The supply, recruitment and retention of teachers

Hulme, Moira ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-3880 (2022) The supply, recruitment and retention of teachers. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Teacher Education Research. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-15. ISBN 9783030595333 (online)

Accepted Version File will be available on: 5 April 2025. Available under License In Copyright. Download (324kB)

Abstract

Challenges to the supply of well-prepared and effective teachers persist across diverse education systems. This chapter considers the socio-political and technical complexity of reconciling demand and supply in the recruitment and retention of teachers. Within finite expenditure, workforce planning must balance need across school phases, subjects and localities, taking into account teacher mobility and turnover, changing demographics, curriculum policy and future learning needs. As a result, it is not uncommon for teacher shortages, under-representation and over-supply to coexist. This chapter outlines the impact of patterns of differential attrition on teaching quality and educational equity, and considers alternative policy strategies to secure and diversify the teacher workforce.