ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine the effect of pre-retirement counselling and self-instruction techniques on teachers’ attitude towards retirement in Imo State. The study was guided by seven research questions and seven hypotheses. The study adopted the quasi experimental research design of pretest, post test, non –randomized control group with 3x2 factorial matrix. The population of the study comprised all the seven hundred and seventy-six (776) teachers in nine Public Secondary Schools in Owerri Municipal Council. The sample of the study was 48 teachers comprising males and females selected from three (3) secondary schools in Owerri municipal council. An instrument titled ‘Teacher’s Attitude towards Retirement Rating Questionnaire (TATRRQ)’ was used to collect data for the study. The instrument was validated and reliability indices were 0.83 and 0.79 respectively for stability and internal consistency. Data was collected at four (4) phases namely: Pre-treatment phase, the treatment phase, Post-treatment phase and follow-up. Mean and Standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the analysis of covariance was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The findings revealed that pre-retirement counselling is significantly effective in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement, self-instruction significantly effective in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement, pre-retirement counselling and self-instruction techniques are significantly effective in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement, pre-retirement counseling has long lasting significant effect in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement, self instruction has long lasting significant effect in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement, pre-retirement counselling and self instruction have long lasting significant effects in reducing negative attitude of teachers towards retirement. Gender had no significant effect in attitude towards retirement when exposed to pre-retirement counselling and self-instruction treatment. From the findings of the study and discussions that followed, the following conclusions were made: subjects exposed to pre-retirement counseling and self-instruction techniques had positive attitude towards retirement than those exposed to control. It was recommended among others that all stakeholders in education especially the school administrators and Government should update their knowledge and skills on the use of pre-retirement technique and self-Instruction technique that could help develop teachers’ positive attitude towards retirement.