Teacher learning as work and at work: exploring the content and contexts of teacher professional development

With recruitment into teaching becoming more difficult, the spectre of teacher shortage raises questions about teacher retention, especially given recent negative comment about teaching. This article offers an analysis of some of the characteristics of the 4000 Scottish teachers who left the profession in the year 1997-98. The study looked at the age, gender, sector, length of experience and registration status of those who left. It found that, while some left teaching early in their working lives and, as would be expected, a goodly number remain to nearly retirement age, there is a pattern of departures at all stages which constitutes a considerable loss of expertise to the profession. The findings generate questions about the average length of a modern teaching career and the costs of losing experienced staff well before retirement age.