Investigation of early career teacher attrition and the impact of induction programs in Western Australia

This paper contributes to the limited knowledge about Australian early career teacher (ECT) attrition. The population studied included ECTs employed by the Department of Education Western Australia from 2004–2018. This quantitative study focused on ECT attrition rate and profiling ECTs who were likely to leave teaching, and used mixed-methods to investigate ECTs university preparation, intent to stay, resignation reasons and the combined supports received while employed. Study findings reinforced the need for a standardised definition and method of measuring attrition to enable comparisons, and provided information to optimise conditions in retaining ECTs. Ultimately, this will inform planning for teacher workforce supply and provide justification to continue the scale and scope of support for ECTs to address ECT attrition