To Stay or Not to Stay: A Model for Predicting Teacher Persistence

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Career Choices: Motivations, Persistence, and Patterns

Abstract

Teacher attrition raises the problem of the sustainability of the teaching workforce, and preserving the quality of education. In this study we created and tested a model that enabled us to predict teachers’ planned persistence. We focused on investigating the role of motivations, job demands, and school climate as potential factors of teacher retention. A sample of 373 teachers responded to a questionnaire compiled using questions from FIT-Choice, NTSES, and the DSCS. The findings of SEM revealed two main factors – the combination of perceived teaching ability and intrinsic motivation, and job security – that have positive impact on planned persistence. Emotional exhaustion and workload predict the risk of attrition. Age and years of teaching experience were unrelated to teachers’ planned persistence.

Authors

• Katrin Saks, University of Tartu

• Pihel Hunt, University of Tartu

• Äli Leijen, University of Tartu

• Liina Lepp, University of Tartu