Impact of Teacher Induction Programmes on Early Career Teacher Retention in Secondary Schools in Kwara State

This study examines the impact of teacher induction programmes on the retention and professional satisfaction of early career teachers in public secondary schools in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. High attrition among newly qualified teachers during their first three years of service represents a significant institutional and fiscal loss for the Nigerian education system. Teacher induction programmes, providing structured mentoring, professional development, and administrative support during the critical early career period, have been proposed as a retention intervention. In Kwara State, formal induction provision is inconsistent and largely informal. Data were collected from 200 early career teachers with fewer than four years of experience across 30 secondary schools in Ilorin, Offa, and Kaiama educational zones. Induction programme quality was assessed using a structured checklist of induction components, while retention intention and professional satisfaction were measured using validated scales. Regression and correlation analysis were applied. Results indicate that formal mentoring and structured curriculum support during induction are the strongest predictors of retention intention among early career teachers. Teachers with assigned mentors reported significantly higher satisfaction scores and lower intent to leave. The study concludes that formal induction programmes significantly improve early career teacher retention and professional satisfaction in Kwara State. It recommends that the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission design and mandate a two-year structured induction programme for all newly employed secondary school teachers, with dedicated mentor teacher allocation and a reduced teaching load in year one.

Keywords: teacher induction, early career teacher, retention, secondary school, Kwara State.