Issue Of Attrition Research Articles

Proactively Addressing New Teacher Retention and Attrition During the Senior Year: A Comprehensive Course Redesign

After being named a 2022-2023 Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow, the author was asked to identify a course or a project that would be the focal point of his work during the year-long series of monthly symposia that constituted the program. The program enabled the author to conduct a comprehensive redesign of a relatively outdated course. The course, entitled EDEX 4334: Teachers as Leaders, was transformed into a relevant, real-world educational experience designed to address the issues of teacher attrition, retention, and burnout using activities designed to enhance the experience of undergraduate Special Education majors at Georgia College & State University. The result was a reimagined course that incorporated components addressing key issues facing new teachers such as navigating the hiring process, resume preparation, rehearsing the interview processes, handling Special Education IEPs and caseloads, managing paraprofessionals, supervisors, and colleagues, honing time management skills, and addressing self-care in order to prevent new teacher attrition and burnout.

‘I left the teaching profession … and this is what I am doing now’: a national study of teacher attrition

Current teacher attrition in Australia and globally has created an untenable situation for many schools, teachers and the profession. This paper reports on research that examined the critical issue of teacher attrition from the perspective of former classroom teachers and school leaders. Although there is extensive national and global research related to teacher shortages and intentions to leave the teaching profession, minimal research has sought insights from those who have left the profession in Australia, including ascertaining what they are doing now. Using an online survey, data were collected from 256 former teachers from all states and territories, sectors and career stages who had left the profession between 2016 and 2022. Using descriptive statistical and thematic analysis, this study highlights the potential loss to teaching and the education profession more broadly due to teacher attrition. For these participants, the reasons for leaving were often multifaceted and the process of leaving was often protracted. Many of these former teachers have maintained links to the education profession occupying various associated roles and positions. We call for a reconsideration of the ways that strategies to ameliorate teacher attrition are conceptualised and implemented.

Adjust for non-ignorable panel attrition in the analysis of leaving the parental home

Leaving the parental home is an important life event that has received significant attention in the literature. Research on this topic relies heavily on panel data; however, panel data faces the issue of serious non-ignorable panel attrition associated with leaving the parental home. This paper addresses this issue using the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) as a case study. It introduces an adjustment procedure that combines panel gap imputation via the next observation carried backward and inverse probability weighting based on the retrieved information about leaving the parental home. The results show that this adjustment method yields more precise model estimates for leaving the parental home, and after the adjustment, the positive marginal effects of age and living with non-biological parents, as well as the negative marginal effects of Asian ethnicity and regional house prices, become more pronounced. This adjustment method has the potential to be applied to address non-ignorable panel attrition associated with other events in different panel data.

Understanding teacher professional commitment from a positive psychology perspective: A case from Myanmar's Chinese language teachers

AbstractIn response to the issue of Chinese language teacher attrition in Myanmar, this study aimed to examine the professional commitment of these teachers, with a focus on how their commitment is constructed and shaped within the local context. The study adopted a theoretical lens of positive psychology and utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data was collected through semi‐structured interviews in which 10 participants shared their life stories. Thematic analysis was then conducted to identify key themes. The study proposed a positive‐psychology‐informed model with motivation, meaning, and perseverance as the three key components that interact with each other to jointly shape teachers’ professional commitment. In particular, motivation to teach is a precondition, the meaning‐making process functions as reinforcement, and perseverance in coping with adverse situations is the ultimate embodiment of teachers’ professional commitment. A common feature underlying this model has been traces of the teachers’ positive emotions, attitudes, and values. Furthermore, the study approached Chinese language teachers’ professional commitment in the situated context at cultural, societal, and institutional levels. The study yields theoretical implications for understanding teacher commitment and offers practical insights for addressing the issue of attrition among Chinese language teachers in Myanmar and similar contexts.

An mHealth Application in German Health Care System: Importance of User Participation in the Development Process.

This paper addresses the challenges and solutions in developing a holistic prevention mobile health application (mHealth app) for Germany's healthcare sector. Despite Germany's lag in healthcare digitalization, the app aims to enhance primary prevention in physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. A significant focus is on user participation and usability to counter the prevalent issue of user attrition in mHealth applications, as described by Eysenbach's 'law of attrition'. The development process, conducted in a scientific and university context, faces constraints like limited budgets and external service providers. The study firstly presents the structure and functionality of the app for people with statutory health insurance in Germany and secondly the implementation of user participation through a usability study. User participation is executed via usability tests, particularly the think-aloud method, where users verbalize their thoughts while using the app. This approach has proven effective in identifying and resolving usability issues, although some user feedback could not be implemented due to cost-benefit considerations. The implementation of this study into the development process was able to show that user participation, facilitated by methods like think-aloud, is vital for developing mHealth apps. Especially in health prevention, where long-term engagement is a challenge. The findings highlight the importance of allocating time and resources for user participation in the development of mHealth applications.

