Wednesday Research Seminar Series - Organisational conditions contributing to teacher turnover

Teacher recruitment and retention are significant challenges to high quality education in many countries. In this paper Dr Mohammed explores factors contributing to teacher turnover and job satisfaction and uses these to suggest strategies that could help to overcome the problem. The discussion will be of interest to all those involved in teacher education, induction and professional development. The study deployed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design to examine organisational conditions influencing teacher turnover decisions and job satisfaction in private schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Findings indicated that teachers perceived low support from leaders in student-related matters, professional recognition, professional goal advancement, involvement in decision-making, and collaborative culture. Teachers also perceived a high workload and a low work-life balance. These findings have implications for professional development programmes for school leaders focusing on talent management strategies that enable supportive structures and professional collaboration opportunities while balancing teacher workload. Focusing on these factors can improve teachers' working conditions, satisfaction, and retention.

Presenter Bio

Dr. Ambreen Mohammad completed her doctorate at Johns Hopkins University, US with a specialization in entrepreneurial leadership. She is the recipient of a merit scholarship in leadership and management research from Johns Hopkins University. Before working in academia, she was the vice principal of two K-12 international schools in the UAE. Ambreen has consulted international edtech organizations and has served as a professional development designer and facilitator across the UAE and Asia. She is a certified Kagan instructional coach. Her areas of research include teacher retention, building high trust organizations, talent management, professional learning communities and cooperative learning. At Middlesex University, Ambreen has taught areas spanning, Teaching and Learning, Leadership and Management, Technology Integration, Research Methods and Dissertation Writing. In addition to supervising master’s dissertations at Middlesex University, she serves on the doctoral committee at Johns Hopkins University. In 2018, Ambreen was awarded the Innovation and Creativity Award for her work in increasing student engagement.  

Look forward to seeing you at the seminar!