordinatesthemselves would be in partnership with the principal to work together to achieve a common goal asagents of change in order to improve quality. In the process, both the principal and teachers become110

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021committed in creating goals, values and system that direct the pursuit of continuous performance ofstudents. The application of Maslow’s need hierarchy in secondary school administration improvesteaching and learning and satisfies the students, teachers and parents and also attracts effective staffinvolvement in achieving the organizational results.Relationship between Safety Needs and Teachers Service Delivery in Public Secondary SchoolsThe finding of the study revealed that there is a significant positive high relationship between safety needsand teachers service delivery in public secondary schools in Rivers State. This is in line with Abraham(2013) who believed that motivation acts as the power that induces people to action. It is a stimulant thatstrengthens behaviour that leads to accomplishment of a desired goal. It is prompted through aphysiological or psychological needs that stimulate performance which will attract reward when the needis fulfilled. Infact the motivation of an individual overshadow all the motives for which he selects tooperate upon. Motivation as “an incentive, inducement, or motive, especially for an act”. Motive is “toprovide with an incentive or motive; impel, incite”. Based on the above stimulate to action; motivationcould be seen as a desire to perform an act due to the rewarding offer received from someone.Relationship between Social Needs and Teachers Service Delivery in Public Secondary Schools inRivers State, NigeriaThe finding of the study revealed there is a significant positive high relationship between social needs andteachers’ service delivery in public secondary schools in Rivers State. This could be seen from Staffmotivation been hindered by various factors. Teachers have been marginalized in the society for ages.Generally they are faced with uncomfortable condition of service and low morale. Inadequate financialreward, poor teaching material resources, increased students population and poor infrastructural facilitiesto accommodate the students are some of the bottlenecks to staff motivation. Schools are supposed tohave enough resources, human and materials to run the system effectively. Lacks of school resourcesaffect the operation of the school adversely. It results in the principle us lack of effective administration tomotivate teachers for their rewarding inputs. It is not surprising to observe the rate of growth of privateschools. It is because wealthy parents send their children to private schools where there are adequatetechnological teaching resources currently employed to expose students to advancement in worldtechnology.In the schools, lacks of these facilities affect the staff motivation and effort. Notwithstanding, there is anacute shortage of trained teachers. Even the few that are available are subjected to stress with poorremuneration and low motivation. Consequently they attend to their duties with low spirit which results inpoor quality of instruction and efficient student output. This calls to mind that the quality of educationgiven to students bears direct testimony on the unavailability of human and material resources. To thateffect, Nwujuand Uzoaru, (2010) observed that due to increased workload on the part of teachers coupledwith low pay affect the staff motivation adversely and at same time make the school administrationunattractive and consequently harmful to individual health and wellbeing. Public accountability is aneffective factor in poor staff motivation. Some principals are poor in managing public affairs.Consequently they neglect staff motivation as they embezzle the school fund (Nzewi, 2016).Even, it is not far to note that some principals who engage in examination malpractice extort money fromstudents and their parents indicating gross responsibility and such deeds affect staff motivation indirectly.Administrative challenges reduce staff motivation. Some principals are weak administratively. Theycould not be able to identify staff weakness and strength because of poor interpersonal relationshipexisting between them and the staff. The poor relationship at times would lower the principals output ashe or she engage in antagonistic battle. But the principal cannot run the school alone without thecooperation of the teachers. A good administrator always seeks the best interpersonal relationship withthe teachers. He could integrate them into decision making of the school where the teachers themselvescontribute effectively in administration. This aspect increases the motivation of teachers. If on the otherhand the principal disassociates the teachers from participating in the running of the school, the gap ineffective interaction of teacher and principal widens and the bottleneck to motivation tightens.There would be no flow of information in the system and the students themselves would suffer in the longrun with poor academic and the teachers go without motivation. Lack of knowledge in the ICT system is111

