The Driving Forces Behind Teacher Attrition and Its Multifaceted Face in Language Teaching

Abstract

This review aims at exploring the factors behind teacher attrition at different education levels over the last twenty years in foreign and second language teaching contexts. To do so, the researcher has consulted academic search engines and identified fifteen studies with a focus on novice or seasoned English and other language teachers across the world. Having analysed their foci and methodology and created key themes through descriptive content analysis; the researcher identified social, personal, and institutional factors. Findings indicate that poor teacher identity development and lack of potential opportunities both for teaching career and professional communities, and low self-efficacy besides the problem of classroom management have been the primary reasons for attrition. Furthermore, workforce, teacher burnout, school policy, the perception of 'teaching' as a low-paid job, diversity in expectations, high-stakes assessments, as well as the gap between pre-service and in-service education have further contributed to this trouble.