Link: Wellbeing and Working Conditions in the Arkansas Teacher Workforce
In the spring of the 2023-2024 school year, we developed the Arkansas Teacher Survey in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Education. The survey was deployed in May of 2024 to a representative sample of Arkansas teachers. A total of 2,721 teachers responded to our survey. The survey included multiple measures of job satisfaction, feelings of success as a teacher, job-related stress, degree of coping with stress, and intentions to leave the profession. Additionally, teachers reported on different supports they received, the level of collaboration with colleagues, the number of hours they worked outside their contract, and their perceived working environment. This research brief discusses the survey’s main results.
SUMMARY
- To better support a healthy teacher workforce, it is crucial to understand their job satisfaction, stress, and intentions to leave the profession.
- While most Arkansas teachers (86%) report being satisfied being an educator, we identify several potential areas for improvement.
- Teachers report that managing student behavior is their primary source of stress.
- Thirteen percent (13%) of teachers reported they plan to leave their current school.
- When asked why they were considering leaving their current school, teachers reported feeling unsupported, lacking influence over school policies, and insufficient planning time.
- Regular assessments of teacher well-being and job satisfaction can help us identify teachers’ needs and implement effective support measures, ultimately promoting a healthier work environment and enhancing teacher retention.