Addressing Student Attrition in An Open Distance E-Learning Undergraduate Program: The Case of The University of The Philippines Open University Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies Program

Student attrition is indicative of how the educational system of academic institutions fairs. Addressing student attrition is a greater challenge for academic institutions solely focused on delivering Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) education. A plethora of studies have found that attrition rates in the ODeL set-ups are higher compared to the conventional face-to-face physical arrangement (Moore et al., 2017; Rotar, 2022; Shaw et al., 2016; Muljana et al., 2019). This high rate of online attrition is rooted in the clamor of non-traditional students for more online courses that have significantly changed the course of growth of online learning. To address this attrition issue, this study aims to describe and examine the student attrition in the University of the Philippines Open University Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) Program during the academic years covering 2018 to 2023. Based on available data, the primary reasons for student withdrawal in the BAMS Program is transferring to another university. This holds for all the academic years within the five-year coverage of this study. Other factors contributing to withdrawal include financial constraints, conflict in schedules, mental health issues, migration, exceeding residency limits, and adaptation challenges to nontraditional distance learning environments. Generally, the results of this study showed that there was a low attrition rate among the BAMS students. Thus, this study advances further study that would delve deeper into the reasons behind student withdrawals from the BAMS Program by using qualitative methods. Additionally, incorporating statistical analysis can reveal associations among variables, helping identify root causes of attrition. The study’s limitation lies in its focus solely on students withdrawing from the program rather than those shifting within the university, which could offer further insights for program enhancement.

Conceptual Framework of Equity Sensitivity, Training and Promotion on Specialist Doctors Retention in Malaysia: Moderated by Organizational Trust

Purpose: This paper presents a conceptual framework to ameliorate the retention of specialist doctors in the Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia, facilities underpinned by social exchange theory (SET) and equity sensitivity theory.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The study establishes the issues of specialist attrition from MoH facilities thru analysis of current reports and developments. Followed by an investigation of past literature to develop relationships and hypothesize based on SET tenets of reciprocity.
 Findings: The framework establishes relationship and guidance for the development of specialist doctors’ retention in MoH facilities in Malaysia. From the findings of the study, the framework suggests that equity sensitivity, availability of training and opportunities for promotion have a significant impact on employee retention of specialist doctors in Malaysia. Organizational trust acts as a capable moderator of the relationship between availability of training, opportunities for promotion and employee retention in the framework.
 Implications/Originality/Value: The paper presents a plausible model if validated can provide an invaluable insight in understanding the needs and expectations of specialist doctors’ retention in public hospitals. The framework also addresses the theoretical concerns put forth by previous studies concerning the ambiguities of the broad concepts of SET. Finally, the paper presents the context specific nature of employee retention among a scarcely studied occupation group, i.e., specialist doctors in the Malaysian public sector cultural setting.

Voices from the edge: Girls' experiences of being at risk of permanent exclusion

AbstractThis paper considers the experiences of education for girls at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream secondary schools in England. The number of girls being permanently excluded from school is a growing issue, and data suggests that girls are being excluded at a percentage rate which exceeds boys, yet they have continued to receive comparatively little attention, either in policy, research or the media. This study uses ecomapping and semi‐structured interviews to examine the challenges girls face and the resources they use to address or ameliorate them. The paper provides an overview of the data collected, considers how the prevalent challenges reported by girls compare to existing research and suggests a number of approaches which could be taken to support girls. It reflects on girls' lack of visibility and voice in policy and research on school exclusions, how this has continued to affect the services and support available to them, and schools' responses to their behaviour. It concludes by reviewing the recommendations previous studies have advocated to support girls at risk of exclusion and reflects on the progress made towards these, noting how current issues of school funding, teacher recruitment and attrition, performativity and accountability have impacted on the scope of action it is possible for individual schools to take.

Factors Influencing Academic Achievement Among College Students: The Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Student Engagement and Demographics

<p style="text-align: justify;">The issues of poor academic outcomes, dismissal, high attrition, and dropout rates among college students have long concerned for many educators and college communities. Several scholars have posited that these problems can be addressed through the development of emotional intelligence and increased student engagement. Considering these problems, the present study aimed to assess the efficacy of emotional intelligence and student engagement in improving academic performance. The sample of the study consisted of 119 undergraduate students selected using the convenience sampling technique. Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test and Student Engagement Scale were adopted to measure emotional intelligence and student engagement respectively. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) served as a measurement of academic achievement in the present study. Results from regression analyses revealed that certain components of emotional intelligence and academic engagement demonstrated a significant prediction effect on academic performance. From demographics, students’ programs of study showed a significant relationship with academic achievement. The present findings may provide directions for the college communities in fostering student engagement and emotional intelligence, thereby improving academic achievement of their students. The study also discusses limitations and future research directions.</p>

Attrition problems at food delivery app companies: is there a way out?

