Introduction
Teacher attrition is considered to be one of the main drivers of the global teacher shortage. Much research into teacher attrition identifies low pay, long hours, and high workloads as key contributors to teacher resignations: Those of us who have worked in the education sector know the problem of teacher attrition is more nuanced than that and the mitigating factors more complex. Even so, few studies capture the voice of former teachers. When teachers leave the profession their exit stories leave with them, forever resigned to informal moan-bonding sessions held in hushed tones while out on duty.
Aim of the research
This research project is a narrative inquiry into the experiences of former primary school teachers. It aims to explore the underlying factors that led to their decision to leave the classroom and the teaching profession.
Research question
The primary research question is: ‘What school-related experiences shaped the professional lives of former primary school teachers and how did these experiences contribute to their decision to leave the classroom?’
Benefits of the research
This research will be useful to people considering a career in teaching, and to overseas teachers and qualified locals thinking of joining (or rejoining) the workforce. The findings will also be of interest to school leaders, school boards, and policy makers since they could benefit from having a fuller appreciation of the socio-emotional contexts in which their employees operate.
What participation looks like
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to submit a written or recorded personal narrative online that captures key events and interactions you experienced as a teacher that were factors in your decision to resign. Your personal narrative will remain strictly confidential.
You can write/say as much or as little as you like and adopt the narrative voice you feel most comfortable with. A selection of writing/speaking prompts and guiding questions will be available to get you started and keep your narrative focused on the research question. Alternatively, you can ignore these prompts and questions entirely and write/speak directly from the heart. You will be free to work on your narrative/recording over a period of time or complete the task in one session. On submission of your personal narrative, you will be asked if you wish to participate in the next phase of the study.
In Phase 2, selected participants will be interviewed for a duration of one to two hours. You can choose to be interviewed face-to-face in a mutually agreeable venue or via a Zoom videoconference. That said, given the current COVID-19 situation the first option may not be possible.
Can you help?
Your participation in this study will contribute to what is currently a shallow pool of qualitative research of this type in Aotearoa New Zealand. If you are interested in taking part, please click on the ‘Become a participant’ tab.
Teacher attrition is considered to be one of the main drivers of the global teacher shortage. Much research into teacher attrition identifies low pay, long hours, and high workloads as key contributors to teacher resignations: Those of us who have worked in the education sector know the problem of teacher attrition is more nuanced than that and the mitigating factors more complex. Even so, few studies capture the voice of former teachers. When teachers leave the profession their exit stories leave with them, forever resigned to informal moan-bonding sessions held in hushed tones while out on duty.
Aim of the research
This research project is a narrative inquiry into the experiences of former primary school teachers. It aims to explore the underlying factors that led to their decision to leave the classroom and the teaching profession.
Research question
The primary research question is: ‘What school-related experiences shaped the professional lives of former primary school teachers and how did these experiences contribute to their decision to leave the classroom?’
Benefits of the research
This research will be useful to people considering a career in teaching, and to overseas teachers and qualified locals thinking of joining (or rejoining) the workforce. The findings will also be of interest to school leaders, school boards, and policy makers since they could benefit from having a fuller appreciation of the socio-emotional contexts in which their employees operate.
What participation looks like
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to submit a written or recorded personal narrative online that captures key events and interactions you experienced as a teacher that were factors in your decision to resign. Your personal narrative will remain strictly confidential.
You can write/say as much or as little as you like and adopt the narrative voice you feel most comfortable with. A selection of writing/speaking prompts and guiding questions will be available to get you started and keep your narrative focused on the research question. Alternatively, you can ignore these prompts and questions entirely and write/speak directly from the heart. You will be free to work on your narrative/recording over a period of time or complete the task in one session. On submission of your personal narrative, you will be asked if you wish to participate in the next phase of the study.
In Phase 2, selected participants will be interviewed for a duration of one to two hours. You can choose to be interviewed face-to-face in a mutually agreeable venue or via a Zoom videoconference. That said, given the current COVID-19 situation the first option may not be possible.
Can you help?
Your participation in this study will contribute to what is currently a shallow pool of qualitative research of this type in Aotearoa New Zealand. If you are interested in taking part, please click on the ‘Become a participant’ tab.