A study investigating ways to entice teachers who have left the teaching profession to return

Abstract

Early departure from the profession may result in a shortage of qualified teachers and may negatively affect learner performance. The loss of teachers from the profession before retirement age is a challenge faced by developed and developing countries across the world. This study seeks to determine the conditions under which teachers who had left the profession might consider returning. A qualitative study framed within the Self-Efficacy Theory, was conducted. The participants consisted of 14 qualified teachers who had left the teaching profession within their first ten years of teaching. The research instrument used constituted in-depth interviews conducted in-person and online. A thematic data analysis was conducted and the themes and categories that emerged from the data were interpreted. The results indicated that teachers who had left the profession would return if their concerns regarding provision of a supportive environment, adequate remuneration, manageable workload, a more desirable curriculum and sufficient resources, were addressed. Findings are that teachers who return to the profession should be phased in with regards to their workload and the number of administrative duties. The value of this study lies in answering a paucity in recent research and literature on prerequisite conditions for teachers to return to the profession.