A Study on Teacher Salary and Teacher Turnover Intention in Rural Primary and Secondary Schools

doi:10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2019.01.012

Abstract

Abstract:

In rural backwards areas teacher recruitment and retention remains a major problem in many countries. In order to improve the overall quality of rural teachers, the Chinese government has issued a number of important policy documents to attract, retain and encourage outstanding teachers in recent years. Among them, teacher's salary is an important policy tool, and its effect remains to be observed. In this paper, we used questionnaire survey data from five counties in Liaoning, Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing and Guangxi Provinces in 2016, and using investment model and compensatory wage difference theory to explore the relationship between teachers' salary and their turnover intention in rural primary and secondary schools. The results show that about 20% of the rural teachers tended to leave. The average salary of rural teachers in five counties was lower than that of urban employees in the same period. Teachers' salary level is the primary factor that affects teachers' turnover intention, and existing rural teachers' subsidies (153 yuan monthly) are too low to retain teacher. Non-monetary factors, such as students' group characteristics and teacher professional development activities, also have significant impact on teacher turnover intention. Male and unmarried teachers are more likely to leave. Also, the related policies of retaining rural teachers are discussed.

Key words: rural teacher, teacher salary, teacher subsidy, teacher turnover intention

DU Ping, XIE Yao. A Study on Teacher Salary and Teacher Turnover Intention in Rural Primary and Secondary Schools[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa, 2019, 37(1): 103-115+169.

References

安雪慧. (2014). 我国中小学教师工资水平变化及差异特征研究. 教育研究,(12), 44-53.
曾新, 付卫东. (2014). 内生发展视域下农村小规模学校教师队伍建设. 教育发展研究, (06), 73-79.
杜屏, 朱菲菲, & 杜育红. (2013). 幼儿教师的流动、流失与工资关系的研究. 教育与经济, (06), 59-65.
范国锋, 王浩文, & 蓝雷宇. (2015). 中小学教师流动意愿及其影响因素研究——基于湖北、江西、河南3省12县的调查. 教育与经济, (02), 62-66.
国家统计局.(2017). 中国统计年鉴(2017). 取自:http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/zxfb/201705/t20170527_1498372.html.
姜金秋. (2017). 教师的吸引保留与激励——义务教育教师工资体系研究. 北京:首都经济贸易大学出版社.
马红梅. (2012). 教师收入增长机制刍议:基于甘肃农村的实证研究. 清华大学教育研究, (04), 103-109.
曲恒昌,曾晓东(2011).OECD国家中小学教师工资制度的逻辑基础.比较教育研究, (02),22-26.
任琳琳, & 邬志辉. (2013). 国外实施"艰苦边远地区教师津补贴政策"状况分析. 比较教育研究, (03), 99-104.
容中逵. (2014). 农村教师薪酬问题研究——来自浙江、河北、四川三省的调研报告. 教育研究, (03), 144-150.
王艳玲, 李慧勤. (2017). 乡村教师流动及流失意愿的实证分析——基于云南省的调查. 华东师范大学学报(教育科学版), (03), 134-141+173.
邬志辉. (2017). 中国农村教育发展报告2017. 中国教师报, 2017-12-27,(011).
薛海平, & 唐一鹏. (2017). 理想与现实:我国中小学教师工资水平和结构研究. 北京大学教育评论, (02), 17-38+186-187.
杨东平. (2017). 中国教育发展报告(2017).北京:社会科学文献出版.
由由. (2013). 教师流动的微观影响因素——经济理论与美国实证研究. 教育与经济, (04), 65-72.
于兰兰, 吴志华. (2011). 农村义务教育阶段教师流失的现状调查与原因分析——基于辽宁省两县的调查. 教育测量与评价(理论版), (06), 22-25.
赵忠平, 秦玉友. (2016). 谁更想离开?——机会成本与义务教育教师流动意向的实证研究. 教育与经济, (01), 53-62.
An, Xuehui. (2018). Teacher Salaries and the Shortage of High-Quality Teachers in China's Rural Primary and Secondary Schools. Chinese Education & Society, 51(2), 103-116.
Bright, L. (2008). Does Public Service Motivation Really Make a Difference on the Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions of Public Employees?. American Review of Public Administration, 38(2), 149-166.
Chambers, J. (2010).Compensating Differentials in Teacher Labor Markets. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.). International Encyclopedia of Education (Third Edition) (pp. 465-472). Oxford:Elsevier.
Clotfelter, C., Glennie, E., Ladd, H., & Vigdor, J. (2008). Would Higher Salaries Keep Teachers in High-Poverty Schools? Evidence from a Policy Intervention in North Carolina. Journal of Public Economics, 92(5), 1352-1370.
DeJaeghere, J. G., Chapman, D. W., & Mulkeen, A. (2006). Increasing the Supply of Secondary Teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa:A Stakeholder Assessment of Policy Options in Six Countries. Journal of Education Policy, 21(5), 515-533.
Dolton, P., & Klaauw, W. van der. (1999). The Turnover of Teachers:A Competing Risks Explanation. Review of Economics and Statistics, 81(3), 543-550.
Dolton, P., & Klaauw, W. von der. (1995). Leaving Teaching in the UK:A Duration Analysis. Economic Journal, 105(March),431-444.
Falch, T. (2011). Teacher Mobility Responses to Wage Changes:Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment. American Economic Review, 101(3), 460-465.
Goldhaber, D., Destler, K., & Player, D. (2010). Teacher Labor Markets and the Perils of Using Hedonics to Estimate Compensating Differentials in the Public Sector. Economics of Education Review, 29(1), 1-17.
Grissom, J. A.,Viano, S. L., & Selin, J. L. (2016). Understanding Employee Turnover in the Public Sector:Insights from Research on Teacher Mobility. Public Administration Review, 76(2), 241-251.
Hanushek, E. A., & Rivkin, S. G. (2006). Teacher Quality. In E. Hanushek & F. Welch (Eds.). Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 2, pp. 1051-1078). St. Louis:Elsevier.
Hanushek, E. A., Kain, J. F., & Rivkin, S. G. (2004). Why Public Schools Lose Teachers. Journal of Human Resources, 39(2), 326-354.
Jung, C. S. (2012). Why Are Goals Important in the Public Sector?Exploring the Benefits of Goal Clarity for Reducing Turnover Intention. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 24(1), 209-234.
Lee, G., & Jimenez, B. S. (2011). Does Performance Management Affect Job Turnover Intention in the Federal Government?. American Review of Public Administration, 41(2), 168-184.
Monk, D. H. (2007). Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Rural Areas. The Future of Children, 17(1), 155-174.
Murnane, R. J., & Olsen, R. J. (1989). The Effect of Salaries and Opportunity Costs on Duration in Teaching:Evidence from Michigan. Review of Economics and Statistics, 71(2), 347-352.
Murnane, R. J., & Olsen, R. J. (1990). The Effects of Salaries and Opportunity Costs on Length of Stay in Teaching:Evidence from North Carolina. Journal of Human Resources, 25(1), 106-124.
OECD. (2016). Education at a Glance 2016. Paris:OECD Publishing.
OECD.(2005).Teachers Matter:Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers. Paris:The Secretary-General of the OECD.
Sjaastad, L. A. (1962). The Costs and Returns of Human Migration. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5), 80-93.
Stinebrickner, T. R. (1998). An Empirical Investigation of Teacher Attrition. Economics of Education Review, 17(2), 127-136.

