An Examination of Relationship among Job Characteristics, Work-Life Balance and Intention to Leave the Profession According to the Candidate Teachers’ Opinions

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between the job characteristics of teaching profession, work-life balance of teachers and teachers’ intention to leave the profession according to the opinions of candidate teachers. The study group was composed of 225 candidate teachers working in public high schools in nine districts of Ankara in the academic year of 2015-2016. The data were collected via “the Job Characteristics of Teaching Profession Scale (JCTPS)” and “the Intention to Leave the Profession Scale” which were developed by the researcher and “the Work Life Balance Scale”. The data collected from the participants were analysed by using descriptive statistics such as arithmetic mean and standard deviation, as well as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Pearson’s correlation analysis and regression analysis. The findings revealed a significant correlation between the job characteristics of teaching profession, work-life balance and ıntention to leave the profession. The results of regression analysis showed that there is a moderate and meaningful relationship between the dimensions of the job characteristics of teaching profession and work-life balance, and intention to leave profession. When the findings are evaluated as a whole, it is concluded that the candidate teachers have intentions to leave the profession, in which the job characteristics of teaching profession and the work-life balance are important factors.