Recruitment and Retention of Online Teachers

Citation

Timke, E. & DeBruler, K. (2022). Recruitment and Retention of Online Teachers. Michigan Virtual University. https://michiganvirtual.org/research/publications/online-teacher-recruitment-retention

Abstract

According to data collected from a 2021 Launch Michigan educator survey, two out of three Michigan educators would not recommend education as a career field (Launch Michigan, n.d.). In a recent MVLRI study on Michigan teachers and administrators’ social and emotional needs, nearly two-thirds of teachers surveyed considered leaving their jobs during the 2020-21 academic year (Timke & DeBruler, 2021). Such findings do not signal an enthusiastic and optimistic outlook among teachers about their jobs and the future of education in Michigan and beyond. 

Layered on top of these alarming concerns are the tremendous pressures that have been placed on teachers to shift to online teaching during emergency remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for online education has been on the rise for years and will only continue to increase (Tamm, 2022), but will there be enough professionals willing to teach online given the broader declines in teacher recruitment and retention? What keeps online teachers from staying in their jobs? What keeps people from becoming online teachers in the first place? And what has been done and can be done to address these concerns? This study examines the recruitment and retention of online teachers with an eye toward effective practices in averting a shortage of online teachers.

Authors

  • DeBruler, Kristen
  • Timke, Ed

Reference Type

Report

Keywords

  • Online teaching
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