Effect of Job Support on Retention of Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

Aim: Despite the Kenya government's efforts to resolve turnover problems by increasing recruitment and other retention strategies, teachers’ turnover persists due to poor working relationships. This study sought to investigate whether organizational culture moderates the relationship between job support and retention of teachers in public secondary schools in Kenya. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and a positivist research philosophy, and targeted teachers employed by the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) in sub-county schools. Five counties were purposively selected and a sample size of 384 respondents were randomly selected from a population of 7505 teachers in sub-county secondary schools. Self-administered semi-structured questionnaires and an interview guide were used as data collection tools, and secondary data was sought from county directors of education. Descriptive and inferential analyses were undertaken using SPSS version 24. Results: Teachers who enjoyed a supportive and professional relationship with their principals and fellow teachers in their schools intended to stay. Further, in the presence of an established organizational culture, the contribution of job support towards the retention of teachers in public secondary schools was improved and significant with a Beta value of 0.423 and p= 0.000. Conclusion: The study concluded that organizational culture significantly affects the relationship between job support and retention of teachers in public secondary schools in Kenya. Recommendations: The recommendation is that there's a need to create a strong supportive culture in secondary schools that can help teachers to be more connected to their schools, hence improving their retention. School management should allocate funding for teacher training programs and establish mentorship initiatives; organizing regular social gatherings and team-building activities to create a sense of community. Future studies could focus on the effect of job support on retention in other categories of schools in Kenya (such as national, county, or extra-county schools). A comparative study of job support practices between public and private schools could reveal significant differences in how these institutions influence teacher retention and job satisfaction.