Job Stress and Turnover Intention among In-Service Teachers in Lira City and Wakiso District, Uganda

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between job stress and turnover intention among in-service teachers. We specifically examined the level of job stress, teacher turnover intention, and the nexus between these variables. A quantitative research approach and a correlational research design were used to examine the relationship between these two constructs. A sample of 500 respondents was identified using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data collection was done by use of self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using Stata 18. The hypothesis was tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r). Results revealed a low level of job stress (mean = 2.86 SD =1.34) among in-service teachers with some elements of variations in responses. This implies that there could be some teachers who were experiencing job stress though the majority don’t. For turnover intention, an overall mean score of 3.10 with an SD of 1.46 obtained in this study shows a moderate level of turnover intention among teachers, representing a range of sentiments on retention and work satisfaction. There was no significant difference in the level of job stress (t=.15, p >.05) and turnover intention (t=1.41, p >.05) between teachers from Lira City and Wakiso District. Further results revealed a significant positive correlation between job stress and turnover intention (r = 0.69, p < 0.05). We concluded that job stress significantly influences turnover intention thus reducing job-related stressors could potentially suppress the development of turnover intention among in-service teachers. We, therefore, recommend the need to reduce job stress by addressing workload concerns through hiring or recruiting more teachers, reducing class sizes, creating a supportive work environment, and having regular breaks or time off to reduce burnout and stress so that employees can rejuvenate both physically and emotionally. Besides, teachers need to be empowered with stress management strategies