Does Tenure Influence Teaching Performance?

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether tenure influences the teaching performance of selected tenured faculty members of a state university unit in Pampanga. According to the paired-samples t-test, the difference in the mean semesterly Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) scores before and after tenure was not significant. This result suggests that tenure does not influence teaching performance as measured by the mean semesterly SET scores. This is because tenure and job security are safety needs which once gained, will no longer motivate faculty members. They are also considered as hygiene factors which only keep faculty members from being dissatisfied with their teaching job. To keep faculty members motivated, they ought to have motivators, particularly recognition and promotion to higher ranks. The result is additionally explained by the fact that the SET is currently being used in the state university unit in Pampanga only as a stick, whereas in the other constituent units of the university system, it is also used as a carrot. The study recommends: (1) recognizing superior teaching performance through the awarding of certificates of recognition; (2) recognizing success in publishing articles in peer-reviewed or refereed journals through congratulatory messages on bulletin boards, in websites, and in social media accounts; and (3) lightening the workload of faculty members appointed to administrative positions to enable them to pursue a doctoral degree, conduct research, and perform extension activities.