Levels of Teachers Commitment to the Teaching Profession in Secondary Schools in Kagera Region, Tanzania

Abstract

Improvement of schools performance and attainment of quality education in todays; global world demands a higher level of commitment in teaching. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which teachers in secondary schools are committed to their teaching profession. The reviewed literature indicated the important role teachers play in facilitating teaching and learning processes. Respondents were 32 heads of schools, 32 academic masters and 288 secondary school teachers in public secondary schools in Kagera Region, Tanzania. The study employed convergent parallel design from mixed research approach. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to sample participants. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview guide and document analysis guide. The study indicated a high level of teachers’ commitment in terms of observing to teaching professional responsibilities. Moreover, the study established that teachers’ teaching commitment were limited by several challenges such as; poor training and frequency of seminars, workshops and professional development, ineffective involvement in school decision making, ineffective communication, lack/poor training, incompetent head of schools, low salaries, lack of motivations, lack of security and compensation, poor working environment and government interference in the teaching profession. The study recommended that the Government, heads of schools and the community should handle issues of school headship and teachers commitment effectively.

Keywords: Teachers’ profession commitment, teaching profession dimension, Effectiveness of school headship