Knowing when to step in: linking teachers’ behavioural responses to workplace dissatisfaction with intent to leave

Abstract

ABSTRACT Increasing attention worldwide has been paid to strategies for improving teacher retention as shortages reach critical levels. While a large body of research has focused on the conditions that lead to teacher turnover, little attention has been paid to the warning signs of teacher exits. In response, this paper aims to demonstrate how teachers behave in response to specific sources of workplace dissatisfaction, so that leaders may recognise highly dissatisfied teachers and intervene before it is too late. Through a representative survey of 550 U.S. teachers in the U.S. high shortage state of Alabama, we use Hirschman’s Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect framework to look for dissatisfaction behaviours along the process of teacher withdrawal. We ask (1) what workplace behaviours are expressed when feeling dissatisfied with teaching, and (2) which behaviours are most closely aligned with intent to leave? Results demonstrate that (1) teachers mainly respond to dissatisfaction by focusing on core instruction and limiting communication; (2) they do this most often when they feel they are stuck with conflicting expectations of their job; and (3) more than half actively consider leaving when dissatisfied. This paper offers recommendations on how school leaders can recognise pre-exit behaviours and redirect teacher dissatisfaction towards positive retention techniques.