Work conditions and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Southwest Nigeria

Teachers frequently perform extensive instructional and non-instructional duties that may impair their work-life balance (WLB). In Nigeria, although workload, stress, and job satisfaction among teachers have been described, limited attention has been given to WLB, particularly across rural and urban settings. The aim of the study was to analyze associations between work conditions and WLB among secondary school teachers in Southwest Nigeria.

A quantitative, survey-based, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 among secondary school teachers selected through multi-stage sampling across three urban and four rural Local Government Areas in Oyo State. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire that captured socio-demographic characteristics, work conditions, and WLB, measured across three dimensions: work interference with personal life, personal life interference with work, and work/personal life enhancement. Multilevel linear regression models with random intercepts for school location and school were used to assess associations between occupational characteristics and WLB, adjusting for age, gender, marital status, and school type.

We recruited 1,174 teachers, 49.2% from rural and 50.8% from urban areas; most were female (61.4%) and employed in public schools (71.3%). A higher proportion of rural teachers were younger, < 40 years (51.2%), worked < 8 h per day (43.2%), and taught ≥ 50 students per class (42.0%) than their urban counterparts (43.6%, 27.7%, 27.0% respectively). However, no important rural-urban differences were observed in WLB. Overall, teachers who taught ≥ 3 subjects (mean difference compared with < 3 subjects= -5.2, 95% CI: -7.3; -3.1), worked ≥ 8 h daily (mean difference compared with < 8 h = -4.5, 95% CI: -6.5; -2.6), or stood ≥ 4 h at work (mean difference compared with < 4 h, = -2.4, 95% CI: -4.1; -0.8) had lower WLB scores. Teaching classes with ≥ 50 students (mean difference compared with < 50 students = + 5.4, 95% CI: +3.3; +7.4) was associated with higher WLB scores.

Work-life balance among teachers in Southwest Nigeria was influenced by work conditions. High subject load, long working hours, and prolonged standing negatively impacted WLB. School location (rural vs. urban) was not a significant determinant of WLB. Interventions targeting workload redistribution, ergonomic improvements, and administrative support are essential for enhancing teacher well-being and performance.