Effect of Personal Characteristics on Intentions to Turnover among Secondary School Teachers in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

In school teachers play important role for the efficiency and performance of their institutions. Efficient teachers have been found to be highly committed, motivated and stable in their tenure. However, reports by Education International and Kenya National Union of Teachers established that a high percentage of teachers employed by the government in public schools would want to leave the profession. The trend is worrying and a threat to the teaching profession. It was therefore necessary to establish whether the findings apply to Nakuru County among secondary school teachers and establish whether the teachers' personal characteristics influence teachers' intentions to turnover. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine the effect selected personal characteristics on intentions to turnover among teachers in Nakuru County, Kenya. This study used a cross sectional survey design. A sample of 358 Teachers Service Commission public secondary school teachers was drawn from the target population of 3452 Public Secondary school teachers and a sample of 77 schools was drawn from 325 schools in nine (9) Sub counties in Nakuru County. Using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics which included percentages, means and standard deviation and inferential statistics which included Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient and ANOVA at statistical significance of 0.05. The findings showed that selected personal characteristics have an effect on turnover intentions of teachers. The results of the study yielded crucial information that may inform the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission, policy makers, board of management and school top managers on important measures to take in order to reduce turn over intentions and eventual turnover among teachers.