The pull and push factors of rural-urban teacher transfer: A case of Isoka district of Muchinga province

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that push teachers away from rural schools and pull them towards urban and periurban schools. The study used ethnographic research techniques to explore the factors that influence teacher transfers from rural to urban spaces in Isoka district of Northern Zambia. We used purposive sampling to locate and interview teachers and administrators to provide insights into the pull and push factors of teacher transfer. The study uncovered a plethora of reasons for these phenomena. The factors included how the study participants negotiated their relationships with colleagues or superiors. Our research, thus, recommends that the District Education Office in the area needs to be considerate during teacher deployment and placement to suitably place teachers where they can be most productive and settled to avoid transfers.