Learning outcomes After analysing this case study, students will be able to understand the relationship between compensation, reward management and gig workers’ behaviour; apply the theory of organizational behaviour related to compensation management to address the motivational issues; analyse the challenges in managing the gig workers’ expectations related to compensation; and design innovative ways of retaining gig workers, especially delivery partners among the gig workers. Case overview/synopsis In April 2022, Riya, who worked as a business development manager at a newly established food delivery app company named “Our Kitchen” (located in Hyderabad, India), attended a meeting where the chief executive officer expressed concern about the difficulty in retaining their delivery partners. The company provided food delivery services to the customers by procuring ordered food from partner restaurants in select Indian cities. The delivery partners of the company worked part-time and received a commission for the hours they worked. With the rising fuel cost, minimal career growth and negligible social security benefits, it was hard for them to continue in their jobs. As a result, there were high attrition rates in the food delivery company. This case study is about the attrition issue being faced by the company and explores various strategies through which Riya could think of retaining the delivery partners so that there was a win-win situation for both parties. The dilemma given in the case study would help in understanding the motivational theories and factors that encouraged delivery partners to work for these jobs. Complexity academic level The case study is ideally suited for discussing human resources concepts, especially problems related to the retention of delivery partners without reducing the profit of the organization. It will help in understanding the motivational factors leading to job satisfaction and how that will help in the retention of delivery partners. The case study can also be used to teach the executives in a management development programme. This will help them to understand the gig workers’ motivational factors and the causes of their attrition. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human resource management.

Addressing Teacher Attrition in the Nkoranza North District: Insights and Strategies for Retaining Educators in Ghana

There appears to be a massive exodus of teachers from the educational field to other sectors in Ghana. Educational scholarships in Ghana, however, have centred more on the role of teachers in educational outcomes than on teacher turnover in underserved areas. This study delves into the persistent issue of teacher attrition in the Nkoranza North District of Ghana, seeking to understand the root causes and propose effective retention strategies. The study employed a qualitative research approach with a narrative design to gather data from 30 participants using focus group discussions and personal interviews. The collected data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The major findings reveal a consensus among participants on the pivotal role of salary increments, professional development opportunities, recognition of the teaching profession, involvement of teachers in policy-making, and prioritising teacher well-being in mitigating attrition. To address this critical issue, a multifaceted approach focusing on competitive salaries, on-going professional development, involvement in policy decisions, recognition, and holistic teacher well-being support is recommended to foster a motivated and dedicated teaching workforce, ultimately benefiting the education system in the Nkoranza North District and beyond.

Designing and evaluating a big data analytics approach for predicting students’ success factors

Reducing student attrition in tertiary education plays a significant role in the core mission and financial well-being of an educational institution. The availability of big data source from the Learning Management System (LMS) can be analysed to help with the attrition issues. This study aims to use an integrated Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to develop and evaluate a novel Big Data Analytical Solution (BDAS) as an educational decision support artefact. The BDAS as DSR artefact utilises Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches to predict potential students at risk. Identifying students at risk helps to take timely intervention in the learning process to improve student academic progress for increasing their retention rate. To evaluate the performance of the predictive model, we compare the accuracy of the collection of representational AI algorithms in the literature. The study utilized an integrated DSR methodology founded on the similarities of DSR and design based research (DBR) to design and develop the proposed BDAS employing an specific evaluation framework that works on real data scenarios. The BDAS does not only aimto replace any existing practice but also support educators to implement a variety of pedagogical practices for improving students’ academic performance.

