An investigation into teacher job satisfaction in selected secondary schools in the Khomas Education Region, Namibia

The global demand for qualified teachers has prompted much research regarding the reduction of teacher turnover and attrition. This study employed a sequential, mixed method approach, administering a questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews. Participant responses to the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaires (MSQ) were analysed to determine the general level of satisfaction among secondary school teachers in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Furthermore, the MSQ assessed which of its 20 sub-categories caused the most dissatisfaction among teachers. Satisfaction scores derived from the data analysis of the MSQ were compared to biographical markers of the participants, such as age, gender, culture, level of education, years of experience and type of school. Participating schools were selected by means of stratified random sampling, and interview participants were selected based on their general satisfaction scores on the MSQ. Interview data were interpreted through thematic content analysis and triangulated with the questionnaire findings. It was found that teachers in the Khomas Education Region were generally "satisfied" to "very satisfied" with their jobs. Teachers were found to be more dissatisfied with categories, such as compensation, advancement, company policies and practices, social status and authority. No statistically significant differences could be established between satisfaction and age, culture or gender. Furthermore, it was established that, while staff members at rural government schools were generally more satisfied than those at urban government schools and private schools, such differences were not statistically significant. The interviews indicated that funding for education was problematic in the Khomas Education Region, while specifically teachers from government schools cited a lack of learning materials and teaching resources as a source of frustration; private school teachers confirmed that there was much room for improvement. Furthermore, the participants iterated that the social standing of a teacher, coupled with an inadequate salary, was the cause of much of the disengagement ofteachers

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Namibia

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Ulrich, Jessica

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mostert ML

• Qualified teachers
• Teacher turnover and attrition
• Secondary schools
• Job satisfaction

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/4024

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/4024