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Looking for adventure or just love teaching? Maria Casson investigates the motivations of today’s global educators What is it that drives thousands upon thousands of men and women to uproot their lives and take their teaching skills to a foreign land to become overseas teachers? That is the question I sought to answer after many years of teaching abroad and witnessing first hand this flux of teacher migrants. I am not the only person to ponder this question it would seem, as school administrators and recruiters across the globe vie for teachers in an ever-decreasing pool of educators. In fact, a 2016 UNESCO report suggested a need for an extra 3.2 million teachers by 2030, just to tackle universal primary education. That’s a staggering number. This has led to an urgent focus on the recruitment and retention of teachers, as well a move to encourage students into the profession. Teachers are being enticed to move abroad, not only to fill these occupational gaps, but also to serve a growing network of international schools around the world. As with many national schools, international schools are facing teacher shortages and teacher turnover. While some teacher turnover is expected, it takes considerable effort and funds for international schools to recruit and attract new staff. The worldwide presence of international schools has grown enormously. According to the latest research by ISC Research (2018a and 2018b), one important reason for this upward Autumn
Spring |
| 2019
trend is that an international education is no longer viewed as a solution for expatriate families only, but as a valuable option for local families seeking a globally-recognized international education. As of May 2018, there were 9,605 English-medium international schools around the world and, at this current rate of growth, it is predicted that by 2028 there could be over 16,000 international schools. With expected growth in this sector, the demand for teachers will inevitably expand, and recruitment agencies and international school boards will need to be increasingly creative in how they set about attracting teachers. Understanding the motivations of today’s teachers may give them added insight. So what motivates this influential group of people? What drives them? Motivations Let’s first take a look at motivation itself. There are two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is characterized by behaviors performed out of enjoyment and interest, pleasure and satisfaction inherent in the activity, as well as the innate pleasure and satisfaction derived from exploring, learning and understanding new things. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation refers to behaviors that are performed for determined outcomes, such as actions
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