This 2024 study highlights the importance of maintaining a stable early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, essential for enabling family employment and positive child outcomes. Globally, retaining qualified early childhood educators remains a challenge. This research explores the factors influencing educators' and center directors' intentions to leave the profession, using survey responses from 713 professionals and detailed feedback from 97 participants.
Key findings include:
- One in three professionals intend to leave the sector, with over half planning to do so within five years.
- Emotional exhaustion is a significant predictor of this intention.
- For center directors, higher personal accomplishment and older age increase the likelihood of intending to leave.
- For educators, lower satisfaction with pay, benefits, and lower qualification levels are critical factors.
Qualitative data reveal that feeling undervalued, increased demands with inadequate support, and workforce issues drive the intention to leave. Addressing these factors through targeted interventions could improve workforce stability. This study is particularly relevant in Australia, where supporting the ECEC workforce is a current political focus, presenting an opportunity for meaningful changes.
Publication:Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Year of Publication:2024
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