Abstract
This study investigated the psychological attitude of primary school teachers towards retirement in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study specifically examined the effect of pre-retirement counselling on teachers’ psychological attitude towards retirement. A true experimental design was adopted, involving 40 primary school teachers randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The instrument used for data collection was the Pre-Retirement Counselling and Attitude of Primary School Teachers Questionnaire (PCAPSTQ), which was validated by experts and had a reliability coefficient of 0.84 using Cronbach Alpha. The experimental group received an eight-week pre-retirement counselling intervention, while the control group was exposed to a placebo. Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-test at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that the experimental group recorded a higher post-test mean score (x̅ = 30.10) compared to the control group (x̅ = 18.90), with a mean difference of 11.20. The t-test result (t(38) = 5.95, p < 0.05) indicated a significant effect of pre-retirement counselling on teachers’ psychological attitude towards retirement. The study concluded that pre-retirement counselling effectively enhances teachers’ psychological readiness for retirement by reducing anxiety and fostering positive attitudes. It was recommended that Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) institutionalize pre-retirement counselling for teachers to ensure emotional preparedness, mental well-being, and successful post-retirement adjustment.