Published Article

ABSTRACT

This study examined the joint influence of academic and moral self-concepts on the work attitude of public secondary school teachers in Eket Education Zone, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. In carrying out this study, an ex-post facto research design was adopted. The study was conducted in Eket Education Zone of Akwa Ibo State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised 537 public secondary school teachers drawn from 22 public secondary schools within the zone. A stratified random sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 270 teachers from 12 schools. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled "Self-Concept and Work Attitude Questionnaire (SCWAQ)." Face and content validity of the instrument were established through expert evaluation by specialists in Guidance and Counselling, as well as Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was determined using the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding reliability coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.84 for the various subscales, indicating that the instrument was reliable for the study. Data were collected through direct administration of the questionnaire to the respondents. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Population t-test was used to test the first hypothesis, while One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to test hypotheses two to six at the 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that academic self-concept significantly influences teachers’ work attitude. Specifically, for work effectiveness, F (2, 267) = 44.862, p < .05; for work commitment, F(2, 267) = 51.540, p < .05; for work punctuality, F(2, 267) = 44.343, p < .05; and for overall work attitude, F(2, 267) = 70.143, p < .05. The study concluded that self-concept plays a crucial role in shaping teachers’ professional behaviour and effectiveness. One of the recommendations made was that school administrators and education stakeholders should strengthen professional development programmes, counselling services, and motivational strategies to enhance teachers’ academic and moral self-concept, thereby improving work attitude and student outcomes.