A Comparative Analysis of Remuneration Levels and Job Satisfaction Rates among Public and Private Day Primary School Teachers in Mbeere North, Kenya

Abstract

The sustainability of educational quality is fundamentally contingent upon the psychological well-being and professional contentment of the teaching workforce. This study sought to establish the relationship between remuneration and job satisfaction among public and private day primary school teachers in Mbeere North Sub-county, Embu County, Kenya. Grounded in Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Adam’s Equity Theory, the research adopted a descriptive survey design. A sample of 126 respondents was analyzed, representing an 89% response rate. Analysis was executed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation via SPSS version 26. The empirical findings revealed a stark contrast between school categories: in public schools, the relationship between remuneration and job satisfaction was weak and statistically insignificant (r = -0.109, p > 0.05), whereas in private schools, a strong and statistically significant positive relationship was observed (r = 0.599, p < 0.05). The study concludes that while remuneration is a critical motivator in private institutions, it does not significantly drive satisfaction in public schools under current structures. It is recommended that stakeholders re-evaluate compensation frameworks to align with contemporary economic indicators.