Quality education: The case of teacher motivation and attrition in Ethiopia

Abstract: There is a clear and recognized link between education and development. As the Sustainable Development Goals emphasizes quality education and qualified teachers it is relevant to look at the underlying mechanisms that motivates teachers in developing countries and their expectations on their profession. There is an existing teacher attrition in the Sub-Sahara which has now become a severe ‘crisis’ according to many, but there has been limited research on teacher’s motivation in the region. The education is highly affected by the attrition and de-motivated teachers in Ethiopia, therefor, Ethiopia is chosen as a case to investigate the phenomenon of teacher attrition and motivation. As there can be no education, and subsequently no inclusive human development can take place without teachers, it is a critical issue to solve. There is an extensive body of research on the causes for the Sub-Saharan teacher turnover, hence it is argued in this study that these are correlated to the de-motivational factors of the teachers. The significance of teachers’ motivation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the context of quality assurance has become more recognized in recent years. In this study, the motivation of the teachers is analyzed by applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory. A total of 42 teachers and principals in Ethiopian public primary schools were interviewed, rural and urban schools respectively. It was concluded that the expectations had changed over time and is now at a very low level. In terms of de-motivation the teachers experience this due to mainly budget limitations, low occupational status, a decrease in student’s motivation and poor policy implementation processes. The future situation of the teachers and the education sector at large is facing many challenges and there is an immediate need for a satisfactory policy response to ensure quality education by increasing teacher’s motivation.