Analysis of Relationship between School Workload Management and Teacher Transfer Intention in Public Secondary Schools in Mbita and Suba Sub-Counties, Kenya

In Kenya since 2001, Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) has school-based teacher recruitment system that assumes that teachers apply for employment in schools of choice intended to mitigate teacher Transfer Intention which impedes professionalism and destabilizes staff if realized. Teacher transfer requests in Mbita and Suba Sub-counties {formally one district named Suba by 2012} were at a high average, fluctuating from 29(29.5%) in 2009, 21(20%) in 2010, 27(22.7%) in 2011, 43(17%) in 2012, and 62(29%) in 2013. This was above the highest Homabay County average of 12.2% in the said period. The foregoing data reveals that despite such government effort, Mbita and Suba Sub-counties still face many teacher transfer requests, indicating a high level of teacher Transfer Intention. According to literature, chief among the determinants of teacher perception of their work environment, that may both influence them to interact negatively to their learners’ disadvantage and to inspire teacher intention to transfer, is School Workload Management. Hence there was need to investigate the relationship between School Workload Management and teacher Transfer Intention. The study was anchored on Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) which stipulates that intentions are precursors of actual behaviour. Transfer intention was determined based on Mobley’s Employee Turnover Intention Model (Mobley, 1977) to identify actual relevant teachers for the study population in a baseline survey. Saturated sampling technique was then used to select the 252 teacher with transfer intention respondents and 29 teachers without transfer intention; Purposive Sampling technique for 28 headteachers and one County Staffing Officer (CSO). Questionnaire and interview were used for data collection. Piloting was done ascertain reliability of instruments. Regression analysis was used for quantitative inferential data while qualitative information was considered according to themes in an on-going process. Study response rate was 222(97%) teachers with transfer intention, 23(88%) teachers without transfer intention, 23(82%) headteachers and 1(100%) County Staffing Officer. The study concluded that at 0.4% proportion, there was no significant relationship between School Workload Management and teacher Transfer Intention in Mbita and Suba Sub-counties. It recommended that to address teacher Transfer Intention, school administrators should consider lesson distribution by employing more teachers. However, other factors besides School Workload Management as revealed by reasons for Transfer Intention may include: school facilities, and poor headteacher leadership; or factors outside school work environment such as lack of proper housing for teachers in school surrounding, insecurity, putting up better schools for teachers’ children, and improving on electrification.