Why do teachers leave schools? Evidence from lower secondary schools in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to supplement the international knowledge on factors determining retention in theteaching profession with findings from the Czech Republic. The study aims to answer the question of whatfactors on the part of schools and teachers are related to teachers' decision to leave the teaching profession,either temporarily or permanently. It also examines the differences between teachers at the beginning and endof their professional careers.Design/methodology/approach - This study presents a secondary analysis of the data collected in a surveyof 1,230 Czech secondary school teachers implemented in 2021 in the same schools as the TALIS survey in 2018.The longitudinal design makes it possible to observe the impact of school variables on teachers' willingness toremain in the profession. Data are analysed through logistic regression.Findings - The analysis shows the importance of sufficient financial evaluation, the composition of thestudent body, instructional leadership, and school innovativeness for the retention of teachers in the profession.The analysis further shows that the factors causing teachers to leave the profession differ for those at thebeginning and at the end of their teaching careers.Research limitations/implications - The limitations of the study lie in the fact that this is a secondaryanalysis. The questionnaires were not designed in accordance with the aim of our study, and so the variableswere constructed from existing data to best fit our chosen framework.Practical implications - The results of our analysis indicate that the Czech education policy should focusnot only on general increases in teachers' salaries, but also on the adjustment of increases over the course of ateacher's career. The starting salary may be important for retaining young teachers in the profession, while atlater stages in their careers their decision to stay may be more influenced by other factors. Our research alsoshowed the importance of leadership. In schools where the principal supports his or her teachers and takes careof their professional development, teachers have a greater tendency to stay in the profession than in schoolswhere the management does not perform this function.Originality/value - The study enriched international knowledge about factors affecting teachers' retention inthe profession with findings from the Czech educational system characterized by high school autonomy andlow teacher salaries.