Performance Appraisal Procedures and Teacher Turnover Intention in Public Secondary Schools in West Pokot County, Kenya

Teacher turnover continues to threaten the stability and quality of secondary education in Kenya and beyond. This study examined the effect of performance appraisal procedures on teacher turnover intention in public secondary schools in West Pokot County, testing the null hypothesis that no statistically significant effect exists. A convergent mixed-methods design combined a structured questionnaire administered to 213 teachers with key informant interviews with school principals. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and through Pearson correlation and simple linear regression, while interview data were analysed thematically. Teachers generally viewed the appraisal process as transparent and well understood, yet rated it weak at motivating retention or linking outcomes to reward. Regression analysis showed that performance appraisal procedures explained a meaningful share of the variance in turnover intention (R = .513, R² = .368, Adjusted R² = .305, F(1, 212) = 26.97, p < .001), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. Principals’ accounts reinforced the statistical pattern: appraisal framed around growth and feedback was reported to reduce teachers’ intention to leave, while appraisal experienced as punitive was reported to raise it. The study concludes that appraisal procedures shape retention chiefly through their developmental and motivational dimensions rather than procedural fairness alone, and recommends that the Teachers Service Commission and school leaders strengthen feedback, mentorship, and reward linkages within the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system.