Perceived Factors Influencing Turnover of Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi County

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the perceived factors influencing turnover of teachers in public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study adopted crosssectional research design. The population of the study consisted of all teachers’ in public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The population of the study was categorized into Districts and stratified sampling was used in which a sample comprised of 10% from each strata of the target population and this resulted in a sample of 189 teachers. The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences and the findings presented in mean and standard deviations. The study found out that turnover in the public secondary schools was high and that rewards, training and development, career advancement, demographic factors and human resource policy influenced teachers’ turnover while working conditions and management style did not influence the turnover. The rewards being offered to the teachers were found to influence turnover as they did not encourage teachers to stay, comparable with what the market offers and that retirement benefit scheme and medical scheme offered to the teachers were incomparable to what is in the market. The findings of the study indicate that training and development influenced turnover in the schools as there is no sufficient time and money allocated for training, the schools do not release teachers to attend training and even sponsor them where possible, there is no well organized training program in the schools, teachers do not receive adequate training and information to do their job well and that training and development plans were developed and monitored for all teachers. Teachers were found to be dissatisfied with career advancement as promotion was not held regularly, based on ability, unfavorable and schools lacking promotion policies. The study concluded that for performance of public secondary schools to be improved, factors causing teachers turnover should be critically examined and proper analysis done. The researcher suggested an investigative study on factors leading to turnover of teachers. The study recommended that Teachers’ Service Commission should change its human resource management practice and style. Also the government through Teachers’ Service Commission should revise the remunerations of teachers in the public schools. This will go a long way in motivating teachers which will in turn reduce turnover of teachers in these schools.