Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 44 no. 3 (2025)

Attrition and Turn Over: Exploring the Multifaceted Factors Influences Teachers’ Career Decisions

Mabel Encabo | Myra Ambalong

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This study investigated multifaceted factors contributing to teacher attrition in the Division of Iligan City. It focused on four major factors influencing teacher attrition: personal, professional, organizational, and socio-economic, employing qualitative inquiry through a phenomenological research method. The study involved ten former teachers from Division of Iligan City, who left their positions for other opportunities. Data were collected through interviews using open-ended questionnaire, allowing respondents to articulate their experiences and perspectives. The analysis utilized specialized qualitative data software, including NVivo, MAXQDA, Atlas.ti, QDA Miner, and Dedoose, to process the narratives and identify significant themes. Findings revealed that personal factors such as workload, worklife balance, burnout, family responsibilities, and financial security heavily influenced teacher attrition, highlighting the need for reduced workloads and support for personal stability. Professional factors emerged as critical contributors, with themes of perceived inequities in promotion, inconsistent recognition, lack of support, and limited professional development opportunities driving teachers' decisions to leave public school positions. Organizational factors, including heavy workloads, administrative burdens, and inadequate resources and infrastructure, were significant challenges that led to exhaustion and frustration among educators. Socio-economic factors, such as salary issues, insufficient benefits, and financial insecurity, underscored the need for competitive compensation and support for financial stability. Efforts to curb attrition and enhance teacher retention were expected to be in place with programs, such as competitive salaries, benefit packages, and workload management, performance-based incentives, and professional development.



References:

  1. Agyapong, B., Donkor, G.O., Burback, L., & Wei, Y. (2022). Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among teachers: A scoping review. Int J Environment Res Public Health.
  2. Añonuevo, J. P. (2021). Public school teachers and the cost of living: A case study in Metro Manila. Philippine Education Review, 33(2), 45–62.
  3. Alanoğlu, M. & Demirtaş, Z. (2021). The effect of bureaucratic school structure on teachers’ job satisfaction: The mediator role of the                organizational justice. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership.
  4. Atasoy, R. (2020) The relationship between school principals’ leadership styles, school culture and organizational change. Journal of Progressive Education, 16(5), 256-274.
  5. Baluyos, K. (2019). Teachers’ job satisfaction and work performance. Open Journal of Social Science.
  6. Bayram, I., Duyar, Y., Karakose, T., & Kaplan, H. I. (2024). An Investigation Of teachers’ perspectives on favoritism in schools: implications for       educational policy and practice. Educational Process: International Journal.
  7. Bandhu, D., Mohan, M.M., Nitalla,N.A.P., Jadhav, P., Bhadauria, A., & Saxena, K.K. (2024). Theories of motivation: A comprehensive analysis of human behavior drivers. Acta Psychologica.
  8. Borman, G.D. & Dowling, N.M. (2019). Teacher attrition and retention: A meta-analytic and narrative review of the research.
  9. Brandon, A. (2024). Why Are teachers quitting?  Journal Publication.
  10. Braid, F.R. (2024). An alarming rate of teacher attrition. Manila Bulletin.
  11. Bustos, C. M., & Marapao, A. M. N. (2025). Financial literacy and work-life balance: Its relationship to public school teachers’ performance.  International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(2), 1505–1513.
  12. Caballero, L. F., & Villanueva, R. M. (2023). Legacy and labor: Intergenerational perspectives on teaching careers in the Philippines. Asian Journal of Educational Studies, 12(1), 13–29.
  13. Cahilog, D., Sarong, J.S., & Arcilla Jr., F.E. (2023). Exploring the motivations and challenges of teachers leaving DepEd for overseas opportunities. Randwick International of Education and Linguistics Science Journal.
  14. Cammayo, P. M. T., Aquino, C. S., & Gomez, M. G. A. (2023). Factors predicting stress and burnout of Filipino teachers engaged in remote        learning. Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations, 39.
