Job Environment And Satisfaction Among Pre-School Teachers In Kisii County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Job satisfaction among pre-school teachers plays a key role on how they perform their functions in child development and initiation of early education. Studies have shown that most Early Childhood Development centres in Kenya lack basic infrastructural and enabling environments that would promote job satisfaction among pre-school teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the job environments and to determine the levels of job satisfaction among different groups of pre-school teachers working in Kisii County, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study. A sample size of 72 respondents was randomly selected, representing 20% of all pre-primary teachers working in the study area. Raw data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observation checklist. The data were then organized for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results were summarized and presented using tables. The study found that 87.05% of respondents were women and that 61.1% of them worked in rural locations. A large proportion of respondents were not satisfied with their basic salary (61.1%), allowances (77.8%), benefits other than money (55.6%), promotion criteria (51.5%) and gender balance (52.8%). On gender differences in job satisfaction among pre-school teachers, only two of the twenty study variables were found to be statistically significant, namely; the teaching profession (Phi and Cramer‟s values = 0.227, p-value = 0.05) and employer‟s support to pre-school teachers‟ welfare (Phi and Cramer‟s values = 0.284, p-value = 0.055). Regarding the differences in job satisfaction among pre-school teachers working in rural and urban ECD centres, again, only two variables were found to be statistically significant, namely; employers welfare support (Phi and Cramer‟s values = 0.292, p-value = 0.026) and salary (Phi and Cramer‟s values = 0.359, p-value = 0.010). None of the twenty study variables was found to be statistically significant in the difference in job satisfaction among pre-school teachers working in public and private ECD centres. To improve pre-school teachers‟ job satisfaction, it was recommended that the sponsors of ECD centres should address the existing gender gap among pre-school teachers, put up standard classrooms, avail recommended teaching-learning materials, adopt appropriate information technology, and address remuneration, terms of service and motivation. As a county and national government policy, the study proposed affirmative action to encourage and motivate men to take up pre-school teaching and also set minimum standards to be used in regulating infrastructural and material development, remuneration, terms of service and motivation. For further research, a study on the factors influencing dominance of women among pre-school teachers using in-depth methods was suggested.