Upbeat has released a new research report shedding light on the critical impact between belonging and wellbeing and teacher retention. Titled "Belonging & Wellbeing: Key Pieces of the Teacher Retention Puzzle", the report highlights the crucial importance of supporting educators' sense of belonging and wellbeing as one of the strongest relationships with teacher retention.
NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Upbeat, an innovative teacher retention organization led by former educators and school administrators, has released a new research report shedding light on the critical impact between belonging and wellbeing and teacher retention. Titled "Belonging & Wellbeing: Key Pieces of the Teacher Retention Puzzle", the report highlights the crucial importance of supporting educators' sense of belonging and wellbeing as one of the strongest relationships with teacher retention.
Authored by Dr. Havala Hanson and Dr. Matthew A. Kraft, the report reviews responses from over 15,000 teachers on Upbeat's Engagement Survey for Instructional Staff in fall 2021. Upbeat's survey consists of 23 research-based categories to improve teacher retention, including Belonging & Wellbeing. Dr. Hanson and Dr. Kraft found that a 10 percentage point increase in positive perceptions of Belonging & Wellbeing on the survey is correlated with a 6 percentage point increase in school retention rates.
"Creating school environments that foster a sense of belonging for all teachers and prioritize their wellbeing is critical but challenging work," Dr. Kraft shared. "Our analyses highlight the importance of these efforts for supporting teacher retention and building schools where teachers thrive."
The report highlights the following key findings:
- Improved Belonging & Wellbeing is tied to increased retention: The higher a school's Belonging & Wellbeing score on Upbeat's survey, the higher its overall retention rate. Schools demonstrating elevated rates of Belonging & Wellbeing experience a teacher retention strength over 16 percentage points higher than schools with lower rates of Belonging & Wellbeing.
- Belonging and wellbeing is critical for specific groups: Strong cultures of belonging and wellbeing are especially important for early career teachers and teachers in elementary and middle schools. Early career teachers who responded affirmatively to all six questions related to Belonging & Wellbeing exhibited retention rates 18 percentage points higher than their counterparts who agreed with three or fewer questions.
- Belonging & Wellbeing relates to other key categories: Teachers in schools with high levels of agreement with Belonging & Wellbeing are likely to have positive perceptions of work/life balance, appreciation, and a strong sense of professional satisfaction and purpose.
- Implications for Education Leaders: The report provides actionable insights for school administrators and district leaders to enhance school culture and foster belonging and wellbeing in their school communities.
"We believe that by understanding the nuanced relationship between belonging, wellbeing, and teacher retention, we can contribute to the creation of more supportive and fulfilling educational environments for educators, ultimately for the betterment of students across the country," said Upbeat Founder and CEO Henry Wellington.
The complete research report is available for download here and on teachupbeat.com.
For more information, please contact: Kate Chizek, Director of Marketing, [email protected], 319-383-0688.
Media Contact
Kate Chizek, Upbeat, 1 3193830688, [email protected], teachupbeat.com
SOURCE Upbeat
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