Conceptualizing a Mentoring Framework for Samoan and Pacific Island Teachers

As teachers continue to leave the teaching profession Ministries of Education continue to find ways to address this problem. Research indicated mentoring as an effective approach to support novice teachers (Stock & Duncan, 2010) resulting in many countries developing mentoring programs. Research found that teacher mentoring programs positively impact teacher retention (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011), however Tomlinson (2019) argued that there is lack of structure to guide mentors within many mentoring programs. Knight et al. (2014) showed some concerns regarding the practice of those individuals who are involved in mentoring of novice teachers and went on to emphasize the importance of identifying and defining mentoring strategies. Moreover, Will (2017 cited by Tomlinson 2019) stressed the value of quality mentoring and the need for mentors to establish a defined set of mentoring strategies for effective facilitation of professional development of new teachers. In a similar vein, Schwan, Wold, Moon, Neville, and Outka (2020) citing Breaux and Wong, (2003); Callahan (2016); Darling-Hammond (2012; White & Mason, 2003) also stressed the importance of developing organized and meaningful mentoring programs to address the issue of teacher attrition. While numerous studies have been conducted on mentoring programs elsewhere however there is dearth research on a structured and meaningful mentoring program within the Pacific including Samoa. There is a great need to develop a mentoring program within the Samoan context as this can develop mentors’ knowledge and understanding in supporting teachers and to address the teacher attrition problem.

Workforce Attrition Among Male and Female Physicians Working in US Academic Hospitals, 2014-2019

Retaining female physicians in the academic health care workforce is necessary to serve the needs of sociodemographically diverse patient populations. To investigate differences in rates of leaving academia between male and female physicians. This cohort study used Care Compare data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for all physicians who billed Medicare from teaching hospitals from March 2014 to December 2019, excluding physicians who retired during the study period. Data were analyzed from November 11, 2021, to May 24, 2022. Physician gender. The primary outcome was leaving academia, which was defined as not billing Medicare from a teaching hospital for more than 1 year. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted adjusting for physician characteristics and region of the country. There were 294 963 physicians analyzed (69.5% male). The overall attrition rate from academia was 34.2% after 5 years (38.3% for female physicians and 32.4% for male physicians). Female physicians had higher attrition rates than their male counterparts across every career stage (time since medical school graduation: <15 years, 40.5% vs 34.8%; 15-29 years, 36.4% vs 30.3%; ≥30 years, 38.5% vs 33.3%). On adjusted analysis, female physicians were more likely to leave academia than were their male counterparts (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.23-1.28). In this cohort study, female physicians were more likely to leave academia than were male physicians at all career stages. The findings suggest that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts should address attrition issues in addition to recruiting more female physicians into academic medicine.

On Influencing Factors of Lexical Attrition

One of the key research issues of language attrition is lexical attrition. There have been a great number of empirical studies investigating the influencing factors of second language lexical attrition for more than 40 years. This article aims at clarifying the concept of language attrition and discuss the main influencing factors of lexical attrition, and suggesting potential directions for future research. After analyzing the relevant studies, we find the influencing factors of lexical attrition can be roughly divided into two categories, including objective factors such as attrition time, language acquisition methods, influencing factors related lexis, etc. and subjective factors of learners such as learners’ age, gender, emotional factors and so on. Combined with the factors that affect lexical attrition, this paper finally talks about the enlightenment on foreign language vocabulary teaching for China.

Paraeducators’ Journey to Teacher Licensure: Critical Supports and Challenges

Paraeducators are considered to be a promising pool of future teachers who can help schools address the issues of teacher shortages, attrition and diversification. Paraeducators, known to be highly motivated and familiar with classroom environments, typically have work experience in fields where teacher shortages exist such as bilingual and special education. They are also more likely to share cultural and linguistic similarities with K-12 students. However, as nontraditional college students, paraeducators face academic, social, and financial challenges in their postsecondary education. In this article, we share the experiences of three case study participants who pursued the transition from paraeducator to licensed teacher. Based on a review of relevant literature and the perspectives of participants, we suggest embedded supports that promote success for paraeducators in teacher preparation programs. In addition, we provide suggestions for creating strategic partnerships between teacher preparation programs and school districts to support paraeducators in their career development.

Creating Inclusive Syllabi: Recommendations From the Field

Attrition is a persistent concern across online campuses. Because online programs often attract greater numbers of nontraditional, diverse students, attrition issues can especially impact learners from underrepresented groups. Modifications in language and communication, starting with the course syllabus, can create a foundation for an inclusive and supportive learning community. We describe our own process of revising the syllabus template within a counselor education program at a large, online university, via the Student Experience Project (SEP). We offer recommendations for current and future practice and concrete suggestions for higher education faculty members across disciplines.

