Pandemic and Teacher Retention: Empirical evidence from Ex-Pat Teachers in Southeast Asia during COVID-19

Abstract

Teacher retention is the backbone of any education system over the globe. Regarding the normal situation, even the top-tier schools always have to focus on this issue to prevent their loss of human resources assets, which require vast amounts of capital on recruitment, learning, and growth. During the crisis time, the notion of teacher retention is even more complicated, and the yearning to revitalize the learning force is crucial. Educational leaders have to tackle both internal and external challenges, which might be out of their capabilities. This study examines the perception of crisis and the intention to leave among 307 ex-pat teachers in Southeast Asia during COVID-19 and highlights the importance of policy responses, and social engagement toward the minimum teacher turnover rate. In particular, the higher perceived policy responses and community engagement the teacher has, the lower chance they will move to another country. Also, this paper presents the differences in ex-pat teachers’ perceptions and intentions among demographic factors such as teaching qualification, their current country of teaching, experience at the current country, income before, during, and expected income after COVID-19.

Keywords: Teacher engagement, Teacher retention, COVID-19, Theory of planned behaviour (TPB), Southeast Asia, International school, Ex-pat teacher