TY - JOUR
T1 - Teachers' career decisions
T2 - Perspectives on choosing teaching careers, and on staying or leaving
AU - Howes, Loene
AU - Goodman-Delahunty, Jane
N1 - Includes bibliographical references.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Teacher attrition and retention has been the focus of international research. Teachers (N = 133) who were staying in teaching (n = 59), or undecided about staying (n = 34), and former teachers who had changed careers (n = 40) completed free-response questionnaires about their decisions to choose and to stay in (or to leave) teaching careers. Four-fifths (79.57%) of current teacher respondents had considered or were considering career change, including two-thirds (67.80%) of teachers who had subsequently decided to stay. Thematic analysis of free responses suggested that salient reasons for both choosing and staying in teaching were personal fulfilment and practical considerations. Barriers to change were implicated in staying. Negative aspects of teaching, practical considerations, and need for change were important both for considering and actually leaving. Retention strategies should address workload, foster positive and supportive relationships, and provide diverse opportunities within teaching.
AB - Teacher attrition and retention has been the focus of international research. Teachers (N = 133) who were staying in teaching (n = 59), or undecided about staying (n = 34), and former teachers who had changed careers (n = 40) completed free-response questionnaires about their decisions to choose and to stay in (or to leave) teaching careers. Four-fifths (79.57%) of current teacher respondents had considered or were considering career change, including two-thirds (67.80%) of teachers who had subsequently decided to stay. Thematic analysis of free responses suggested that salient reasons for both choosing and staying in teaching were personal fulfilment and practical considerations. Barriers to change were implicated in staying. Negative aspects of teaching, practical considerations, and need for change were important both for considering and actually leaving. Retention strategies should address workload, foster positive and supportive relationships, and provide diverse opportunities within teaching.
KW - Attrition
KW - Career decisions
KW - Qualitative research
KW - Retention
KW - Teaching
KW - Employment of teachers
KW - Education
KW - Job security Questionnaires
M3 - Article
SN - 1837-6290
VL - 25
SP - 18
EP - 35
JO - Issues in Educational Research
JF - Issues in Educational Research
IS - 1
ER -