What motivates rural teachers to retain? A study on Chinese rural teachers' turnover from grounded theory and FsQCA

Abstract

This research is aim at a deeper understanding of factors that leading Chinese rural teachers' (CRTs) turnover in their profession. The study regarded in-service CRTs (n = 408) as the participants, adopted the semi-structured interview and an online questionnaire to collect the data, and used grounded theory and FsQCA to analysis the data based. We have found that (A) welfare allowance, emotional support, and working environment can be substituted equivalently to increase CRTs' retention intention while professional identity regarded as the core condition; (B) career development is neglected for two reasons: one is CRTs compensated for inadequate social support by self-improvement; another is CRTs adapted themselves to accept professional stagnation; (C) the CRTs will have a strong intention to retain but lack enthusiasm for teaching because lack professional identity when the external environment is favorable. This study clarified the complicated causal relationships between CRTs' retention intention and its factors, contributed to the practical development of CRTs workforce.

Transforming Rural Teaching

“…Teachers need to recognise that they have a primary responsibility and role in transforming the quality of teaching in rural schools (Riddle et al, 2023;Robinson-Pant, 2023;Tran et al, 2020;United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023;Wang et al, 2023). As agents of change, rural teachers should be prepared and motivated to search for solutions to rural teaching challenges instead of resisting them (Boniface, 2019;Cheng et al, 2023;White, 2015). In line with the recognition of teachers as agents of change, there should be equal distribution of teaching resources, teachers' autonomy and participation in making decisions.…”

“…In essence, Li et al (2020) explain that teachers' understanding of rural schools' contexts, actual needs and internal features and functions prepare them to teach in rural schools. Pre-service teachers should be aware of teaching challenges and the opportunities in rural communities which can be used to change the quality of teaching in rural schools (Arinaitwe & Corbett, 2023;Boniface, 2019;Brenner et al, 2022;Cheng et al, 2023;Nyoni, 2020;White, 2015). Raising awareness of what needs to be changed and the available opportunities in rural communities may empower pre-service teachers to develop transformation curiosity.…”

“…Social-emotional skills equip preservice teachers with behaviours in real-life teaching contexts (Leibowitz, 2017). As agents of change, social-emotional behaviours among pre-service teachers, such as resilience, collaboration, flexibility, acceptance of contexts differences, tolerance and commitment, enable them to search for solutions regarding rural teaching challenges (Boniface, 2019;Cheng et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2023;White, 2015).…”

“…Teacher education has a role in supporting pre-service teachers to transform themselves and become agents of change in rural schools (Moffa & McHenry-Sorber, 2018;Quan et al, 2019). As agents of change, pre-service teachers should develop resilience and be empowered to search for solutions to rural teaching challenges instead of resisting them (Boniface, 2019;Cheng et al, 2023;White, 2015). In this sense, pre-service teachers should be encouraged to be creative and apply critical thinking, problemsolving and social-emotional skills to utilise rural resources (Troop, 2017).…”

“…In this sense, pre-service teachers should be encouraged to be creative and apply critical thinking, problemsolving and social-emotional skills to utilise rural resources (Troop, 2017). For effective utilisation of rural resources, teacher education should create awareness among pre-service teachers about opportunities in rural communities that can be used to improve and change rural teaching (Boniface, 2019;Cheng et al, 2023;Nyoni, 2020;White, 2015). There are many positive attributes found in rural areas such as natural resources, community engagement, lower costs of living, natural environment and social capital (Arinaitwe & Corbett, 2023;Brenner et al, 2022;Lian et al, 2023;OECD, 2020;Tran et al, 2020;Wineman et al, 2020).…”