  15. Casingal, C.P. & Ancho, I.V. (2021). financial literacy challenges: The case of Filipino public-school teachers. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen.
  16. Celdran, M. (2020). Leadership styles and job satisfaction in the colleges of nursing among the Universities in Zamboanga City.    International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change.
  17. Chin, J. M.-C., Ching, G. S., del Castillo, F., Wen, T.-H., Huang, Y.-C., del Castillo, C. D., Gungon, J. L., & Trajera, S. M. (2022). Perspectives on             the barriers to and needs of teachers’ professional development in the Philippines during COVID-19. Sustainability, 14(1), 470.
  18. Cho, K., Tsuda, E. &Ward, P. (2023). Developing adaptive teaching competence in preservice physical education teachers.
  19. Choi, S. ( 2019). I hope to protect myself from the threat: The impact of  self-threat on prevention-versus promotion-focused hope. Journal of Business Research.
  20. Chua, R. (2023). Teacher leadership in the Philippines: Evaluating its impact on K-12 education reform. Journal Publication.
  21. Cruickshank, V. & MacDonald, A. (2019). Teachers who feel appreciated are less likely to leave the profession.
  22. Dahal, R. (2021). Headteachers in difficult circumstances: A study of school leaders in post-conflict, post-disaster Nepal. International Repository.
  23. David, A. & Vizmanos, R. (2019). Pressures on public school teachers and implications on quality. Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
  24. Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2020). Teacher resilience: Managing stress and fostering professional well-being. Routledge.
  25. De Guzman, M., & dela Cruz, R. (2022). Workload, compensation, and teacher attrition: A qualitative inquiry into public school educators’ experiences. Philippine Journal of Educational Management, 60(1),       89–107.
  26. Del Castillo, F.A. (2021). Dungaw: Re-imagined religious expression in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(4), 2285–2305.
  27. Deng, C., Gulseren, D., Isola, C., Grocutt, K., & Turner, N. (2022). Transformational leadership effectiveness: An evidence-based primer.           Human Resource Development International Journal.
  28. DepEd Order No. 9, s. 2002. on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE).
  29. DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016. The learning action cell as a K to 12 basic education program school-based continuing professional development strategy for the improvement of teaching and learning.
  30. DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017: National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. A systematic review of literature on teacher attrition and school-related factors that affect it. Teacher Education Advancement. Network Journal.
  31. Employee & Consumer Engagement. (2021). People element’s 2021 employee engagement report.
  32. Erturk, R. (2022). The effect of teachers’ quality of work life on job satisfaction and turnover intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research (IJCER).
  33. Esguerra, D.J. (2018). DepEd urged to lighten teacher workloads following suicide reports. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  34. Fiorilli, T. (2019). Teachers’ burnout: The role of trait emotional intelligence and social support. Sec. Organizational Psychology.
  35. Garcia, E. & Weiss, E. (2019). The teacher shortage is real, large and growing, and worse than we thought. Economic Policy Institute.
  36. Garcia, E. & Weiss, E. (2020). Examining the factors that play a role in the teacher shortage crisis. Economic Policy Institute.
  37. Gavade, R., Sidotam, S., & Varanasi, R. (2023). Teacher migration and its implications on local educational systems: A comparative policy review. International Journal of Comparative Education Policy, 9(1), 34–48.
  38. Gavin, M. & Champ, S.M. (2024). Teacher workload and the organization of work: a research agenda for a post-pandemic future. Labor and Industry. https://doi.org/10.1080/10301763.2024.2357891.
  39. Gibbons, T.B. (2023). Workplace factors that contribute to teacher intent to leave the profession. Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
  40. Gomez, C. & Hacker, G. (n.d.). why employee recognition programs fail. Evergreen. https://www.evergreen.so/blog/.
  41. Gorni, R.L., Nurdin, D., Permana, J., & Satori, D. (2024). Teacher retention In crisis: Informing policy to keep Ghanaian educators in classrooms. Inovasi Kurikulum.
