Status of Teacher Turnover in Selected Secondary Schools in Bugangaizi County West, Kakumiro District, Uganda

Abstract

Teacher turnover could have a negative effect on students’ academic achievement, and teaching workload. The aim of this paper was to investigate the status teacher turnover in selected secondary schools in Bugangaizi County West, Kakumiro District, Uganda. The target population was 19 secondary school headteachers while 14 headteachers was used as the sample size. Data was collected using document analysis and interview guides. The instruments were tested to see if the questions were relevant, clear and unambiguous. Research experts who had content in the area under investigation were consulted and their comments used to improve the questions in the interview guide as a way of ensuring face validity. For quantitative data obtained, they were first edited for completeness, coded and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 20.1. The data was tabulated to generate descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was organized, interpreted, patterns in the data identified, data patterns related to research themes. Some important prepositions from the participants was quoted verbatim in the appropriate sections of the discussion. The data was finally used as a basis for informed and verifiable conclusions. The paper found out that teacher turnover was an issue in many schools. Majority of head teachers openly reported that some teachers quit teaching from their schools either for green pastures or to other professions. The study concluded that there was low teacher turnover of 4.7% that is approximately 11 teachers per year. The paper recommended that Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda should put in place a system that captures the statistics of teacher turnover and make right decision through replacements.

Keywords: Teachers; Turnover; Status; Secondary; Schools

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-33-09

Publication date: November 30^th 2022