Due to the teacher shortage and high teacher drop-out rates, Education Regions are being formed (regional cooperation between different stakeholders). At the same time, the need for permanent appointments for, and flexible employability of, teachers is increasing. Both can have far-reaching consequences for teacher commitment. This research contributes to insights for policy and practice on what commitment is, which person and appointment characteristics affect it, how it develops and how (unwanted) dropout can be prevented. These insights are relevant for teacher retention and for the quality of education in primary and secondary schools.
In this cross-sectoral study, we unravel the complexity of commitment by using a person-centred, multi-foci approach that has not been applied in Dutch education before, but has great potential given international insights. The formation of Education Regions offers a unique opportunity to investigate the development of commitment of both starting and experienced teachers, as on the one hand they focus on promoting permanent (regional) appointments, and on the other hand on the flexible deployment of teachers.
This PhD research identifies commitment profiles of teachers and examines their determinants and effects. It also examines how commitment profiles evolve. In a mixed-method design, four sub-studies are distinguished: 1) Which commitment profiles of teachers exist, and what is the relationship of these profiles with personality characteristics and appointment characteristics?, 2) What are teachers' experiences with the way they are appointed and its impact on commitment: a placement and exploration perspective?, 3) How do these commitment profiles develop, and what are the effects on innovative work behaviour, performance and intention to drop out of the profession?, 4) What is the role of commitment among teachers who are at risk of leaving the profession? The results contribute to a better understanding of teacher commitment in the context of changing employer behaviour.
The research project was funded by the NRO. Part of the research project is a consortium. The central assumption in consortium formation is that the various stakeholders represented in the Education Regions are also represented in the consortium. In our case, these are: Forerunners of Education Regions (including boards and teacher training colleges), school boards, unions, and academics; always with spread across po, vo and mbo. Because the subject matter of the research is not limited to one educational region but plays out nationwide, we ensured involvement from various regions in the Netherlands.
Besides four scientific articles and a dissertation, this project will be concluded with a final conference and developed materials will be made available via the research page of the Radboud Teachers' Academy.