Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages

The attraction and retention of teachers is a problem faced by schools worldwide and possibly more so in the public sector. One possible solution to this problem is likely to be better targeting of attraction and retention drivers of value to teachers. This paper presents the findings from a qualita...

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Main Authors: Ashiedu, Jennifer, Scott-Ladd, Brenda
Format: Journal Article
Published: Social Science Press 2012
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28600
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author Ashiedu, Jennifer
Scott-Ladd, Brenda
author_facet Ashiedu, Jennifer
Scott-Ladd, Brenda
author_sort Ashiedu, Jennifer
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The attraction and retention of teachers is a problem faced by schools worldwide and possibly more so in the public sector. One possible solution to this problem is likely to be better targeting of attraction and retention drivers of value to teachers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted in Australia. The study used electronic in-depth interviews and an online survey to interrogate the reasons teachers are attracted to the profession and what drives their decision to either stay or leave. Participants in the study were both serving and retired teachers. The majority of respondents cited intrinsic motivators as the reasons for joining the teaching profession and among the serving teachers, those with higher intrinsic motivational drivers exhibited a more positive intention to remain. While both groups viewed extrinsic rewards in the form of pay, the school environment and working conditions as important, intrinsic motivation had most influence on intention to stay in the profession.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-286002017-09-13T15:15:33Z Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages Ashiedu, Jennifer Scott-Ladd, Brenda The attraction and retention of teachers is a problem faced by schools worldwide and possibly more so in the public sector. One possible solution to this problem is likely to be better targeting of attraction and retention drivers of value to teachers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted in Australia. The study used electronic in-depth interviews and an online survey to interrogate the reasons teachers are attracted to the profession and what drives their decision to either stay or leave. Participants in the study were both serving and retired teachers. The majority of respondents cited intrinsic motivators as the reasons for joining the teaching profession and among the serving teachers, those with higher intrinsic motivational drivers exhibited a more positive intention to remain. While both groups viewed extrinsic rewards in the form of pay, the school environment and working conditions as important, intrinsic motivation had most influence on intention to stay in the profession. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28600 10.14221/ajte.2012v37n11.1 Social Science Press fulltext
spellingShingle Ashiedu, Jennifer
Scott-Ladd, Brenda
Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title_full Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title_fullStr Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title_full_unstemmed Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title_short Understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
title_sort understanding teacher attraction and retention drivers: addressing teacher shortages
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28600