An exploration of primary teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education, retention, and job satisfaction in Malawi

The relevance of education in the effort towards alleviating poverty cannot be overemphasised. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with over 80% of the population living in rural areas and reeling under deplorable conditions. With the effort towards practicing inclusive education, there is the need for policymakers to expedite attempts towards providing equitable access to education for children living in rural communities. Teachers are central in the effort towards practicing inclusive education. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education, job satisfaction, as well as their intention to remain in rural schools. A total of 305 primary school teachers were recruited from 44 rural schools in three regions in Malawi to complete three survey scales. The results show small but positive relationship between attitudes, job satisfaction, and teacher retention. Only job satisfaction was a significant predictor of teachers' attitudes. The need for policymakers to provide teachers with supports and improving conditions of service, has been discussed in detail.