Human Resource Career Development Practices and Retention of Secondary Schools’ Teachers in Rubabo County, Rukungiri District, Uganda

This study examined the relationship between human resource career development practices and retention of teachers in secondary schools in Rubabo County, Rukungiri District, Uganda. The objectives of the study were to establish the relationship between employee performance appraisal, staff training practices, promotion practices and retention of teachers in secondary schools in Rubabo County Rukungiri District. The study adopted the correlational research design on a sample of 153 using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using quantitative data analysis methods namely; descriptive statistics that were frequencies, percentages and means, and inferential analyses that were correlation and regression analyses. Descriptive analysis revealed that teacher retention, performance appraisal, training practice and promotion were moderate. Regression analysis revealed that training had a positive and significant influence on the retention of teachers but employee performance appraisal and promotion practices had a positive but insignificant influence on the retention of teachers. Therefore, it was concluded that training was a pre-requisite for promotion retention of teachers. However, employee performance appraisal and promotion in the schools were weak to influence the retention of workers. It was thus recommended that the government of Uganda and schools' authorities provide teachers with opportunities for training. Still, the Education Service Commission, headteachers and foundation bodies which are responsible for the promotion of teachers should reform the promotional practices in order to provide higher chances of promotion since promotion was almost non-existent. In addition, school headteachers should implement an effective performance appraisal system because it was low in schools.