JOB SATISFACTION AS A DETERMINANT OF GOAL ACHIEVEMENT IN PRIVATE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Highly qualified and competent lecturers are essential for the effective functioning and goal attainment of colleges of education in Nigeria. Thus, this study examined job satisfaction as a predictor of goal attainment in private colleges of education in Southwest Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised lecturers and primary and post-primary school heads in private colleges of education in Southwest Nigeria. Using purposive sampling, three states Lagos, Oyo, and Osun were selected from the zone. The states were selected due to their concentration of private colleges of education and relevance to the study. Furthermore, ten out of the twenty-five private colleges of education in the sampled states were selected purposively. These colleges were selected because they were established before 2021 and were considered capable of providing relevant data for the study. Using purposive sampling, 175 lecturers and 220 primary and post-primary school heads were selected based on their administrative and supervisory roles relevant to goal attainment. Data were collected using the Goal Achievement Questionnaire (GAQ) and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ). The hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Statistics at the .05 level of significance. The findings revealed a strong correlation between goal achievement and job satisfaction, alongside a generally low level of job satisfaction among lecturers. Based on the findings, private college administrators should develop effective strategies to retain skilled lecturers and enhance their job security.