The Role of Educational Leaders in Implementing FWAs for Teacher Retention

1. Context & Problem Statement

1.1. Increasing teacher attrition in Nigeria

1.2. COVID-19 exacerbated working conditions

1.3. Poor salaries, lack of motivation, rigid work conditions

1.4. UNESCO: Severe shortages by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa

2. Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs)

2.1. Evaluation Gaps

2.1.1. Lack of Nigerian-based FWA research

2.1.2. Small-scale studies (e.g., Byden, 2023)

2.2. Definition & Global Context

2.2.1. Types: part-time, job-sharing, remote work, compressed hours

2.2.2. Adopted in UK, Finland, Australia

2.2.3. Accelerated during COVID-19

2.3. Benefits

2.3.1. Improved well-being & reduced stress (Riskarini et al., 2024)

2.3.2. Better retention & performance (Obisi, 2017; Ridwan et al., 2022)

2.4. Barriers

2.4.1. Scheduling conflicts & staff shortages (CooperGibson, 2020)

2.4.2. Perceived financial strain (IFF Research, 2023)

3. Educational Leadership

3.1. Strategic Role in FWAs

3.1.1. Creating policy & support structures (Shrestha, 2022)

3.1.2. Managing workload, wellbeing, logistics (DfE, 2017)

3.2. Transformational Leadership

3.2.1. Personalised support, vision, innovation (Breevaart & Bakker, 2018)

3.2.2. Encouraging autonomy & motivation

3.3. Teacher Motivation & Support

3.3.1. Intrinsic vs extrinsic factors (Omotoyinbo & Olaniyi, 2019)

3.3.2. Leadership presence improves retention (Lochmiller et al., 2024)

3.4. Impact

3.4.1. Builds a sense of purpose

3.4.2. Direct influence on FWA effectiveness

4. Research Gaps & Future Direction

4.1. Need for large-scale Nigerian studies on FWAs

4.2. Explore cost-benefit analyses in Nigerian contexts

4.3. Investigate gender dynamics in FWA preferences

4.4. Expand leadership-focused research in rural schools

5. Policy Implications

5.1. FWAs must move from optional to necessary

5.2. Requires institutional commitment and leadership buy-in

5.3. Training for school heads on implementing FWAs

5.4. Alignment with national teacher development frameworks

6. Research Sources & Critique

6.1. Primary Sources

6.1.1. Academic journals, empirical studies

6.1.2. Mixed-method and case studies (e.g., Ackah-Jnr et al., 2022; Dousin et al., 2020)

6.1.3. Limitations: sampling issues, generalisability

6.2. Secondary Sources

6.2.1. Policy documents (DfE, Education Support)

6.2.2. Reports (UNESCO, CooperGibson)

6.2.3. Value: strategic guidance & broader context