Longitudinal Teacher Education and Workforce Study (ltews) Final Report

3.6 Long-term career intentions of graduate teachers and factors influencing these intentions

This section discusses the long-term career intentions of the graduate teacher respondents and the factors influencing these intentions. Box 7 lists the main findings of this section.

Box 7. Main Findings: Long-term career intentions Most respondents of the survey indicated their intention to remain in the profession in the next three years. However, the percentage who saw themselves as a teacher in a school in three years’ time decreased from 71 per cent to 64 per cent during the 12 months. This is partly accounted for by the number of these teachers intending to seek school leadership positions (an increase from 10 to 14 per cent). Over 7 per cent of the respondents saw themselves working outside of teaching/ education altogether. Fewer graduate teachers with masters or graduate diploma qualifications saw themselves teaching in three years’ time than for the group as a whole (e.g. Round 1: 66 and 68 per cent compared to 71 per cent for all graduates). A higher percentage of graduates with masters degrees saw themselves in an education policy or research position in three years. Secondary teacher graduates saw themselves as less likely to be teaching in three years’ time and more likely to be in leadership positions, when compared to early childhood or primary teachers. The greatest influence on plans for the future in relation to teaching was whether or not graduates had a teaching position during the time of the survey. Graduates who had a teaching position were more likely to see themselves teaching in three years’ time than graduates without a teaching position. This was evident for all three rounds. Free text responses in the surveys as well as the follow-up telephone interviews suggest that employment status (for example, contracts finishing, moving to take more permanent work), as well as personal and family reasons along with the levels of support in the schools for beginning teachers (or lack thereof) all had some influence on graduates’ decisions to move or change teaching positions.

Graduate teachers’ plans for three years’ time

Table 54 shows where graduate teachers see themselves in three years’ time. Over the three rounds of surveys, the percentage of respondents who saw themselves as a teacher in a school has decreased from 71 to 64 per cent. Those who saw themselves in a leadership position in a school has increased from 10 to 14 per cent, and those who saw themselves working outside of teaching altogether increased slightly, from three to six per cent.


Table 54. Graduate teachers’ plans for three years’ time

	Round 1		Round 2		Round 3
	n	N	n	%	n	%
Working as a teacher in a school	891	71.0	1,675	69.4	1,277	63.6
Working as a teacher in an alternative setting; i.e. adult education	67	5.3	111	4.6	109	5.4
In a leadership position in a school	128	10.2	281	11.6	282	14.0
In an education project, policy or research position	38	3.0	74	3.1	73	3.6
Working outside of teaching/education altogether	43	3.4	97	4.0	114	5.7
Other	88	7.0	175	7.3	153	7.6
TOTAL	1,255	100.0	2,413	100.0	2,008	100.0

When these data are analysed in relation to program type and area of teacher education program, the results indicate some statistically significant differences between groups, as shown in the Figure and Table below. ‘

Figure . Graduate teachers’ plans for three years’ time – by program type

Note: For all three rounds, p<0.01

Across the three rounds of surveys there were less graduate teachers with a masters or graduate diploma who saw themselves teaching in a school in three years’ time than for the group as a whole (e.g. Round 1: 66 and 68 per cent compared to 71 per cent for all graduates, as shown in the Table above). Conversely, there were more graduate teachers with a masters qualification who saw themselves in a leadership position in a school (e.g. Round 1: 15.1 compared to 10.2 per cent).

In Round 3, there was a larger percentage of those with a graduate diploma who saw themselves teaching in an alternative setting (7.5 per cent compared to 5.4 per cent for the group altogether). Graduate teachers with a masters had a higher percentage than the group as a whole, and saw themselves in an education policy or research position in three years’ time (e.g. Round 1: 6.3 per cent compared to 3 per cent; Round 2: 6.7 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent).

Table 55 shows the percentages across plans for three years’ time by the program area of the graduates’ teacher education program.

