Socio-Demographic Variables of Work Engagement, Psychological Capital and Turnover Intention among South African Teachers

Abstract

This study sought to empirically assess whether the socio-demographic variables (age, race, gender, marital status, educational level, years employed, employment status, and home language) of teachers predict their work engagement, psychological capital and turnover intention. A quantitative study was conducted using a non-probability, convenience sampling method on teachers working in the Tshwane South District in Gauteng, South Africa (N = 208). Biographical data were collected. Questionnaires of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Turnover Intention Scale, and Psychological Capital were used in the data collection. The results showed that education qualifications, race, tenure, and the age of high school teachers contribute when explaining their work engagement, psychological capital and turnover intention. The sample was predominantly characterised by African teachers, resulting in the under-representation of other races, and the size of the sample was not large enough to generalise the findings. These findings add valuable knowledge to the body of research and provide new insights that are aimed at enhancing the retention of high school teachers in underdeveloped countries. It is recommended that future research obtain a larger and a more representative sample to increase external validity.