Exploring Teachers’ Early-Retirement Decisions: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Studies on teachers suggest that high workloads, stress, and the work environment contribute to long-experience teachers leaving the profession. Early-retirement differs from early leaving because, typically, it is preceded by individuals evaluating a myriad of work-related, personal, and life factors that lead to them exiting the workforce altogether. A body of literature suggests that the spread of New Public Management (NPM) in school management has lead to work intensification, additional noncore work, and exacerbated the difficulties that confront teachers. The aim of this exploratory, interview based case-study was to determine what factors influence teachers’ early-retirement. The study found that that while many of the reasons for early-retirement which are identified in other literature, such as personal health, family issues, and financial security influenced their decision to retire, the changes in management approaches which reflected the NPM agendas in schools, changing work load and the relationship with the principal paid a major part in their decisions. It also finds some problems exist within the education system that can make part-time teaching unviable, which we overview through the lens of work-retirement transition policies.