Teacher Retention and Attrition: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The teaching profession and the essential roles teachers play in building the human capital base of any nation cannot be underestimated. These essential roles are central to basic education, most especially in developing nations. There may however seem to be close substitutes for the roles of education managers in the areas of education delivering apparatus with programmed instructions. Apparently, in emerging economies such as Nigeria, teachers no doubt are still the key managers of knowledge. The main engine of economic growth in any country is through a well-trained and knowledge driven education workforce. Due to the persistent labour turnover in schools and high job dissatisfaction among teachers in Nigeria and other parts of the world, this study seeks to find out those factors that encourage teachers’ attrition. The study adopts an extensive review of literature such as conference papers, journal articles, internet sources, books, newspapers to find out the factors that determine teachers’ attrition and retention in schools particularly in Nigeria. The study concludes that for teachers to be retained in schools, certain management issues as they affect teacher education, must be thoroughly evaluated. The study further recommends that educational managers should be made to go through staff training and development programmes and curricula enhancement. This is necessary and important for teachers to be well equipped for the task ahead, provide adequate remuneration, welfare packages, proper work environment amongst others as may be obtainable in other professions