Teacher attrition in Chile: Reasons for leaving the classroom and conditions for coming back

Abstract

Chile is among the countries with the highest teacher attrition rate. However, at present there is not much research on this issue. In particular, we know little about the reasons why our teachers decide to leave the classroom. In this paper we present the results of a qualitative study, the purpose of which was to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon. By means of 28 interviews conducted with primary teachers who had quitted teaching, we found that the most frequent motivations for making that decision are having other interests, taking a management position, dissatisfaction with wages and working conditions at school, a sensation of not being considered as a professional, and the pursuit of further studies. There is also a disenchantment stemming from the influence of standardized measurements upon the school system.