ABSTRACT
In this study teacher retention is considered to enlingten different stakeholders on strategies that can be adopted to retain teachers in schools. Teachers play a crucial role in education, providing instruction and guidance to ensure student-learning and holistic development.The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of school environment which includes (work conditions, benefits, management style, Professional progression) on teacher retention in Early Childhood Development Centres Nyatike Zone, in Migori County. The study was based on Bronfenbrenner´s theory of ecological development which has been one of the most applied and used theories in assessment of early childhood education. The theory proposes that a child’s development is affected by their social relationships and the world around them which includes teachers. Bronfenbrenner believed that a person’s development was affected by everything in their surrounding environment. The study adopted descriptive research design and was carried out in both public and private Preschools. The target population was preschool teachers teaching in Nyatike Sub-County which was used to evaluate and report the current state of ECD teacher retention. A sample of 68 respondents was selected from the study population of 206 Preschool teachers and Preschool head teachers, using cluster sampling where each ECD center was taken as a cluster. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used for data collection. A pilot study was done to establish the reliability and validity of the research instruments. Statistical Package for Social Scientistists (SPSS) was used to generate descriptive statistics and the findings was presented using tables. The study found out that teachers who were assured of their job security can also respond by giving their all in terms of what it takes to ensure conducive educational climate which is necessary for their retention in early childhood development centres. Majority of the teachers indicated that they liked teaching because they were trained to teach and therefore were satisfied with the profession. The study further established that there is a need to find ways of retaining the teachers in the proffesion as this will assist to reduce the expenses of recruiting new teachers. The study concluded that workload remains the most important factor influencing teachers’ decision to leave the profesion. In addition, teachers liked teaching because they were trained to teach, they were satisfied with the profession because that is where they were earning their living and that teaching proffesion gave them time to do other things. A sustainable working environment that fosters engagement is attractive to potential employees, best school leaders foster a culture of contious improvement, promotes professional development characterized by collaborative relationships among teachers and if this is not adhered to, will enhance teacher retention in schools. The study made the following recommendations: school administrations to be meeting regularly with teachers in their respective schools to discuss ways in which they can be successful and ways that can enhance their career progression as a motivation to stay in their schools. Recruitment of sufficient number of preschool teachers is necessary to ensure adequate in the school in the Sub-County. The County Government should also improve rewarding system for preschool teachers in order to motivate them and boost their performance.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT TO THE STUDY
Introduction
This chapter entails background of the study, problem necessitating the study, the purpose of the study, the objectives and research questions significance of the study. The chapter also focus on the limitation and delimitations, theoretical and conceptual framework and operational definition of terms.
Background of the Study
Teaching is about engagement, about getting a child to love to learn. Children will always work hard for a teacher they respect even if they demand more and insist on discipline and high academic standards .When teachers are not retained due to working conditions or poor pay then children’s performance deteriorates. In this study teacher retention is considered to include all those teachers who choose to stay in the profession despite the many challenges that face teaching in this day and age.
Not only have changing economic and social patterns resulted in children entering early childhood school settings at an earlier age, but studies have highlighted that learning in the early ages of life significantly impacts on later development and behaviour in society matters (Mustard & McCain 1999). Less effort however seems to be directed towards working conditions in schools which is a primary focus of why teachers leave the profession.
In the United States, a policy framework that can create a coherent infrastructure of recruitment together with support programs is lacking (Haselkorn, & Fideler, 1999) which could connect all aspects of teachers’ development systems that are linked to national and local educational goals. Recent report released by researchers Bame (1991), Borman and Dowling (2008) show that orientation programs that have effective and proper mentoring processes in the very early years of teaching may translate to teacher retention as well as lead to pupils and students achieving success in their academics. In addition, this helps to minimise on wastage of resources due to teacher attrition. Putting this into practice will ensure that teachers remain in the profession for a long time.
