Childlessness and Marital Dissatisfaction Among Married Teachers in Delta State

This study investigated childlessness as a factor causing marital dissatisfaction among married teachers in Delta State. One research question and two hypotheses guided the study. The correlational research design was employed in the study. The population for the study comprised 8,526 married teachers in Delta State. A sample size of 879 married teachers were drawn through a multistage sampling method. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. The instrument was assessed for face, content and construct validity by experts and factor analysis, while Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was used to check for the reliability of the items, and it yielded a coefficient of 0.81 for Marital dissatisfaction Rating Scale. The data were analysed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation coefficient of determination, regression statistics statistics. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between childlessness and marital dissatisfaction among married teachers; but that there is no significant moderating impact of duration of marriage on the relationship between childlessness and marital dissatisfaction among married teachers in Delta State. The study recommended amongst others, that counsellors should provide guidance on coping strategies for couples facing childlessness, including emotional support and alternative family-building options.