Management of teachers and their work commitment in public and private primary schools in Tanga city

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the management of teachers and their work commitment in public and private primary schools. Three research objectives guided the study: to explore teachers' recruitment and selection criteria used in public and private primary schools; to explore teachers' motivation, promotion, and development and termination criteria used in public and private primary schools; and to explore the teachers' commitment to work in public and private primary school. The study employed a mixed methodology. Purposive, simple random and stratified random sampling procedures were used to obtain the target respondents and then data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Data were collected through questionnaires, interview, focus group discussion and documentary reviews. Qualitative data were analyzed by creating data display sheets. The information obtained from head teachers, assistant head teachers, teachers and students were analyzed following the Miles & Hurbman (1994) Model of Qualitative Data Analysis while quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed the following; first, in public schools, recruitment and selection of teachers was done by Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) where head teachers were not involved while in private schools it was the duty of school owners or boards with head teachers. Second, in public schools motivation, promotion, development and termination of teachers was done by the MOEVT where head teachers recommended only while in private school these activities were done in collaboration with school owners or boards with head teachers. Thirdly, in public schools the level of teachers' work commitment was found low when compared to private school where head teachers had been involved in recruitment, selection, motivation, development and termination of teachers and had power over control of teachers a situation that positively impacted high level of teachers work commitment. In public schools where head teachers were not involved in those functions fully as they only recommended they were also not responsible for effecting the recommendations. Several recommendations were made, first the MOEVT and school owners need to fully involve head teachers in recruitment, selection, motivation, promotion, development and termination of teachers for better management of teachers. Second, the MOEVT and school owners have to make sure that teaching and learning environments are conducive enough to raise the level of teachers' work performance and better students' performance in their studies. It is also recommended further studies be done involving wider contexts of districts and sample for generalization purpose.