Impact Of Job Satisfaction On Turnover Intentions Among Teachers In Public Secondary Schools In Gatanga District, Murang’a County, Kenya

ABSTRACT The role of a teacher in determining the quality of education that a student receives in school cannot be overemphasized. However, a large number of teachers in the country are exiting the teaching profession for various reasons other natural attrition. The nation is thus facing a serious shortage of teachers as indicated in various media reports and government statistical records. Studies have also shown that relatively young teachers quit teaching within five years of employment. The main objective of the study is to examine critically the impact of job satisfaction on turnover intentions among teachers in public secondary schools in Gatanga District in Murang’a County, Kenya. This study also investigates the effects of some organizational factors in various schools that might have an effect on teacher turnover levels and in turn cause staffing problems of schools. The study also explores the significant differences in levels of teacher turnover intentions at different types of schools. The study has been guided by Hertzberg’s two – factor theory (1959) which also forms the basis of its theoretical and conceptual framework. The study used a sample of 145 randomly selected teachers from 60 public secondary schools in Gatanga District. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A research instrument titled Teachers job satisfaction and turnover intentions questionnaire (TJSTIQ) was used to gather data for the study. The instrument reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha reliability co-efficient. A Cronbach’s Alpha of .771 was derived from the data collected through the piloted instrument. The instrument was thus considered reliable for the study. Instrument validity was established through consultation with lecturersfromthe School of Education at Kenyatta University. The data obtained was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 for easy interpretation. The study established that most teachers in the district were not satisfied with most aspects of their work and were thus planning to quit teaching. Inadequate compensation was identified as the main reason for their intention to quit. Those planning to transfer from current schools cited dissatisfaction with type of leadership and motivation strategies adopted in their schools. The study recommends that the government should adopt policies aimed at retaining teachers in the classroom while school managers need to be well equipped with skills that can help instill intrinsic motivation to avoid unnecessary transfers. It is hoped that the findings of the study might have an important implication for both theory and policy concerning school staffing problems. It is also hoped that the findings of the study will inform the government and school administrators of the various ways they can use to enhance job satisfaction, improve retention and thus deal with perennial teacher shortages.