Understanding the Job Satisfaction and Retention of Overseas-Hire Teachers: A Dimension of International School Improvement

Abstract

International schools are characterised by a high turnover of overseas-hire (OSH) staff, which can be detrimental to institutional stability, disruptive to student learning, and furthermore, may be an indicator of organisational dysfunction. With the rapidly rising global demand for international education, educators now have the opportunity to work in virtually every country of the world. Potential OSH teachers are offered lucrative contracts to entice them to leave their national systems and work within international schools abroad. However, the adjustment process following international relocation is often fraught with stress, anxiety and disorientation, which can impact upon an employee's ability to work effectively. Grounded theory method was used to study a sample of OSH teachers working in international schools in a Latin American country. Focus group discussions, written reflections and in-depth interviews were used in the collection of data. The perceptions of the OSH teachers revealed a range of factors that impinge upon their job satisfaction and turnover decisions. These factors were organised into high, moderate and low control factors, according to the degree of influence international schools are able to exert over each factor. The teachers' responses indicate that many of the factors that most powerfully impact upon OSH teacher job satisfaction and retention are well within the purview of international school managers. The grounded theory developed in this study offers the managers of international schools insight for developing interventions targeting the human resource management of OSH teachers. It is through a process of awareness, action and reflection that international schools will be able to meaningfully enhance the quality of OSH teachers' professional lives and create conditions that will encourage these teachers to stay at the school beyond their initial contracts.