  42. Gudelos, J. T., & Mabitad, B. D. (2025). Work-related stress, workloads, and performance: A case of senior high school teachers. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(1), 1457–1471.
  43. Gui, R. (2019). Mobile media education as a tool to reduce problematic smartphone use: Results of a randomized impact evaluation. Computer & Education, vol. 194.
  44. Hanks, Davies, Christensen, Harris, & Bowles. (2019). Teacher recruitment: factors that predict high school students’ willingness to become teachers. Education Sciences.
  45. Hill, J. & Papay, J. (2022). Building better PL: How to strengthen teacher learning. Journal Publication.
  46. Heffernan, A., Longmuir, F., & Thomson, P. (2024). There’s just too much on our plates”: Understanding teacher workload and burnout in underfunded systems. Australian Educational Researcher, 51(1), 89–      107.
  47. Holmes, Y. (2019), Artificial intelligence in education. promise and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign HR Daily Newsletter, 2021. HR technology and employee benefits Business Learning Resources.
  48. Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L., & Stuckey, D. (2021). The changing face of teaching: New patterns and challenges in the teacher workforce. Consortium for      Policy Research in Education.
  49. Ismail & Abdullah, (2019). The Effect of School Leaders’ Authentic Leadership on Teachers’ Job Stress in the Eastern Part of Peninsular Malaysia. International Journal of Instruction.
  50. Jaksic, I. & Malinic, D. (2019). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of factors contributing to school failure and their relationship to prior personal experience of school success. Psihologija.
  51. Jomuad, P.D., Antiquina, M.M., Cericos, E.U., Bacus, J.A., Vallejo, J.H., Dionio, B.B., Bazar, J.S., Cocola, J.V. & Clarin, A.S. (2021). Teachers’ workload in relation to burnout and work performance. International          Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review.
  52. Junio, N. F. (2024). The implications of immediate removal of administrative tasks of public-school teachers [Doctoral dissertation, Department of   Education].
  53. Kataha, T. (2019). Relationship between human resource management practices and general organizational performance in Secondary Schools in Namutumba District.  Direct Research Journal of       Management and Strategic Studies.
  54. Kim, K.N. (2019). Teachers’ administrative workload crowding out instructional activities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education.
  55. Kim, K.N. & Buric, R. (2020). Teacher self-efficacy, instructional quality, and   student motivational beliefs: An analysis using multilevel structural equation modeling. Learning and Instruction, vol.66.
  56. Kraft, M. A., Simon, N. S., & Lyon, M. A. (2021). Sustaining a sense of success: The importance of principal leadership for teacher morale in high-poverty schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 57(4), 611–646.
  57. Karlberg & Bezzina. (2022). The professional development needs of beginning and experienced teachers in four municipalities in Sweden. Professional Development in Education, Volume 48.
  58. Kreuzfeld S, Felsing, C. & Seibt R. (2022). Teachers’ working time as a risk factor for their mental health - findings from a cross-sectional study at German upper-level secondary schools. Front Psychol.doi:10.3389/fpsyg. 2022.829333.
  59. Laguna, J. M., Culajara, C. J., & Culajara, J. P. M. (2023). Examining the work-life balance of teacher-parents in one secondary school in the Philippines: A phenomenological study. e-Jurnal Penyelidikan dan Inovasi, 10(2).
  60. Landry, T. (2020). Applying self-determination theory to understand the motivational impact of cash rewards: New evidence from lab experiments. National Library of Medicine.
  61. Lozano, C. A. (2022). Family aspirations and career decisions among Filipino educators. International Journal of Educational Futures, 8(4), 119–138.
  62. Magar, D.K.S. (2023). secondary level EFL teachers’ perceptions, practices, and challenges of implementing case in public schools in Nepal: A narrative inquiry.
  63. Mathews, O.A, Jeremiah, K.M., & Ursilla, O.A. (2021). Influence of characteristics of work-life balance on teachers’ levels of job   satisfaction in public secondary schools in Nairobi, Kenya.
