Teacher competence, emotional competencies, occupational stress and turnover intentions among secondary school teachers in Central Uganda
Abstract
Description
http://dspace3.mak.ac.ug/xmlui/handle/20.500.12282/172/submit/237d2037334330683a137771366e318c69661e88.continueA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Masters Business Administration Degree of Makerere University.
This research was carried out against the background that Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education in Uganda have aggravated overcrowding of students in secondary schools without corresponding increase in number of teachers, facilities and sensitization of teachers in the competencies needed to handle the large numbers. This has placed enormous stress on the teachers, leading to incompetence and adverse reactions that promote desire to quit the job. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationships between Teacher Competence, Emotional Competencies, Occupational Stress and Turnover Intentions. A sample of 250 teachers was given structured questionnaires containing open-ended as well as close-ended questions concerning the above-mentioned study variables. It was selected using stratified sampling that utilized convenience sampling within each stratum. The data obtained were analysed using the computer program SPSS for Windows. The methods of analysis employed were cross tabulations, correlations, regression, analysis of variance and a t-test. The analysis found a strong positive correlation between Emotional Competencies and Teacher Competence, as well as a strong positive relationship between Occupational Stress and Turnover Intentions. These findings highlight the need to use a competency-based system of recruitment, teach coping strategies to reduce stress, improve teachers’ work as well as non-work environments, provide adequate academic facilities and teaching materials, and reduce the student-teacher ratio in order to decrease stress and curb turnover.
This research was carried out against the background that Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education in Uganda have aggravated overcrowding of students in secondary schools without corresponding increase in number of teachers, facilities and sensitization of teachers in the competencies needed to handle the large numbers. This has placed enormous stress on the teachers, leading to incompetence and adverse reactions that promote desire to quit the job. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationships between Teacher Competence, Emotional Competencies, Occupational Stress and Turnover Intentions. A sample of 250 teachers was given structured questionnaires containing open-ended as well as close-ended questions concerning the above-mentioned study variables. It was selected using stratified sampling that utilized convenience sampling within each stratum. The data obtained were analysed using the computer program SPSS for Windows. The methods of analysis employed were cross tabulations, correlations, regression, analysis of variance and a t-test. The analysis found a strong positive correlation between Emotional Competencies and Teacher Competence, as well as a strong positive relationship between Occupational Stress and Turnover Intentions. These findings highlight the need to use a competency-based system of recruitment, teach coping strategies to reduce stress, improve teachers’ work as well as non-work environments, provide adequate academic facilities and teaching materials, and reduce the student-teacher ratio in order to decrease stress and curb turnover.
Keywords
Universal Primary Education, Universal Secondary Education, Teacher competence, Occupational stress, Teacher turnover, Secondary schools, Teachers