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021one of the factors that constitute a bottleneck in teacher motivation. Ebong (2006) opined that manyNigeria teachers have not skills in ICT and as such they are not benefiting from the ocean of informationoffered by ICT all over the world. In Nigeria today, it is not an over statement that almost all the Studentscarry handsets, ear pads and other related gadgets to seek and disseminate information all over the world.But in our school systems today, principals are handicapped in the use of ICT. The principals’ knowledgeof ICT is very low but the use of ICT to achieve educational goals is very large. This basic fact is one ofthat teachers are not living up to expectation. However, if the teachers are equipped invariable they willlive up to expectations.CONCLUSIONSequel to the findings of the study, the researcher concluded that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory isa framework for maintaining a positive relationship between teachers’ lower needs and their servicedelivery.RECOMMENDATIONSThe following are hereby recommended:1. The government should provide staff quarters in all secondary schools so as to meet thehousing needs of teachers.2. The government should provide perimeter fences in schools so as to meet the safety needs ofteachers.3. Principals should encourage teachers to imbibe the attitude of peer mentoring and teamteaching so as to address the social needs of teachers.Implications of the Findings to Educational Administration1. In educational administration, it is critical for public secondary school principals to proactivelytackle the physiological needs of teachers deployed to their schools.2. In educational administration, there is need for make budgetary allocations for meeting the safetyneeds of teachers.3. In educational administration, it critical for school administrators to ensure that teachers belong toone or more committees in the school.REFERENCESAbraham, N.M. (2003). Educational administration in Nigeria. Port Harcourt: PAM Unique.Abraham, R. P. (2013). Sales performance and satisfaction as a function of individual difference,interpersonal and situational factors, Journal of Marketing Research, 15, 517-531.Achuonye K.A. (2008). Trends in Nigerian educational innovations. Port Harcourt: Pearl Publishers.Adiele, D. & Abraham, T. J. (2017). The achievement of Abraham Maslow’s need hierarchy theoryamongst secondary school teachers in Rivers State. Organizational Behaviour and HumanDecision Processes,50, 248-287.Afe, J.O. (2017). Reflections of becoming a teacher and the challenges of teacher education in NigerianUniversities. Inaugural lecture series. Abuja: National Universities Commission.Alderfer, I. (2009). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need and the Adjustment Immigrants. InternationalMigration Review, 11(4), 444-451.Awotua-Efebo, E.B. (2005). Effective teaching; principles and practice. Port Harcourt: Paragraphics.Brown, J., & Peterson, O. (2010). A causal correlation test of the need hierarchy concept. EducationPsychology Interactive. Netherland.Cherrington, D. J (2004). Need Theories of Motivation. In R.M Steers & L.W. Porters (Eds.) Motivationand Work behavior. New York: Mcgraw-Hill .Chika, H. & Chidiebele, G. (2012). Perception of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs among Nigerian federaluniversities’ workers: following the general public reactions on the managers’ need to study andunderstand what really motivates their workers. Dalas: Reoutledge.Ebong, J.M. (2006). Understanding economics of education. Port Harcourt: Eagle Lithograph Press.112

Okafor & Nwogu .Int. J. Innovative Development & Policy Studies 9 (2):106-113, 2021Edem, D.A. (2006).Introduction to educational administration in Nigeria. Ibadan: Spectrum Books.Egbo, E.A., & Okeke, I.M. (2009). Foundations of personal management in Nigeria. Enugu: BismarkPublications.Eke, I.H. (2018). Assessment of private sector participation in administration of public schools in Nigeria.In L. Okezie (Ed.). Stakeholders in Education 134-448. Enugu: Lighthouse Press.Evans, A. (2018). Teachers’ attitudes towards information and communication technologies. Journal ofComputer and Education, 47(1)373-398.Federal Government of Nigeria (2014). National policy on education, Abuja; Federal Ministry ofEducation, NERDC Press.Ikechukwu, O. (2017). Security issues in Nigerian educational system. In O.P. Elijah (Ed.).Contemporary issues in educational administration in Nigeria (78-87). Onitsha: Landmark Press.Nwuju, I. & Uzoaru, (2010). Teachers incentive system: A focus on Abia State secondary schools Trendsin Educational Studies. Journal of the Institute of Education. 5(1&2) 194-207Nzewi, E.O. (2016). Teacher and effectiveness in Nnewi Local Government Area of Anambra State”.Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis, D

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory points out that man is a needy being and the quest to satisfy his needs, motivates him to work. Work is therefore considered to be a means to an end; not an end in itself. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory identified five hierarchies of man's basic needs (Okorie, 2009).