  64. Mansaray, A. A. (2022). Teachers’ perceptions of policy implementation in developing countries: A review of governance and agency. International Journal of Educational Development, 89, 102528.
  65. Martínez-López, J. Á., Lázaro-Pérez, C., Gómez-Galán, J., & López-Meneses,           E. (2023). Prevalence of burnout among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 4866.
  66. Miranda, S. R., & Castillejo, F. P. (2020). The community as ally or adversary:            Social pressures and the well-being of teachers. Education and Society Journal, 14(3), 56–74.
  67. Mulyapradana, T. (2022). Identification of the effectiveness of higher    education marketing strategies using social media. National Center for Education Statistics.
  68. Niyang, B. (2023). Educational challenges in the Philippines. Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
  69. Nguyen, T., Pham. L.D., Crouch, M., & Springer, M.G. (2019). The correlates of teacher turnover: An updated and expanded Meta-analysis of the       literature. Educational Research Review.
  70. OECD. (2022). Education at a glance 2022: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.
  71. Odden. (2020). The 2020 recalibration of Wyoming’s education resource block grant model. Picus Odden 2020 Recalibration Report 10-14-            20(Final 12-1-20).
  72. Olarte, J. P., & Tagadiad, C. L. (2025). Perceived instructional supervision of school heads, work-life balance of teachers.
  73. Ortega-De la Cruz, R. (2021). Attrition of private and public-school teachers: A comparative analysis.
  74. Osman, A.J., Adanza, L. (2024). Examining teachers’ perspectives on the new changes to the promotion system of the department of education: Basis for career path orientation program. JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research.
  75. Parker, L. & Gibson, D. (2019). Rethinking teacher retention in hard-to-staff schools. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 12(1), 29–34.
  76. Perez, A. (2023). Teachers ‘in debt’ due to lack of benefits.
  77. Pew Research Center. (2023).
  78. Pim, G. (2020). Exploring organizational factors causing teacher attrition in primary schools in the Netherlands: A multiple regression study. Behavioral, Management and Social Sciences.
  79. Plaza, R.C. & Jamito, K.O. (2021). Financial conditions and challenges among public school teachers: Its implication to their personal and professional lives. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies.
  80. Pressley,T. (2021). Factors contributing to teacher burnout during COVID-19. Sage Journals.
  81. Rajendran, Y. (2023). The impact of continuous professional development on teacher retention and performance. Unpublished Thesis.
  82. Ramos, Y. & Hughes, T. (2020). Could more holistic policy addressing classroom discipline help mitigate teacher attrition? JEP: eJournal of Education Policy, v21 n1.
  83. Rasanen, H. (2020). Why leave the teaching profession? A longitudinal approach to the prevalence and persistence of teacher turnover intentions. Social Psychology of Education 23(3). Recruitment and Retention Strategy (2019a). U.S. Office of Personnel       Management.
  84. Redding, R. (2019). Impacts of environmental and socio-economic factors on emergence and epidemic potential of Ebola in Africa. Nature           Communications volume 10, Article number: 4531.
  85. Republic Act No. 4670 sec. 13.1966. The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
  86. Reyes, D. & Daud, S. (2023). The impact of socio-economic status on academic achievement. Journal of Social Sciences Review 3(2):695-705.
  87. Reyes, T. Santos, J.& Tan, P. (2021). Inspiring journeys of resilience and success of working. Southeast Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies.
  88. Riaz, M.A. (2020). The impact of organizational politics on employee   performance in UK based organizations. UWTSD-London Campus.
  89. Rocque, S.R., Rocque, R.G., & Malhotra, N. (2024). Towards a better understanding of teacher recognition in society: Issues and challenges.
  90. Ross, E. (2023). Turning around teacher turnover: The sticking power of high-quality K-12 professional learning.
  91. Sabina, L.L., Cells, P., Touchton, D., Brown, R.S., & Sabina, K.L. (2023). Addressing teacher retention within the first three to five years of employment. Athens Journal of Education.
