Teacher well-being and teacher retention: establishing a link
摘要
Recruiting and retaining a high-quality teacher workforce is a challenge for many of today’s school leaders. One way to address this challenge is to understand the role of teachers’ psychological experiences at work in their career decisions. Although substantial research has explored the role of negative psychological experiences (such as burnout) in teacher attrition, little research has explored how positive psychological experiences (such as a sense of well-being) may relate to teacher retention. In this exploratory study, we meet a gap in the literature by exploring relations between teacher well-being and teachers’ career intentions, using the 6-factor Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale (1989). The results highlight that greater psychological well-being predicts increased likelihood that teachers will choose to stay at their current school and in the education field, but not in their current role. We discuss implications for teachers and school leaders.