Views of principals, teachers and learners regarding factors contributing to teacher absenteeism in selected junior secondary schools in Windhoek, Namibia
This study examined the views of principals, teachers and learners regarding contributing factors to teacher absenteeism in selected junior secondary schools in Windhoek. The following areas guided research questions of the study: Perceived factors contributing to teacher absenteeism; effects of teacher absenteeism on teaching and learning; and strategies used to mitigate teacher absenteeism. A mixed method research approach was adopted. A stratified random sampling technique was used to identify 6 schools from Windhoek and a purposeful sampling was employed to select participants comprised of six (6) principals, twelve (12) grade ten teachers, and thirty three (33) learners. Semi-structured questionnaires for principals and teachers, and learners were used. Responses from qualitative data (open-ended questions) were analysed using content and cross case analyses, while quantitative data from structured questions were prepared for digital entry, cleaning and analysed using the Statistic Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Frequencies and statistics of Chi-square were used to test the effects of various demographic variables. The findings revealed that teacher absenteeism was prevalent during the time teachers who were studying were writing examinations at institutions of higher learning and winter periods due to ill-health. Further, it was revealed that leading causes of teacher absenteeism were lack of teachers’ commitment and poor school management. Apart from teachers’ unpaid leave, and incentives in the form of improved salaries as mitigating strategies, participants were not aware of other alternative measures for addressing teacher absenteeism in schools. In addition, participants identified, among others, learner indiscipline, failure for teachers to complete the syllabus on time and subsequently, poor academic performance as impacts of teacher absenteeism. Based on the findings, the study made several recommendations to various stakeholders namely, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, School Principals, Teachers and Learners. For the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, in particular, the study among others recommended the implementation of a substitute teacher system to ensure that absent teachers are replaced at the earliest possible time and help limiting the interruption of the teaching and learning time as planned in the school calendar. The study furthermore, recommended the provision of workshops, in-service training and seminars to principals and teachers for enhancing their professional ethics. In addition, it recommended that schools should put mechanisms in place to motivate learners to improve their school attendance. The study also identified the need for further research in this area, particularly at the national level and on the effectiveness of the existing measures to mitigate teachers’ absenteeism in schools.
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