Teacher turnover is high in the first world countries like in Europe and the United States of America (USA). For example, various studies show that in USA, teacher shortages are high in many states as a result of turnover rates (Baker & Smith, 1997). In addition to this Hanushek, (2004) reports that in the USA 16% to 20% of the teachers chose to leave their schools that year due to unfavourable school environment. A report by Santiago and Mackenzi (2005), states that teacher turnover was a national crisis in Britain.
Internationally, more and more children are attending informal and formal early childhood settings at an earlier age. In Europe up to 50% of all 4 year olds attend educational centres with a trained teacher, and in countries such as Belgium, France and Italy, over 90% of 3 year olds have access to some form of pre-primary education (Fleer, 2000).
In Great Britain, the government established the importance of children’s early years of development and the requirement for quality care givers in a 1990 report titled Starting
with Quality (Miller, 2002). Several reports and studies followed, including “The Effective Early Learning Project from 1993 to 1997” (Pascal & Bertram, 1997), which concentrated on developing care givers planning and reflection practices to raise the quality of early learning in young children.
In Africa, Early Childhood Development has received equal attention as evident by: African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child (Organization of African Unity, 1990) and the Government of Kenya (Republic of Kenya, 1998) recognizes the right of every child to quality living standards adequate with “its physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development”. This implies that gurdians should give adequate and appropriate care to children, since inadequate development that occur at this stage are hard to reverse.
However as compared to the West African countries face greater challenges in efficient implementation and development of early childhood programs due to relatively lower economic power (Cobbold, 2007). For instance in Kenya, studies Ngome (2002), Ng’asike (2004) have revealed that most centers lack the necessary facilities, equipment and materials which would have promoted teacher motivation and general development of children. Furthermore, preschools especially those located within full school compounds were much worse than their primary counterparts in terms of provision and appropriateness of facilities, Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST,1999).
According to Ngome (2002), most public preschool centers have unfriendly learning and working conditions characterized by lack of windows, semi structured buildings built of
mostly mud, wood or iron sheets acting as classrooms. In such classroom environment, high temperatures are experienced almost all day while ventilation is inadequate with dust being a problem distracting the children. Most of these classrooms are also congested (Ng’asike, 2004). Ngala and Begi (2017) conducted a study to explore the school related factors influencing teacher attrition in pre-primary schools in Kengeleni zone in Mombasa County. They established that teacher attrition existed in preprimary schools in the zone and it was caused by many school related factors, including poor school management, inadequate school facilities and administrative support. All the highlighted factors Ngala and Begi (2017) contribute to teacher attrition but some teachers still stay in the profession despite the outlined challenges. It is on this basis that the researcher conducted this study to find out the influence of school climate on teacher retention in Nyatike zone, in Migori County, Kenya.
Statement of the Problem
From the foregoing background, it is evident that there are several challenges regarding teachers retention in schools. Hanushek, (2004) reports that in the USA 16% to 20% of the teachers chose to leave their schools that year due to unfavourable school environment. A report by Santiago and Mackenzi (2005), states that teacher turnover was a national crisis in Britain. These challenges also affect the learnings in schools due teacher shortages in many states as a result of turnover rates. Research done in developed countries Borman and Dowling (2008) has shown that orientation programs that have effective and proper mentoring processes in the very early years of teaching, may translate to teacher retention as well as lead to pupils and students achieving success in their academics. Locally researchers Ngome (2002) have looked at most public preschool
centers as having unfriendly learning and poor working conditions, Ngala and Begi (2017) explored the school related factors influencing teacher attrition in pre-primary schools. All these affecting the learning in pre-primary schools. The central problem and the gaps of the study is that in the current educational environment, there have been reports of various incidents including: job discontentment, stress, fatigue, and change of profession being rampant affecting teacher retention. Teachers play a crucial role in education, providing instruction and guidance to ensure student-learning and holistic development. Teachers also play a very important role in the successful execution of educational change and reforms; setting educational policies and strategies into test (Hargreaves & Evans, 1997). It is with this connection that the researcher sought to establish the influence of school climate on Teacher retention in Early childhood Development Centres in Nyatike, Migori County, Kenya.
