The Effect of Motivation on Teacher Retention in Public Senior High Schools: The Case of Bekwai Municipality of Ghana

Attrition of teachers from public schools in Ghana is on the ascendency. The study aimed at examining the effect motivation has on teacher retention in public Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Bekwai Municipality of Ghana. The study adopted the explanatory research design using a quantitative approach. The quota and simple random sampling procedures were employed to select 370 respondents. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The results revealed that prompt payment of monthly salary (mean=4.61) was the most motivating package with a positive effect on teacher retention, whereas training opportunities (mean=2.38) and allowance for car maintenance (mean=2.31) had the least effect. The study recommends among others that governments consider paying teachers monthly salaries promptly and design a more comprehensive and competitive motivation package for them.