Authors:
Kumbirayi Fundira, Vinnaras Nithyanantham
Addresses:
Department of Education, DMI St. Eugene University, Chibombo, Zambia, kumbirayifundira2@gmail.com. Department of Education, School of Doctoral Studies, UNICAF, Cyprus, v.nithyanantham@unicaf.faculty.org.
Abstract:
Motivation and job satisfaction are crucial for effective school management. Concerns about the increasing demotivation of primary mathematics teachers in Malawi have been linked to declining teacher performance and learning outcomes. This study assessed the impact of job satisfaction on the retention of primary mathematics teachers in Malawi’s Central Region. Using a pragmatic epistemology, the research employed a mixed-method design, utilizing a Job Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire (JSSQ) and structured interviews to obtain reliable results. The JSSQ surveyed 50 teachers from 10 primary schools about their job satisfaction, followed by structured interviews to explore the causes of teacher retention issues. The findings revealed that most teachers were dissatisfied with their salaries, poor accommodation, the declining status of the teaching profession, poor working conditions, and workload, leading to an intention to leave the profession. Despite these challenges, respondents expressed high satisfaction with their administration, District Managers, teacher educators, school heads, and inspectors, who play a significant role in teacher retention.
Keywords: Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS); Job Descriptive Index (JDI); Minnesota Questionnaire (MSQ); Support from Administration (SA); Data Interpretation; Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST).
Received: 12/12/2023, Revised: 03/02/2024, Accepted: 04/03/2024, Published: 01/06/2024
AVE Trends in Intelligent Techno Learning, 2024 Vol. 1 No. 1 , Pages: 35-46