Transcript Document

A Global Study of International
Teacher Recruitment
PRESENTED BY DALE COX
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BEIJING
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
WITH
COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SERVICES
SEARCH-ASSOCIATES
Essential Questions
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What is successful recruiting?
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What are teachers looking for? What are the implications
of that?
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What does the process look like in 2011-12?
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What trends/changes will occur in the next five years?
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How does this information help a school improve its
recruiting efforts?
Activity One
What are the changes and
trends in recruiting?
Part I: Demographic Profile of
Candidates
Gender
41%
59%
Male
n = 1,543
Female
Age
20%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
21 -25
n = 1,543
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-64
65+
Years of Full-time Teaching Experience
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
n = 1,543
1-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21-25 years
26-30 years
31-35 years
36-39 years
40 and more
years
Years of Full-time Overseas Teaching Experience
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1-5 years
n = 1,543
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21-25 years
26-30 years
31-35 years
Nationality
4%
15%
US
7%
49%
Candadian
UK
14%
Australian
12%
New Zealand
Other
n = 1,543
Dependent Children
29%
71%
n = 1,543
Yes
No
Teaching Partner
35%
65%
Yes
n = 1,543
No
Preferred Teaching Level
25%
31%
Elementary
27%
Middle School
18%
High School
High School IB or
AP
n = 1,543
Part II: The Recruiting Process
Total Recruiting Agency Registrations
7%
26%
One
68%
Two
Three or
more
n = 1,543
Job Fairs Attended
1%
8%
15%
None
One
76%
Two
Three or
more
n = 646
Completed Fair Process
31%
69%
Yes
No
n = 782
Reasons for Not Completing Full Fair Process
5%
17%
28%
Chose not to go
international
No job match found
50%
Hired before
fair/directly
Other
n = 259
Targeted Specific Regions
28%
Yes
72%
n = 1,543
No
First and Second Choice Regions
3%
11%
7%
5%
Africa
Asia-Pacific
11%
36%
Europe
Middle East
28%
n = 1,543
North
America
Employed in Preferred Region
33%
Yes
67%
No
n = 709
Employed at Preferred School
52%
48%
Yes
No
n = 709
Activity Two
What characteristics of schools
and jobs are most influential in
candidate choices?
Part III: Candidate Perceptions
of Schools/Jobs
Underlying Factors in the Recruiting Process
Seven underlying factors
(in order of strength of influence)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Relationship with school leadership
External work conditions
Professional satisfaction
Personal well-being
Professional growth
Compensation and career advancement
Wanderlust (the desire to travel/explore)
n = 1,543
Years of Full-time Teaching Experience
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1-5 years
6-10 years
n = 1,543
11-15 years
16-20 years
21-25 years
26-30 years
31-35 years
36-39 years
40 and more
years
Years of Full-time Overseas Teaching Experience
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1-5 years
n = 1,543
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21-25 years
26-30 years
31-35 years
Less Overseas Experience:
Variables valued more than experienced teachers
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Opportunities for travel and cultural exploration*
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Availability of resources and materials/equipment for doing job*
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Safety of environment*
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Social relationships with colleagues*
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General work conditions*
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Opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others*
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Job description or responsibilities
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Classroom resources
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Opportunities for professional development
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Opportunities for professional advancement or promotion
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Job security
n = 1,543 *Significant at .001 level
More Overseas Experience:
Variables valued more than those with less experience
Benefits (e.g. health insurance, retirement)*
 Salary*
 Influence over workplace policies and practices*
 Support from administrators
 Employment for spouse
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n = 1,543 *Significant at .001 level
Stages of the Recruiting Process
 At the time of job decision, responses to nearly all
variables were lower than at the beginning of
the process.
 One variable tended to remain the same or
increase at the time of job decision: perception
of how things are run at the school.
Dependents
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Variables valued significantly more by those without dependents:
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Social relationships with colleagues*
Making a difference for others*
Travel and cultural exploration*