[1]	Yanling Wang. The Change of Influencing Factors of Rural Teachers’ Turnover Intention: The Comparison before and after the Implementation of the Rural Teachers Support Plan of Yunnan Province (2015—2020) [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2023, 41(9): 85-99.
[2]	Qiong Li, Yiwen Lin, Qing Wang, Songli Wang. “Thriving” or “Retreating”: A Qualitative Study on Chinese Rural Teachers’ Workload and Job Crafting Mechanism [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2023, 41(9): 38-55.
[3]	Yuanyuan Zhang, Fangfang Xue. Pre-compensation or Post-incentive: Research on the Breach of Contract by Rural-oriented Normal Students under the Rural Revitalization Strategy [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2022, 40(6): 44-56.
[4]	Xiuhong Zhu, Shanhuai Liu, Shuang Wang. The Policy Logic, Implementation Trap and Reform Logic of the Construction of Rural Teachers under the Rural Revitalization Strategy [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2022, 40(6): 16-30.
[5]	Shanhuai Liu, Shuang Wang, Xiuhong Zhu. Research on the Decision Mechanism of Rural Teachers’ Salary Income under the Rural Revitalization Strategy [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2022, 40(6): 1-15.
[6]	Zhengde Xiao. An Analysis on the Influencing Factors of Rural Teachers’ Willingness of the Role Play of New Rural Sages in the Rural Revitalization Strategy [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2021, 39(7): 92-106.
[7]	Guoqiang Li, Zhiyuan Li. The Fitting Strategy of Inter-school Exchange Between Urban and Rural Teachers: An Investigation Based on “Person-Organization Fit” [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2021, 39(4): 83-95.
[8]	WANG Yanling, LI Huiqin. An Empirical Analysis of Rural Teachers' Intention of Turnover: Based on the Survey in Yunnan Province [J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa, 2017, 35(3): 134-141+173.