Former teachers’ perceptions of post-teaching career job satisfaction: lessons for the profession

Teachers worldwide are rethinking their commitment to the profession and their traditional roles in schools and classroom teaching, evidenced by significant global rates of teacher attrition and subsequent teacher shortages. Research aimed at deepening our understanding of teachers’ decisions to leave the profession has primarily reported on teachers’ intentions to leave the profession, with limited insights from former teachers. In this paper, we report on the second phase of a national study in Australia that focused on understanding teacher attrition from the perspectives of former teachers and their post-teaching work experiences. Framed by the concept of work satisfaction, we draw on in-depth interviews with 25 former teachers from across the country to understand the motivating factors shaping their post-teaching work experiences. Using thematic analysis, the findings revealed the power of professional autonomy, trust, and care as enablers of work satisfaction. These findings have the potential to identify the necessary changes at the individual, school, and systemic levels that would encourage a return to teaching in schools and strategies aimed at enhancing retention.