Analysis of Teacher Attrition and Its Effects on Business Education Programme Quality in Secondary Schools in Taraba State

This study analyzed the causes and effects of teacher attrition on Business Education programme quality in secondary schools in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. Teacher attrition, defined as the departure of teachers from the teaching profession before retirement, represents a critical threat to educational quality, particularly in subjects like Business Education where specialist teachers are already scarce. In Taraba State, ongoing security challenges, poor remuneration, and limited career advancement opportunities compound the attrition problem. A mixed-methods design combining descriptive survey and key informant interviews was adopted. The population comprised 150 Business Education teachers and 30 school principals across ten secondary schools in three local government areas in Taraba State. Stratified random sampling was used to select 75 teachers and 15 principals. Questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides were used for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while interview data were analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that poor remuneration, insecurity, and lack of professional development opportunities are the leading drivers of attrition. Schools with higher attrition rates showed significant deterioration in examination results, curriculum coverage, and student-teacher ratios. The study recommends that the Taraba State Government should implement targeted retention incentives for Business Education teachers, including special duty allowances for high-attrition areas and structured career progression pathways. Keywords: teacher attrition, business education, programme quality, secondary schools, Taraba State