Educational and employment outcomes associated with childhood traumatic brain injury in Scotland: A population-based record-linkage cohort study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability among young children and adolescents and the effects can be lifelong and wide-reaching. Although there have been numerous studies to evaluate the impact of childhood head injury on educational outcomes, few large-scale studies have been conducted, and previous research has been limited by issues of attrition, methodological inconsistencies, and selection bias. We aim to compare the educational and employment outcomes of Scottish schoolchildren previously hospitalised for TBI with their peers. A retrospective, record-linkage population cohort study was conducted using linkage of health and education administrative records. The cohort comprised all 766,244 singleton children born in Scotland and aged between 4 and 18 years who attended Scottish schools at some point between 2009 and 2013. Outcomes included special educational need (SEN), examination attainment, school absence and exclusion, and unemployment. The mean length of follow up from first head injury varied by outcome measure; 9.44 years for assessment of SEN and 9.53, 12.70, and 13.74 years for absenteeism and exclusion, attainment, and unemployment, respectively. Logistic regression models and generalised estimating equation (GEE) models were run unadjusted and then adjusted for sociodemographic and maternity confounders. Of the 766,244 children in the cohort, 4,788 (0.6%) had a history of hospitalisation for TBI. The mean age at first head injury admission was 3.73 years (median = 1.77 years). Following adjustment for potential confounders, previous TBI was associated with SEN (OR 1.28, CI 1.18 to 1.39, p < 0.001), absenteeism (IRR 1.09, CI 1.06 to 1.12, p < 0.001), exclusion (IRR 1.33, CI 1.15 to 1.55, p < 0.001), and low attainment (OR 1.30, CI 1.11 to 1.51, p < 0.001). The average age on leaving school was 17.14 (median = 17.37) years among children with a TBI and 17.19 (median = 17.43) among peers. Among children previously admitted for a TBI, 336 (12.2%) left school before age 16 years compared with 21,941 (10.2%) of those not admitted for TBI. There was no significant association with unemployment 6 months after leaving school (OR 1.03, CI 0.92 to 1.16, p = 0.61). Excluding hospitalisations coded as concussion strengthened the associations. We were not able to investigate age at injury for all outcomes. For TBI occurring before school age, it was impossible to be certain that SEN had not predated the TBI. Therefore, potential reverse causation was a limitation for this outcome. Childhood TBI, sufficiently severe to warrant hospitalisation, was associated with a range of adverse educational outcomes. These findings reinforce the importance of preventing TBI where possible. Where not possible, children with a history of TBI should be supported to minimise the adverse impacts on their education.

Self-revocation of nurse licences in Finland - nursing response to deteriorating workplace and patient safety: Implications for future nursing action.

To communicate trends in nurse licence revocation in Finland and examine policies and legislation that have implications for future nursing responses to workplace hazards. The causes of the shortage of nurses working in Finland are multifactorial and complex. Nurses are joining trade unions and taking industrial action in response to the devaluation of their profession and the underpayment of nurses during the pandemic. The Health Care Professions Act in Finland allows nurses to apply voluntarily to withdraw or revoke their licence using online digital tools - and many are doing so as a last resort. A declining nursing workforce is anticipated, with retiree trends increasing while nurse recruitment decreases over the next few decades. Nurses' remuneration and working conditions have suffered during the pandemic, and industrial actions organised by trade unions that include nurses have advocated for the policy and decision-making process to improve, but with mixed results. The process of how legislation enables licence revocation in Finland is essential to understanding this new phenomenon. Advocacy for nurses, who are disadvantaged within the current pandemic emergency response policy environment, is needed across every nursing context and every career stage. Without support, nurses confronted with precarious working conditions are more likely to draw attention to their plight by using recent legislation to revoke their nursing licences voluntarily. A revocation may be temporary or permanent. Nurses need advocates and mentors to address attrition issues around the voluntary withdrawal of licences. The situation in Finland offers trade unions and nursing associations an opportunity to validate their existence in society. Public displays of distress about the political undervaluing of the nursing profession discourage applications to study nursing and pursue a nursing career or remain in the nursing profession. International experience tells us that when proficient nurses exit the profession, the level of patient safety and health benefits and national productivity suffer. Finland's Nursing Act is an aspect of policy that needs exploring and the basis for amending policies to enable collective bargaining agreements to protect the rights and future of nurses. Reactive policies for recruiting foreign nurses to bolster a failed domestic nursing workforce policy have their own problems. These policy issues reflect the problems facing nurses worldwide.

Human Resources Attrition: A Case Study on X-BPO

This study focuses on the phenomenon of human resources (HR) attrition within the context of a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company. The objective is to comprehensively explore the causes, consequences, and mitigation strategies of HR attrition in the BPO sector. Through a case study approach, quantitative and qualitative data have been collected to delve into the intricacies of this complex issue. The study aims to provide insights that not only benefit X-BPO but also contribute to the broader understanding of HR attrition in similar industries. By analyzing the unique challenges faced by X-BPO and its efforts to navigate the evolving labor landscape, this research seeks to unfold the practical mysteries of HR attrition before HR practitioners and organizational leaders deal with attrition issues.