Factors Contributing to Teacher Attrition in Senior High Schools in the Tano South and North Municipalities, Ghana (Published)
This study explored the factors contributing to teacher attrition in public senior high schools in the Tano South and North Municipalities in the Ahafo Region, Ghana. The concurrent mixed method research design was adopted for the study. Four schools were selected for the study using purposive sampling method. The teacher population of the schools was 300. Stratified and simple random sampling methods were also employed to select the sample of 120 teachers for the quantitative study and 12 headmasters were purposely selected to collect the qualitative data for the study. That meant that the instrument used for the study were questionnaire and unstructured interview guide. Means and standard deviations were used to analyse the quantitative data while verbatim responses of the interviews were used to analyse the qualitative data. The major external factors that contributed to teacher attrition were low salary, inadequate support from administration and high workloads. Again, job dissatisfaction, pursuit of alternative careers and family issues were the internal factors that contributed to teacher attrition. The study also revealed that, teacher attrition affects the quality of education delivery: negative impact on students’ performance, loss of instructional time and difficulty in finding experienced and qualified teachers. The researchers therefore recommend that salaries of teachers should be improved to retain them in the teaching profession. Again, heads of Senior High Schools should make sure they provide teaching and learning materials and textbooks to teachers for them to enjoy their lessons in the classroom.
Keywords: Job Dissatisfaction, Quality Education, Teacher attrition, low salary
Shared Strategic Vision in Participative Leadership Style and Quality Education Provision in Public Secondary Schools in Arusha Region, Tanzania (Published)
This study examined the influence of shared strategic vision in participative leadership style on improving the quality of education in public secondary schools in Arusha region, Tanzania. Correlation survey design under quantitative approach was adopted to establish the influence of shared strategic vision on improving the quality of education. Data was collected from 291 respondents, comprising district education officers, heads of schools, academic masters/mistresses, students’ leaders, and teachers. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the analysis revealed that shared strategic vision is a vital approach of participative leadership style that enabled the involvement of teachers in preparing a detailed school calendar system to guide teaching and learning activities for facilitating students’ achievements, provides conducive environment for motivating teachers through timely rewards systems, facilitates the sustainable implementation of education goals by ensuring that teaching strategies are guided by clear objectives for improving quality education, facilitates effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning process for ensuring regular and early report of students’ academic progress, increases teachers’ commitment and efficiency to the attainment of students’ performance especially in lesson preparation and syllabus completion. The study concluded that teacher and students’ leaders are mainly implementers of the strategic vision rather than designers and thus affect the provision of quality of education. The study recommended the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to develop a clear policy and increase efforts in training and retraining headmasters/mistresses on the proper delegation of responsibility for improving the quality of education in public secondary schools.
Keywords: Arusha, Participative leadership style, Quality Education, shared strategic vision
Quality Enhancement in Teaching Using Self-Assessment Strategies: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the Zambezi Region of Namibia (Published)
This qualitative study explored how self-assessment strategies can be used to enhance quality education in schools. Purposefully sampled school principals and heads of department (HoDs) of five combined schools in the region participated in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the five participating school principals while the HoDs were engaged in a focus group interview. This study revealed that schools have common understandings of quality and quality education. The study revealed that the use of a single type of teacher self-evaluation (TSE) deprives innovative teachers from initiating and exploring other viable self-assessment strategies. Therefore, this study recommends a creative application of alternative self-assessment strategies in order to enhance the quality of education in selected schools in the Zambezi Region of Namibia.
Keywords: Continuous Professional Development, Quality Education, Self-assessment, quality education enhancement, self-assessment strategies, teacher effectiveness
Contribution of School-Based Income Generating Activities in Quality Education Provision in Secondary Schools Managed by the Catholic Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania (Published)
The purpose of this study was to find out the contribution of school-based income generating activities (IGAs) in quality education provision in secondary schools managed by the Catholic Diocese of Moshi (CDM). This study was conducted in October, 2017 in 12 secondary schools managed by the CDM comprising 8 co-education, 2 girls and 2 boys’ secondary schools. The study adopted a quantitative approach under a cross-sectional survey research design. A sample size of 252 respondents was selected to be part of this study; this included a total of 168 Students and 72 Teachers using stratified and simple random sampling. The study also automatically involved 12 Heads of schools. Data was collected through self-administering Questionnaires to the Heads of schools, Teachers and Students; and Document Analysis Schedule for examine Form Four National Examination results from secondary schools selected as a sample of the study. The data obtained was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 14, into percentages and frequencies; and presented by using tables. The results of this study indicated that; crops, vegetable and poultry farming were the main school-based IGAs in secondary schools managed by the CDM; provision of teaching and learning materials as the most contribution of school-based IGAs to the secondary schools managed by the CDM; lack of entrepreneurship skills among the school-based IGAs stakeholders was the main challenge affecting Heads of Schools in management of school-based IGAs in secondary schools managed by the CDM; and finally a suggestion of creation of awareness and cooperation’s among the school-based IGAs stakeholders were the main possible solution to challenges facing Heads of Schools in management of school-based IGAs in the secondary schools managed by the CDM. This study concluded that school-based IGAs are very useful alternative ways of producing additional funds as they enable secondary schools managed by the CDM to solve financial problems. The study recommended that; Heads of Schools, Teachers and Students should be given special entrepreneurship training on transparence and accountability before the design and implementation of any school-based IGAs in secondary schools managed by the CDM.
Keywords: Education Sector, Income Generating, Quality Education, Secondary Schools, Tanzania