“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”: Unpacking Teacher Attrition/Retention as an Educational Issue ^∗

Abstract

Teacher attrition/retention seems to be a wicked issue: it has strong face validity and common-sense meaning, but the literature does not provide a clear definition. In the first section, the author analyzes the different ways in which the issue of teacher attrition and retention is problematized as the basis for a definition: as an educational issue teacher attrition and retention refers to the need to prevent good teachers from leaving the job for the wrong reasons. Arguing that teacher attrition/retention constitutes both a problem and a challenge, he continues in the second part to foreground lessons learned. The conclusion outlines an agenda for teacher education, teacher induction, and school development to positively deal with the challenge to keep the good teachers in teaching.

Citation

Kelchtermans, G. (2023), "“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”: Unpacking Teacher Attrition/Retention as an Educational Issue ^∗ ", Craig, C.J., Mena, J. and Kane, R.G. (Ed.) Approaches to Teaching and Teacher Education (Advances in Research on Teaching, Vol. 43), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 87-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-368720230000043011