Understanding the Psychology of Teacher Retention in the African Context

The study explores the meta-theoretical context of teacher retention, focusing on psychological factors like organisational commitment, job satisfaction, and human resource retention practices. It highlights the evolution of retention strategies and emphasises their importance in the educational sector, particularly in Africa, where high teacher turnover affects the quality of education. The study discusses two retention models: Döckel's model, which identifies six key retention factors such as compensation, job characteristics, training and development opportunities, supervisor support, career advancement, and work-life balance; and Zin et al.'s model based on Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. The Conservation of Resource (COR) theory acts as an overarching theoretical lens, positing that psychological resources such as work engagement, psychological capital, and occupational passion are crucial for retention. The study concludes by suggesting a psychosocial approach to teacher retention that can mitigate high turnover rates and improve educational quality, particularly in an African context.