Teaching Workload and Perceived Organizational Support: Predicting Teacher Turnover Intention

Abstract

This study examined whether teaching workload and perceived organisational support predict teacher turnover intention among early childhood teachers in public elementary schools. A predictive research design was employed with 128 Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers from 13 public elementary schools in Tugbok East District, Davao City, during the 2025–2026 school year. Respondents were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using adapted survey questionnaires measuring teaching workload, perceived organisational support, and teacher turnover intention. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were used. The results indicated very high levels of teaching workload, perceived organisational support, and teacher turnover intention. Teaching workload had a moderately high, positive, and significant relationship with teacher turnover intention (r = .726, p < .05). Perceived organisational support likewise showed a moderately high, positive, and significant relationship with teacher turnover intention (r = .646, p < .05). Multiple regression analysis showed that teaching workload and perceived organisational support significantly predicted teacher turnover intention, with teaching workload emerging as the stronger predictor. The model accounted for 56.3% of the variance in teacher turnover intention. These findings indicate that both teaching workload and perceived organisational support are statistically relevant to turnover intention in the study context. The results may inform school-level review of workload distribution and organisational support while recognising that additional factors may also contribute to teachers’ intention to leave.