How things are run at the school*
Job description and responsibilities
Sense of accomplishment
Resources and materials
Autonomy in classroom
General work conditions
Intellectual challenge
Learning from colleagues
Support from administrators
Variables valued significantly more by those with dependents:
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Benefits*
Employment for partner*
Salary
Balancing personal life and work
Security and safety in host country
n = 1,543 *Significant at .001 level
Gender
Variables valued significantly more by males:
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Employment for partner*
Variables valued significantly more by females (in order of strength of difference)
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Social relationships with colleagues*
Resources and materials--general*
Work conditions*
Travel and cultural exploration*
Administrative respect for teachers*
Classroom resources*
Job description*
Safety of environment*
Personal security and safety in host country*
Manageability of workload
Job security
Sense of personal accomplishment
Support from administrators
Making a difference for others
Professional advancement and promotion
Intellectual challenge
Class size
The way things are run at the school
Ability to balance personal life and work
Autonomy over classroom
n = 1,543 *Significant at .001 level
Partner
Variables valued significantly more by those with a partner:
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Employment for partner*
Variables valued significantly more by those without a partner:
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Social relationships with colleagues
Sense of personal accomplishment
Classroom resources
Travel and cultural exploration
Performance evaluation procedures
Intellectual challenge
n = 1,543 *Significant at .001 level
Preferred Teaching Level
 No patterns of difference, except candidates preferring
AP/IB positions
 Variables valued significantly more by those preferring
AP and IB teaching:
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Teaching assignment/grade level
 Variables valued significantly less by those preferring AP
and IB teaching:
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n = 1,543
Social relationships with colleagues
Resources and materials for doing the job
Job security
Travel and cultural exploration
Personal security and safety of environment
Activity Three
What are the implications for
recruiting at your school?
Part IV: Research on International
School Teacher Turnover
NESA Region Study
 What…? 248 teachers in NESA schools (2009)
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Average turnover rate in 22 NESA schools was 17%, ranging from 0%
to 60%
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Strongest correlate in retention was supportive head of school
 Other correlates:
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Age
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Satisfaction with salary
Mancuso, S., Roberts, L., & White, G.P. (2010). Teacher retention in
international schools: The key role of school leadership. Journal of Research
in International Education, 9, 306-323.
CIS Study
 What variables most influential in turnover
decisions?
 281 teachers from CIS database (2007)
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Administrative leadership
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Compensation
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Personal characteristics
Odland, G., & Ruzicka, M. (2009). An investigation into teacher turnover in
international schools. Journal of Research in International Education, 8, 5-29.
Tanganyika Case Study
 What recruitment and retention factors influence
international teacher employment decisions?
 (To be added…)

Wood, P.D. (2007). Factors affecting faculty turnover at an international school.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
Part V: Implications
What does it mean?
 The relationship with school leaders is critical,
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especially for closing the deal
Differentiated approaches to recruitment make
sense
Hiring prior to fairs is a significant trend
What attracts a candidate and what closes the deal
are not the same
Experience changes teacher priorities in
recruitment: personal vs. career focus
Salary and benefits are “pass/fail” criteria?
Studies of International Teacher Recruitment
and Turnover

Cox, D. (2011). A global study of international teacher recruitment. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.

Hardman, J. (2001). Improving recruitment and retention of quality overseas teachers. In S.
Blandford, & M. Shaw (Eds.), Managing International Schools (pp. 123-135). New
York: Routledge.
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Mancuso, S., Roberts, L., & White, G.P. (2010). Teacher retention in international
schools: The key role of school leadership. Journal of Research in
International Education, 9, 306-323.

Odland, G., & Ruzicka, M. (2009). An investigation into teacher turnover in international
schools. Journal of Research in International Education, 8, 5-29.

Wood, P.D. (2007). Factors affecting faculty turnover at an international school.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
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Author contact for additional information about this study:
[email protected]