Influence of Motivation in Predicting Lecturers’ Retention in Colleges of Education in Bauchi State, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of motivation in predicting lecturers’ retention in Colleges of Education in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study consisted of all the lecturers from Colleges of Education in Bauchi State, Nigeria. A sample of 50 lecturers was drawn from the population through the process of simple random sampling technique. Three objectives, three research questions and three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Data collection was carried out with the use of research instruments titled “Motivation and “Lecturers’ Retention Questionnaire (MLRQ)”. The reliability index was 0.71. These figures confirmed that the instruments were reliable in achieving the objectives of the study. The mean, standard deviation and simple linear regression was used to test the research questions and hypotheses respectively generated for the study at 0.05 alpha levels. The results indicate that substantive enhancement in motivation level may yield a correspondingly improvement in lecturers’ retention rate. The findings revealed among others that promotion significantly predict lecturers’ retention. Also, the results of the study revealed that salary significantly predicts lecturers’ retention. Moreover, the results showed that self-efficacy significantly predict lecturers’ retention. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that government, colleges’ authorities, education regulatory bodies and all stakeholders in the academia should pay increasing attention to the motivation of academic staff in order to boost their retention rate thereby enhancing high productivity. These results were discussed in relation to previous findings of similar studies and recommendations were also proffered.