‘I left the teaching profession … and this is what I am doing now’: a national study of teacher attrition

Article

Brandenburg, Robyn, Larsen, Ellen, Simpson, Alyson, Sallis, Richard and Trần, Dũng. 2024. "‘I left the teaching profession … and this is what I am doing now’: a national study of teacher attrition." The Australian Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00697-1
Article Title

‘I left the teaching profession … and this is what I am doing now’: a national study of teacher attrition

ERA Journal ID20008
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsBrandenburg, Robyn, Larsen, Ellen, Simpson, Alyson, Sallis, Richard and Trần, Dũng
Journal TitleThe Australian Educational Researcher
Number of Pages20
Year2024
PublisherSpringer
ISSN0311-6999
2210-5328
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00697-1
Web Address (URL)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-024-00697-1
AbstractCurrent teacher attrition in Australia and globally has created an untenable situation for many schools, teachers and the profession. This paper reports on research that examined the critical issue of teacher attrition from the perspective of former classroom teachers and school leaders. Although there is extensive national and global research related to teacher shortages and intentions to leave the teaching profession, minimal research has sought insights from those who have left the profession in Australia, including ascertaining what they are doing now. Using an online survey, data were collected from 256 former teachers from all states and territories, sectors and career stages who had left the profession between 2016 and 2022. Using descriptive statistical and thematic analysis, this study highlights the potential loss to teaching and the education profession more broadly due to teacher attrition. For these participants, the reasons for leaving were often multifaceted and the process of leaving was often protracted. Many of these former teachers have maintained links to the education profession occupying various associated roles and positions. We call for a reconsideration of the ways that strategies to ameliorate teacher attrition are conceptualised and implemented.
KeywordsFormer teachers; Teacher attrition; Teacher shortages; Teaching retention
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390307. Teacher education and professional development of educators
Byline AffiliationsFederation University
University of Southern Queensland
University of Sydney
University of Melbourne
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