Managerial Practices Influencing Teacher Turnover Intentions in Public Secondary Schools in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya

Abstract

The human resource is the most critical resource in an organisation. An efficient human capital development depends on the quality and effectiveness of the teachers. The quality of doctors, engineers, lawyers, accountants and all other professionals depend on how well the teachers prepared them for their respective roles in the society. The teachers are the most important resource in the attainment of predetermined goals of the education sector. Teacher turnover intention is a major challenge facing the education sector globally. Studies done on managerial practices influencing teacher turnover intention mostly feature in the developed countries with a few in the African contexts with inconsistent findings. Empirical evidence exists in other regions on the variables under consideration; however, no similar study has been identified in Taita-Taveta County. The study explored influence of training on teacher turnover intentions in public secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya to extend knowledge and literature in the Kenyan context. The study objective was; to determine how training influences teacher turnover intentions in public secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya. The researcher adopted explanatory research design. The study targeted 1,380 participants comprising 89 principals and 1,291teachers across 89 public secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County. The researcher employed stratified and simple random sampling techniques to select sample population for the study. The researcher used proportional sampling technique to determine the sample size for the study. The sample consisted of 287 participants across 40 public secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County, comprising 40 principals and 247 teachers. The researcher administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews to teachers and principals respectively. The validity of the research instruments was on the basis of content validity through expert judgement. The reliability of the research instruments was on the basis of deriving and adapting items developed by other researchers. Furthermore, Cronbach’s Alpha formula was adopted to assess the extent individual items correlated with each other on the questionnaire items and an aggregate Alpha Coefficient Value of 0.77 was obtained. The researcher used descriptive statistics to analyse responses of teachers to questionnaire items based on Likert scale. The researcher employed Chi-square, Pearson product moment correlation, Multiple linear regression and Analysis of Variance for the hypothesis testing at 95% confidence interval. The researcher employed thematic analysis technique to analyse in-depth interviews and presentation with regard to thematic narratives. The study found a statistical significance of the attributes of training in influencing teacher turnover intentions in order of magnitude showed that; TSC offers mentorship programmes to address identified knowledge gaps among teachers (β = 0.009, p = 0.919 > 0.05), TSC has a clear and well-defined re-tooling programme to enhance expertise among teachers (β = 0.015, p = 0.872 > 0.05), TSC offers mandatory in-service re-tooling programmes to all teachers yearly (β = - 0.042, p = 0.640 > 0.05), TSC offers scholarships to enable teachers to go for further education (β = - 0.045, p = 0.614 > 0.05), teachers undergo re-tooling programmes relevant to the work environment (β = 0.072, p = 0.437 > 0.05), TSC finances fully induction programmes to enhance expertise among teachers (β = 0.085, p = 0.353 > 0.05) and the least, re-tooling of teachers is a core component of job description (β = - 0.094, p = 0.247 > 0.05). The study concluded that training and essentially TSC offers mentorship programmes to address identified knowledge gaps among teachers (β = 0.009, p = 0.919 > 0.05) has significant influence on teacher turnover intentions in public secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya. The study recommended that TSC needs to identify and appoint key resource personnel to conduct regularly mentorship programmes to address identified knowledge gaps among teachers from school level to national level with established implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.