Factors associated with the shortage of physics teachers in senior secondary schools in Swaziland

Abstract

The shortage of specialist Physics teachers in senior secondary schools in Swaziland has, for years, been one of the nagging issues for the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). This led MoET to exploiting the services of non-specialists, thus undermining the quality of learners who graduate from the system. Therefore, the study ascertained the causes of the shortage of specialist Physics teachers in senior secondary schools in Swaziland, how they could be retained and how their number could be increased. A positivist-interpretive quantitative research approach was utilised to obtain reliable and valid results in this study. The quantitative research was a survey consisting of a questionnaire that was completed by Physics teachers in senior secondary schools. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The study, based on the findings, concluded with some recommendations that could be used to retain and increase the number of Physics teachers in senior secondary schools.