INFLUENCE OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE ON JOB SATISFACTION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN KENYA

Job satisfaction is a globally important factor in determining organizational climate and subsequent worker productivity. In Kenya, job dissatisfaction is a major concern as evidenced by teacher burnout and the strikes in the teaching fraternity. This study investigated the influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s two factor theories guided the present study. The study’s target population consisted all 903 public secondary school teachers in Kisii Central Sub County. A sample of 306 was selected by stratified random sampling to obtain a sample that was representative from all the categories of secondary schools followed by stratification according to gender. For qualitative data, twelve secondary school principals were purposively selected. The study adopted a convergent parallel research design with mixed method research approach. Data collection tools were questionnaires (modified Sorensen self-esteem scale and job descriptive index) and interview schedule. Validity was ensured by the assistance of the two supervisors’ judgment. Reliability coefficient was computed using Cronbach’s Alpha and it was found to be 0.764. Quantitative data was organized using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and the data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed using Thematic analysis. There was no influence of teaching experience in the level of job satisfaction [F (5, 256) =2.093, p=. 067]The Teachers’ Service Commission should mount mentorship programs for newly recruited teachers (0 teaching experience) mainly to enhance their self-esteem at work. This is because the study reported that relatively young teachers in the service were dissatisfied in their jobs. New words: Job satisfaction, Teaching experience, Secondary school teachers * JARAMOOGI OGINGA ODINGA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KENYA. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 669 International Journal of Research in Social Sciences http://www.ijmra. us, Email: editorijmie@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Teachers play an important role in enabling Kenya to achieve the objective of education for all by 2020 (UNESCO, 2014). Babita and Gurmit (2014) highlight that teachers who are not satisfied with their jobs might be less committed and are likely to perform below their capabilities, and that the teaching profession is facing problems related to teachers’ job satisfaction. Abdalla, Parasuraman and Uli (2009) also agree that the general perception is that teachers in the government schools are dissatisfied with their profession. Ogochi (2014) study in Transmara, Kenya also agrees that lack of job satisfaction has led to low performance in national examinations and that people cannot develop their full potential when their esteem is low and not appreciated. Job satisfaction is a major concern in the world. Kinman& Wray (2014) describe teaching as an emotional activity whereby teachers experience emotional exhaustion, burnout and depersonalization. Reilly, Eithne, Dhingra, Katie and Boduszek (2014) have defined job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences. Previous research indicates that job satisfaction is crucial, due to its associations with work performance, physical and mental health, and career decisions (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2009). Teachers dissatisfied with their work display lower work commitment, negatively impact on student motivation through emotional contagion, may fail to satisfy their student’s needs for autonomy and competence and are at greater risk of leaving the profession (Lüdtke and Baumert, 2008). In Malaysia, Abdullah Parasuraman and Uli (2009) point out that employee satisfaction has been an important issue for academics and scholars and that high level of absenteeism and staff turnover, low retention have affected various organizations. Teachers with more than 21 years of teaching experience were more satisfied than others. In addition, the study concludes that older teachers were more satisfied with their teaching job than the younger ones. There was need to find out whether there were differences in the influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction in public secondary school teachers in Kisii Central Sub-County. ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 670 International Journal of Research in Social Sciences http://www.ijmra. us, Email: editorijmie@gmail.com In a study, Dehaloo (2011) found out that the least motivated teachers were from the age categories 27 to 54 years (with approximately 6 to 25 years of experience). Conversely, Crossman and Harris (2006) found that teaching experience or length of service did not contribute to any significant differences in job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in the United Kingdom. Influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction of public secondary school teachers was not known in Kisii Central Sub-County. It is therefore for this reason that the influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction was studied. Kenya Education News (2015) concurs that there was need to ensure employees were satisfied with their jobs as this reduced the rate of absenteeism which was noted through the unions, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) frequent agitations, which revealed that teachers were not well paid and kept on bargaining for wage increases for their members. Research in the area of teachers' job satisfaction has focused on the contributors and consequences of job satisfaction. It has been shown that job satisfaction is related to positive outcomes including teacher retention and increased performance. Conversely, low job satisfaction has been related to teacher attrition, absenteeism and poor performance among others (Ofuani, 2010). In a study in Kenya by Otanga and Mange (2014) revealed that teachers' job satisfaction was low. Other studies (George, Louw&Badenhorst, 2008; Strydom, Nortje, Beukes& Van der, 2012) Although several studies (Abdullah et al., 2009; Jessen, 2010; Wachira&Gathungu, 2013; Njiru, 2014; Kinman and Wray, 2014) have been done in the education sector, none has been done to investigate the influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction of public secondary school teachers in Kisii Central Sub-county, Kenya. There have been demonstrations by teachers in Kenya, job dissatisfaction has not yet been solved and many teachers are resigning from their jobs Given the high number of resignations, could be a possible indicator of low level of job satisfaction among teachers. It is for this reason that the present study explored the influence of ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 671 International Journal of Research in Social Sciences http://www.ijmra. us, Email: editorijmie@gmail.com teaching experience on job satisfaction of public secondary school teachers in Kisii Central SubCounty, Kenya. The objective To examine the influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction of secondary school teachers in Kisii Central Sub-County. Was studied by testing the hypothesis H03: There is no statistically significant influence of teaching experience on job satisfaction of public secondary school teachers in Kisii Central Sub-County. Theoretical Framework The study was informed by two theories; Theory of self-esteem and two factor theory by Herzberg. 1.10. 1 Theory of selfesteem: Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Maslow (1954) attempted to synthesize a large body of research related to human motivation, and prior to Maslow (1954), researchers generally focused separately on such factors as Biology; achievement or power to explain what energizers directs and sustains human behavior. Maslow (1954) posited a hierarchy of human needs based on two groupings; deficiency needs and growth needs. Within the deficiency needs each lower need must be met before moving to the next higher level. Once each of these needs has been satisfied, if at some future time a deficiency is detected, the individual will act to remove the deficiency Maslow (1954) further described two forms of needs: The need for respect from others and the need for self-respect or inner self esteem. Respect from others entails recognition, acceptance, status and appreciation and was believed to be more fragile and easily lost than inner selfesteem. According to Maslow (1954), without fulfillment of the self-esteem need, individuals will be driven to seek it and unable to grow and obtain self-actualization. Considering teaching experience, satisfaction is expected to be high for early career teachers, decreasing at the midpoint of their careers, and rebounding again towards the end of their ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 672 International Journal of Research in Social Sciences http://www.ijmra. us, Email: editorijmie@gmail.com teaching careers. In the early periods of employment there were more new things to be learnt from the job, and teachers gain a sense of pleasure from their teaching jobs. But, through time, they develop confidence, new skills and abilities which influence their job satisfaction. The present study in addition employed two factor theory by Herzberg, Mausner&Snyderman (1959) as discussed in the next section. Two factor theory by Herzberg Herzberg, Mausner&Snyderman (1959) published a two-factor theory of work motivation. Herzberg’s two-factor theory (also known as the motivator – hygiene theory) attempts to explain, satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. This theory states that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are driven by different factorsmotivation and hygiene factors respectively. The basic tenets of Herzberg’s two factor theory (1959) are that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are separate issues; satisfaction only comes from factors intrinsic to work itself. Motivators or intrinsic (satisfier) fac