Extensiveness of Professional Development Opportunities by Heads of Schools in Enhancing Teachers’ Retention in Public Secondary Schools in Kilwa District Tanzania
Downloads
This study investigated the extensiveness of professional development provided by heads of schools in enhancing teachers’ retention in public secondary schools in Kilwa District, Tanzania. The study was guided by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, found by Frederick Herzberg in 1959. This study adopted a convergent design under a mixed methods approach. The target population of the study was 30 public secondary schools in Kilwa District, involving 386 teachers, 30 Heads of Schools (HoS), 1 District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO), 1 Assistance Secretary of Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and 1 District Executive Director (DED). The study employed probability and non-probability sampling techniques, including purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The sample size consisted of 10 secondary schools, 116 teachers, 10 HoS, 1 DSEO, 1 TSC, and 1 DED, making a total number of 126 respondents. Research instruments included questionnaires, interview guides, and document analysis guide. The validity of qualitative instruments was ensured by research experts from Educational Planning and Administration from MWECAU and reliability for quantitative instruments Cronbach's Alpha technique was used to determine the internal consistency of the items, whereby coefficient for teacher’s questionnaire was 0.896. Data were analysed through frequencies, percentages, and means for Quantitative and through thematic analysis for Qualitative. The study revealed that professional development opportunities such as mentorship programs, in-service training, workshops, and collaborative learning opportunities are implemented by Head of Schools to a high extent in most schools in Kilwa District. The study concluded that Head of Schools provide Professional development opportunities such as regular training, mentorship career development support and indoor training which enhance teacher retention in public secondary schools in Kilwa district. Government through DED should ensure that teachers who actively engage in professional development are recognized and rewarded through promotions, salary increments, or other incentives to encourage long-term retention.
Downloads
1. Akinyemi, A., & Olaniyan, T. (2021). Teacher retention and professional development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and solutions. African Journal of Education, 10(2), 45–60.
2. Banda, K., & Moyo. (2022). The impact of professional development on teacher retention in South Africa and Nigeria. 15(1), 33–50.
3. Boone, H. N., & Boone, D. A. (2012). Analyzing Likert data. Journal of Extension, 50(2). https://www.joe.org/joe/2012april/tt2.php
4. Creswell, J., & Clark, V. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Research Methods. 3rd Edition. Sage Publication.
5. Jones, P., & Smith, R. (2022). The impact of continuous professional development on teacher retention in the UK. European Journal of Education Studies, 14(3), 55–78.
6. Juma, H. (2023). Teacher attrition and community response in Kilwa District: A case study. Tanzanian Journal of Education and Development, 9(2), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjed.v9i2.7
7. Kagwanja, P., & Nyaga, R. (2023). Teacher retention challenges in East Africa: An overview. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(1), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.2144/eajess.2023.050102
8. Kim, H. (2021). Mentorship and teacher retention in South Korea: A policy perspective. Asian Education Review, 12(3), 100–115.
9. Kim, H., & Park, J. (2023a). Professional development and teacher retention in South Korea: A quantitative study. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 19(2), 120–142.
10. Kim, H., & Park, J. (2023b). Professional development and teacher retention in South Korea: A quantitative study. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 19(2), 120–142.
11. Koo, M., & Yang, S.-W. (2025). Likert-Type Scale. Encyclopedia, 5(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5010018
12. McHugh, M. L. (2012). Interrater reliability: The kappa statistic. Biochemia Medica, 276–282. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2012.031
13. Mligo, I. (2021). Challenges of teacher retention in rural Tanzania: Policy implications. African Journal of Education and Development, 5(2), 45–60.
14. Mugisha, R. (2021). School leadership and teacher motivation in Uganda: Impacts on retention. Uganda Journal of Education Management, 12(3), 120–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/ugjem.2021.12308
15. Mushi, J., & Nnko, C. (2022). The role of school heads in teacher retention: Evidence from Tanzania. Tanzanian Journal of Educational Leadership, 7(2), 78–95.
16. Mutua, M., & Wanjala, S. (2023). In-service training and teacher motivation in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Review of Education Development, 7(1), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10120023.2023.2204150
17. Mwangi, P., & Wambua, S. (2023). Teacher professional development and retention in public secondary schools in Kenya. African Journal of Education Policy, 9(1), 32–57.
18. Nyanda, P. (2024). Challenges of teacher professional development in rural Tanzania: A case study of Kilwa District. East African Journal of Education, 18(1), 54–70.
19. Nyoni, E., & Urassa, J. (2023). The role of school leadership in teacher retention: A case of rural Tanzanian schools. Journal of African Studies in Education, 10(1), 89–105.
20. Oduor, P. (2022). Continuous Professional Development and Teacher Retention in Kenya: An analysis of TSC initiatives. Kenyan Journal of Education Policy, 10(2), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.4314/kjep.v10i2.6
21. OECD. (2023). Teacher professional development and retention in Europe: Lessons from best practices. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.
22. Okeke, C., & Nwosu, M. (2021). Teacher professional development and retention in Nigerian public schools. West African Journal of Education, 8(4), 23–50.
23. Sullivan, G. M., & Artino, A. R. (2020). Analyzing and Interpreting Data From Likert-Type Scales. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 5(4), 541–542. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-5-4-18
24. Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
25. UNESCO. (2024). Education for sustainable development: Addressing teacher shortages in Africa. UNESCO Report.
26. URT. (2023). Teacher professional development and retention strategies in Tanzania. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
27. Zhang, Y., & Liu, H. (2020). Continuous professional development and teacher retention in China and Japan: A comparative study. Asian-Pacific Journal of Education, 40(3), 451–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1782547
Copyright (c) 2025 Zema H. Jamal, Emmanuel J. Kileo, Peter Siamoo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
