An Assessment of Causes of Primary School Principals' Turnover in Arada Sub-city of Addis Ababa City Administration
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Date
2012-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to assess the causes of principals' turnover in government and public primary schools of Arada sub-city administration of Addis Ababa. Descriptive research method was employed in this study. Document analysis was employed to examine the rate of principals' turnover within the past five years (1999 E. C. - 2003 E. C.). A total of 78 respondents (28 on-duty primary school principals, 30 primary school ex-principals, 5 primary school cluster supervisors, 5 Sub-city educational officials and 10 other Woreda educational experts) from Arada sub-city administration, Addis Ababa were selected based on purposive sampling technique. Data collection for this study relied on self-report questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The questionnaires were prepared to collect data from on-duty principals, ex-principals and cluster supervisors about the problem under investigation. In addition, interviews were conducted with five sub-city Educational Office Officials and ten other Woreda Education Office Experts so as to crosscheck and enrich the data gathered through the questionnaire. Depending on the type of basic questions and the nature of the data, the frequency counts were converted into percentages as well as other computations such as mean scores were employed to analyze the data. Figures were also used to interpret and summarize the findings where necessary. SPSS (Version 16) was also employed to see the relationship between job dissatisfaction and principals' turnover. In addition, the information that was obtained through interview and document analysis was presented through narrative description to complete the data obtained by means of questionnaires. The findings of the study showed that: 1); among others,inadequate selection and promotion method, poor supervision and poor working condition are the administrative related causes of principals , turnover; 2) principals also quitted their job as a result of socio-economic related causes such as low pay and non-salary benefits in addition to administrative related causes; 3) the most serious potential source of principals 'turnover is found to be 'administrative related causes '; 4) principals' turnover has debilitative effects on students, on teachers and on the overall works of the school; 5)there is moderate negative relationship (1'=-.51, p=<0.01) between principals' turnover rate and job satisfaction; and 6) most of on-duty principals have plan to leave their current jobs for good.Based on the findings of this study, among others, some of the recommendations that were made are as follows: 1) educational officials at Sub-city and Woreda levels should make the administrative system transparent in which principals and teachers feel that they are part of the system; 2); experts and/or officials of Woreda and Sub-city Educational Offices shouldensure employee-consulted leadership style; 3) There should also be equity of promotional opportunity among employees of the same qualification and work experience; and 4) Woreda and Sub-city Educational Offices should establish effective grievance system at all levels.
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Assessment of Causes of Primary School Principals Turnover