Motivational Factors, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions of Basic Education Teachers of Private Schools in Cauayan City, Philippines

Understanding the factors that influence teacher motivation, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions is critical to ensuring the stability and quality of private basic education institutions. This study aimed to examine the relationships among motivational factors, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions of basic education teachers in private schools in Cauayan City, Philippines, during the academic year 2024–2025. Utilizing a descriptive research design and survey method, the study gathered data from a randomly selected sample of 190 teachers drawn from a population of 374 across twenty private schools, using the Krejcie and Morgan formula for representativeness. Three validated instruments were used: the Teachers’ Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ), a standardized job satisfaction tool adapted from multiple sources, and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) by Roodt. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, voluntary participation, and confidentiality were strictly observed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic profiles, levels of motivation, and job satisfaction, while inferential statistics were employed to determine correlations and differences based on age, sex, employment status, and salary. Findings showed that teachers possessed very high levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, particularly in areas related to professional growth, respect, and support from school leaders. Job satisfaction was also high, especially in role clarity, supervision, and task accomplishment, but concerns were evident in compensation, promotion transparency, and work–life balance. The near-equal split between teachers intending to stay and those planning to leave underscores the need for school administrators to adopt targeted, data-driven interventions. Addressing institutional climate and career development policies is vital to improving retention and sustaining instructional quality.