‘I cannot sustain the workload and the emotional toll’: Reasons behind Australian teachers’ intentions to leave the profession

Abstract

Concerns are mounting about the attraction and retention of teachers in Australian schools. This study draws upon a questionnaire of 2444 Australian primary and secondary school teachers, which revealed that only 41% of respondents intended to remain in the profession. Through a thematic analysis of the qualitative data within the questionnaire, we use employee turnover theory to enable an understanding of the reasons 1446 of the respondents described as influencing their intentions to leave the profession. These reasons included heavy workloads, health and wellbeing concerns for teachers and the status of the profession. We also use turnover theory to analyse responses from all 2444 respondents and explore possible mitigating strategies or practices that might reduce turnover intention, including meaningful reductions in workload and raising the status of the teaching profession. In doing so, we contribute nuanced qualitative empirical insights which can inform policy and practice.

‘Teachers are the guinea pigs’: teacher perspectives on a sudden reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…García-Carmona et al, 2019 ; Prilleltensky et al, 2016 ; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015 ). Additionally, the implementation of public health policy runs the risk of exacerbating already problematic levels of burnout, stress, and attrition among teachers, as well as issues of low morale and low sense of professional identity that have been documented among Australian teachers (Heffernan et al, 2019 , 2022 ).…”

“…national testing schools and school rankings; Eacute & Esteve, 2000 ). As a result, teachers report feeling underappreciated and undervalued by school families, the public, and in media coverage (Heffernan et al, 2022 ; Shine & Rogers, 2021 ).Paradoxically, there is also evidence that teachers are viewed more positively by their communities than teachers perceive (Heffernan et al, 2019 ). Given the challenging nature of the teaching profession and the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers and schools, further research that seeks to unpack how this health disaster has impacted teachers is required.…”

Career change teachers in hard-to-staff schools: should I stay or leave?

“…A more cohesive strategy for staffing hard-to-staff schools adopts a long-term agenda to address the well-recognised challenges that mark the teaching profession more broadly in Australia, such as excessive workloads, inadequate support, loss of professional trust and growing bureaucratisation of teaching (Heffernan et al, 2019 ). These challenges can act as a catalyst for demoralisation and lead to teacher exit decisions (Santoro, 2018 ).…”

Compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress in teachers: How they contribute to burnout and how they are related to trauma-awareness

“…For all children, teachers have the ability to support healthy development and mitigate the impact of trauma (Post et al, 2020). However, in Australia, teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers (Heffernan et al, 2022;Ministers Media Centre, 2022). Those who have left give many reasons for their decision with a high number indicating that they felt burnt-out.…”

“…Those who have left give many reasons for their decision with a high number indicating that they felt burnt-out. Other factors have been reported as reasons for teacher attrition, including increased workloads (Kelchtermans, 2017), reduction in teacher status and concerns about salary (Rice, 2005), difficulties coping with external testing and accountability (Ryan et al, 2017), and emotional exhaustion [compassion fatigue (CF)], stress (including secondary traumatic stress), and burnout (Lee, 2019;Heffernan et al, 2022). Many studies have been conducted into the impacts of teacher workloads (Green, 2018;Gavin et al, 2021) and increased external testing (Kruger et al, 2018), and governments are beginning to address concerns about teacher salary (Smail, 2022).…”