Table 55. Graduate teachers’ plans for three years’ time – by program area

	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3
Early childhood
Working as a teacher in a school	84.0	69.0	71.9
Working as a teacher in an alternative setting	8.0	2.3	6.3
In a leadership position in a school	0.0	4.6	6.3
In an education project, policy or research position	0.0	5.7	3.1
Working outside of teaching/education altogether	4.0	4.6	1.6
Other	4.0	13.8	10.9
Primary
Working as a teacher in a school	78.0	76.7	72.2
Working as a teacher in an alternative setting	4.2	3.8	3.3
In a leadership position in a school	6.7	8.2	11.0
In an education project, policy or research position	2.7	2.6	3.2
Working outside of teaching/education altogether	1.6	3.2	4.8
Other	6.9	5.6	5.5
Secondary
Working as a teacher in a school	65.4	62.4	55.5
Working as a teacher in an alternative setting	6.2	5.5	7.3
In a leadership position in a school	12.7	15.9	17.6
In an education project, policy or research position	2.9	3.5	3.9
Working outside of teaching/education altogether	4.5	4.7	6.7
Other	8.3	8.1	9.0

Note: For all three rounds, p<0.01

In Round 1, more early childhood graduates had plans to be working as a teacher in a school (84 per cent compared to 71 per cent for all graduates at this Round 1 point in time). Whilst 10 per cent of all graduates in Round 1 saw themselves in a leadership position in a school, no early childhood respondents saw themselves in this role at this time. A lower percentage of secondary graduates saw themselves working as a teacher in a school (65.4 per cent compared to 71 per cent for all graduates at this point in time) but a higher percentage saw themselves in a leadership role (12.7 per cent compared to 10 per cent for all).

In Round 2, early childhood graduates were less likely to say they saw themselves in a leadership position (4.6 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent for all graduates). Primary graduates were more likely to see themselves working as a teacher (76.7 per cent compared to 69.4 per cent for all graduates). Secondary graduates were more likely to see themselves in a leadership role (15.9 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent).

In Round 3, both early childhood and primary graduates were more likely to see themselves in a teaching role in a school in three years’ time (71.9 and 72.2 per cent, respectively, compared to 63.6 per cent for all graduates). Early childhood graduates were less likely to see themselves in a leadership position (6.3 per cent compared to 14 per cent), and more likely to indicate an 'other' alternative (10.9 per cent compared to 7.6 per cent). Secondary graduates were less likely to see themselves in a teaching role in a school (55.5 per cent compared to 63.6 per cent), and more likely to see themselves in a leadership position (17.6 per cent compared to 14 per cent).

Factors influencing plans for the future

The graduate characteristic that had the greatest influence on plans for the future in relation to teaching was whether or not graduates had a teaching position at the time of the survey rounds. Figure 20 below shows graduates' plans for three years’ time by their current employment as a teacher in a school.

In Round 1, graduates without a teaching position were less likely to see themselves teaching in a school in three years’ time (65.2 compared to 71 per cent for all graduates), more likely to see themselves teaching in an alternative setting (10.2 per cent compared to 5.3 per cent for), less likely to see themselves in a leadership position (3.2 per cent compared to 10.2 per cent for all graduates) and more likely to see themselves working outside of teaching altogether (8.3 per cent compared to 3.4 per cent of all graduates). In Round 2, the pattern was similar to Round 1.

Graduates without a teaching position were less likely to see themselves teaching in a school in three years’ time (58.3 compared to 69.4 per cent for all graduates), more likely to see themselves teaching in an alternative setting (8.5 per cent compared to 4.6 per cent for), less likely to see themselves in a leadership position (1.8 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent for all graduates) and more likely to see themselves working outside of teaching altogether (13.3 per cent compared to 7.4 per cent of all graduates).
Figure . Graduate teachers plans for three years’ time – by currently employed as a teacher in a school
Note: For all three rounds, p<0.01

In Round 3, which, for the majority of graduates in the surveys, was early in their second year after graduating, the differences between those without a teaching position and all graduate respondents is even more marked. Forty-five per cent saw themselves working as a teacher in a school in three years’ time (this is 63.6 per cent for all graduates), 11. 5 per cent saw themselves teaching in an alternative setting (compared to 5.4 per cent), 2 per cent in a leadership position in a school (14 per cent for all graduates) and 17.9 per cent working outside of teaching altogether (this is 5.7 per cent of graduates altogether).

4.