Thesis:

Influence of professional advancement dynamics on Teacher attrition in public secondary Schools in Mombasa county, Kenya

The study focused on analyzing the influence of professional advancement dynamics on teacher attrition in public secondary schools in the Mombasa County. The study objectives were; to examine the influence of multiple career paths on teacher attrition in public secondary schools; to establish whether there is a practical influence of vertical professional development on teacher attrition in public secondary schools; to establish whether there is a practical influence of horizontal advancement on teacher attrition in public secondary schools; to analyze the influence of professional advancement labour market opportunities on teacher attrition in public secondary schools and to examine the influence of professional advancement deployment policy on teacher attrition in public secondary schools in Mombasa County, in Kenya. The study was guided by the Human Capital theory, the Burnout theory, and the Appeal Theory. The study used the mixed research methodology and the con-current triangulation design. The target population involved 1,544 respondents comprising of 1,487 secondary school teachers, 45 principals, 6 TSC human resource officers and 6 education officers in public secondary schools from the coastal region. The sample size involved 11 principals, 225 teachers, 3 TSC HRO’s and 4 education officers. This study used simple random sampling to select teachers, deputy principals, and education officers and purposive sampling to select principals according to their gender. Stratified random sampling was used to select the various public secondary schools from their strata. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. Piloting of instruments was done in Kilifi County due to its close proximity to the study locale. Validity of the instruments was established through expert advice and review by supervisors, while reliability was established using the test-retest technique. To enhance credibility, the study used triangulation where individual interviews were used. Dependability was established by ensuring that the instruments are precise and accurate and can be replicated overtime on a similar group in a similar context and produces the same results. Data collected was fed into the computer, sorted and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics was analyzed by percentages and frequencies, presented in tables and charts, while inferential statistics was analyzed using linear regressions, and presented in tables and graphs. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented in narrative form. The study revealed that income, high academic qualification, lack of retention policies, job mobility and labor market opportunities influenced attrition of teachers in public secondary schools. The study concludes that improved income and terms of service, regular promotions, stoppage of delocalization policy and acknowledging high academic qualifications attained by teachers are key towards managing attrition of teachers. The study recommends the need for TSC to improve its remunerations and terms of service, review and reduce the levels within the job groups, stop delocalization of teachers and acknowledge higher academic qualifications acquired by teachers if it has to continue attracting new employees and retaining its current employees who are in service.