Research study on the attractiveness of teaching and retention of teachers

Main findings

Factors that encourage individuals to pursue a teaching career and remain in the profession include:

• a sense of teaching as a vocation and the opportunities it brings to have a positive impact on the lives of children and young people
• opportunities for creative professionalism, particularly a degree of autonomy over the working day
• career structure such as progression and holiday entitlements
• opportunities to promote knowledge and skills
• effective and consistent professional support during all stages of training and throughout a teaching career is seen as an essential component for retention.

Factors that may discourage individuals from considering a teaching career and contribute to leaving the profession include:

• workload and stress were off-putting for potential entrants and early career teachers
• the image of teaching - some young people believed that they could access higher salaries with less stress and workload by pursuing other careers
• the need for more support - a lack of support from school leaders was cited as a reason for leaving teaching
• the research identified the importance of supporting teachers and developing a culture in which they feel able to admit to struggling.