Loaded but Applauded: The Relationship between Workload and Job Satisfaction among High School Teachers in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Job satisfaction is an essential factor for effective performance in the teaching profession, especially where teachers have more workload. This study investigated the association between workload and job satisfaction and how they impact the relationship between teachers and their supervisors. A descriptive survey design was used, and data was collected from a random sample of 367 teachers drawn from a target population of 4,447 teachers in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Age, gender, marital status, work experience, education level, teaching subject, number of lessons taught, and school category were explored as confounding variables. Workload questionnaire standardized Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) for educators, structured interview guide as well as focus group discussions were used while descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The study found that workload was positively related to job satisfaction with the relationship with the supervisor. Teachers in most of the workload categories were highly satisfied with the support they got from the supervisors. The study recommends training the persons in the positions of authority to enhance teachers' job satisfaction.