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Why do some schools struggle to retain staff? Development and validation of the Teachers' Working Environment Scale (TWES)

Sims, S; (2021) Why do some schools struggle to retain staff? Development and validation of the Teachers' Working Environment Scale (TWES). Review of Education , 9 (3) , Article e3304. 10.1002/rev3.3304. Green open access

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Abstract

Many school systems face recurring shortages of qualified teachers. Research suggests that improving teachers’ working environment is one way of improving teachers’ job satisfaction and retention in the profession. However, working environment is inconsistently measured in the literature, hampering cumulation of knowledge. This article develops the first validated teacher-report measure of working environment. Theory and empirics were synthesised to define relevant constructs, then focus groups, expert consultation and cognitive interviews with teachers were used to generate and refine items. The resulting questionnaire displayed the hypothesised factor structure in two samples of teachers. The scale also showed strong predictive validity and the results help resolve a puzzle around the importance of workload in the existing empirical literature. Through improved measurement, the scale can help identify steps by which school leaders can improve retention.

Type: Article
Title: Why do some schools struggle to retain staff? Development and validation of the Teachers' Working Environment Scale (TWES)
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1002/rev3.3304
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3304
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership > Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10139677
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