Work Conditions that Promote Teacher Satisfaction and Retention

Abstract

This study focuses on teachers in Lebanon who face several challenges. This study aims to identify factors that promote teacher job satisfaction and their perceptions of the work conditions that help in retaining them. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, exploring teachers' views on their work conditions and their impact on their decision to stay. The study was conducted in two schools located in Beirut, with a purposeful sample of 100 teachers who took an online survey (10 of them voluntarily agreed to sit for an interview). The study aimed to provide valuable insights for school administrators whose aim is to lower their turnover rate and retain their qualified teachers. It emphasized the essential role of effective school leadership in promoting an environment that supports teachers and empowers them to reveal the leaders in themselves. The study revealed that elementary and middle school teachers valued the relationship they have with their school leaders who trust them and support them as well as school leaders who demonstrate strong leadership skills. This was evident in both schools. Moreover, the study revealed that teachers are more satisfied and willing to stay in their school when they are supported when dealing with student conduct. For future studies, it is important to widen the range of teachers included to compare the perceptions of teachers who teach different curricula and different levels as well as including a diverse range of schools that reflect diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in Lebanon that are not only located in the capital, Beirut.