Work-Life Balance and Job Commitment of Female Teachers in Secondary Schools in Kano State

This study investigates the relationship between work-life balance and the job commitment of female secondary school teachers in Kano State, North West Nigeria. Female teachers in Northern Nigeria navigate overlapping professional and domestic role demands that are significantly shaped by cultural expectations regarding gender, marriage, and family responsibilities. Understanding how these pressures affect job commitment has important implications for teacher retention policy and the promotion of gender equity in educational workforce management. The study employs a correlational survey design and samples 280 female secondary school teachers from 35 schools across Kano Municipal, Fagge, and Dala local government areas. A validated questionnaire measuring work-life balance and the Three-Component Model of job commitment is administered, and data are analysed using structural equation modelling. The study draws on the Work-Life Balance Theory and Gender Role Conflict Framework. Findings reveal that work-family conflict is a significant negative predictor of affective commitment and a positive predictor of intention to leave, particularly among married teachers with young children. Institutional support measures such as flexible timetabling, maternity leave provisions, and supportive principal behaviour are associated with improved balance and commitment. Recommendations include the adoption of gender-responsive human resource policies within the Kano State Secondary Education Board targeting the welfare and retention of female teachers. Keywords: work-life balance, job commitment, female teachers, gender equity, Kano State.