The effect of process and context factors on teachers’ readiness for change in West Gojam Zone secondary schools of Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ readiness for change and the factors that contributed to it in secondary schools in the West Gojam Zone. The study used a correlational research design and a quantitative approach. Data were collected from 466 randomly selected teachers using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (one-sample t-test, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression). The findings revealed that teachers were ready to implement planned educational changes. The principals made an effort to maintain strong staff cohesion, high organizational commitment, and minimal politicking during the change's implementation. They have also taken advantage of the school's positive track record of change. Process and context factors had statistically significant correlation with readiness for change at p < .05. The four context factors (organizational politicking, history of change, staff cohesion, and organizational commitment) and a process factor (communication of change) contribute to 31.3% of the variations in teachers’ readiness for change. This confirms that teachers’ readiness for change is a function of both context and process factors.