  92. Suson, D. & Capuno, T. (2020). Educational research productivity road map: Conclusions from the identified research barriers and variables. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences 15(5):1154-1169.
  93. Sapsal, J.P. (2019). Please do not let me go: Factors affecting teachers; retention in the Our Lady of Fatima Academy of Davao. Unpublished Thesis.
  94. Seppala, L. & Smith, R. (2019). Teaching awards in higher education: A qualitative study of motivation and outcomes. Studies in Higher Education Volume 45.
  95. Scott, D. (2024). Impact of financial literacy and financial capability on students’ self-efficacy. Journal Publication.
  96. Sims, S. & Allen, R. (2020). Identifying schools with high usage and high loss of newly qualified teachers. Cambridge University Press.
  97. Shah, S.M., Noranee, S., Munir, Z.A., & Noranee, S. (2024). The influence of work-life balance, workload and work environment on burnout among teachers in Melaka Tengah District, Malaysia. Information Management and Business Review. 
  98. Shoib, R. (2022). Exposure to violence and the presence of suicidal and self harm behavior predominantly in Asian females: scoping review. Middle            East Current Psychiatry volume 29, Article number: 62.
  99. Spruyt, B., Droogenbroeck, F.V., Borre, L.V.D., Emery, L., Keppens, G., & Siongers, J. (2021). Teachers perceived societal appreciation: PISA outcomes predict whether teachers feel valued in society. International Journal of Educational Research.
  100. Stress, Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression among Teachers (2022): A comprehensive review; Frontiers in Psychology.
  101. Sulit, R., Ryos, Y., Talope, T. & Wangyu, H. (2020). Increasing elementary and middle school teacher retention through meaningful distributive leadership practices. ICPEL Education Leadership Review, Vol. 21, No. 1.
  102. Sykes, L. & Martin, T. (2019). Cross-national comparative research in planning – some things to consider. Town and country planning: the quarterly review of the Town and Country Planning Association 88(7):312-319.
  103. Tancinco, N. (2019). Status of teachers’ workload and performance in state universities of Eastern Visayas: Implications to educational management. Journal of Business and Management. DOI: 10.9790/487X-1806044657.
  104. Tarraya, H.O. (2022). Teachers’ workload policy: its impact on Philippine public- school teacher (public policy analysis and review). Puissant.
  105. Taylor, D.A.B. (2020). Newly hired teachers’ perspectives on factors that influence their attrition or retention. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection.
  106. Tomacruz, S. (2019). PIDS to DepEd: Review teachers’ workload to improve quality of education.
  107. Torres, R. & Weiner, S. (2022). The impact of work environment and teacher        attributes on teacher job satisfaction. educational process, International Journal.
  108. Vatanartiran, T. & Karadeniz, R. (2020). The Impact of work environment and teacher attributes on teacher job satisfaction. Educational Process, International Journal.
  109. Wahab, N.Y.A. Rhaman, R.A., Mahat, H., Hudin, N.S., Ramdan, M.R., Razak, M. N.A., & Yadi, N.N.M. (2024). Impacts of workload on teachers’ well being: A systematic literature review. TEM Journal.
  110. Wang, H. & Hall, N.C. (2019). A systematic review of teachers’ causal attributions: Prevalence, correlates, and consequences. Front.Psychol. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/full.
  111. Wang, X., Yang, L., & Zheng. Y. (2024). Understanding teacher emotional exhaustion: exploring the role of teaching motivation, perceived autonomy, and teacher–student relationships. Front Psychol.
  112. Wei Ker, Y. (2022). The impact of work environment and teacher attributes on      teacher job satisfaction. International Journal, v.11, pp.28-39.
  113. Will, M. (2022). The gap between teacher pay and other professions hits a new high. how bad is it? The Teaching Profession. 
  114. Zhou. H., Yao. J., Zhang, Y., & Huang, H. (2023). The influence of teachers’ intrinsic motivation on students’ intrinsic motivation: The mediating role of teachers’ motivating style and teacher‐student relationships. Psychology in the Schools.

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic