The IEU’s take on the big topics in teacher retention research
The Teacher Retention Network (TRN), established in 2023, supports and shares research from major Australian Research Council- and Australian Government-funded projects on how to attract and sustain a strong teaching workforce.
It provides an important forum for sharing insights on an issue that affects every Australian educator.
The 2026 policy briefing summarises work across six TRN projects. Having previously reported on the four-part series Invisible labour: Principals’ emotional labour in volatile times in IE and a previous edition of The Point, this edition focuses on three of the remaining research projects by leading Australian education researchers, with IEU General Secretary David Brear and Assistant General Secretary Kylie Busk providing the IEU perspective.
PROJECT:
Still standing: A study of the impact of ‘teacher turnover’ on those teachers who remain teaching
Purpose
This project examines the experiences of teachers who remain in the profession during a period of severe shortages, particularly those working in hard-to-staff schools. It shifts attention from why teachers leave to how systems and schools support those who stay. The findings aim to inform improvements in working conditions, student learning and education workforce policy at both state and Commonwealth levels.
Recommendations of note
Recognise and intervene at key “walking point” moments across the teaching career span — from early career teachers to long-serving teachers and school leaders — to support targeted strategies to reduce attrition.
Strengthen school-level capacity to recruit and retain staff, manage vacancies and reduce turnover to improve staffing stability, particularly in hard-to-staff settings.
Embed robust, evidence-based evaluation across teacher recruitment and retention initiatives to support identification, refinement and scaling of measures that improve workforce stability.
IEU view
Members report colleagues leaving the profession who, in their view, would have stayed with greater support at critical points in their careers. Greater awareness of these career “pinch points” would help improve workforce stability and working conditions across the sector.
PROJECT:
Career change teachers: Addressing teacher shortages in Australia
Purpose
This study examines career-change teachers’ learning needs in initial teacher education and schools, including the support required for retention, their expectations versus the realities of teaching, and why they choose to stay in or leave the profession. The aim is to improve preparation and early-career support, strengthening long-term outcomes.
Recommendations of note
Strengthen school–university partnerships to support career-change teachers through coordinated policy and improved working conditions.
Make better use of career-change teachers’ prior professional experience in schools.
Provide structured mentoring on entry to schools, alongside flexible university learning and wellbeing support.
Expand recognition of prior learning in higher education by standardising evidence requirements and aligning prior experience with curriculum and pedagogy, not only subject content.
IEU view
Career-change teachers bring valuable experience to the profession but often face inconsistent support and unclear pathways into classroom practice. These findings reinforce the need for stronger coordination between schools and universities, structured mentoring on entry and genuine recognition of prior learning. Improving these areas is essential not only for retention but for building a more stable and sustainable teaching workforce.
PROJECT:
Improving teacher induction: Supporting precariously employed early career teachers to manage student behaviour
Purpose
This project examines how Australian induction policies support early-career teachers in casual and short-term roles to manage student behaviour. It focuses on induction and workforce development experiences, particularly under insecure employment conditions.
Recommendations of note
Establish clear and consistent definitions of early-career teachers.
Coordinate induction at system or sector level, rather than relying solely on individual schools, given the complexity of employment arrangements.
Establish centrally funded induction hubs providing onboarding, mentoring, professional learning and accreditation support for early-career teachers, regardless of employment mode. This would ensure substitute teachers receive consistent and equitable support across schools.
Make induction entitlements portable, allowing professional learning, mentoring and accreditation evidence to travel with teachers rather than being tied to a single site.
IEU view
This project reinforces the need for a more consistent and equitable approach to induction across the system. The recent student and graduates conference at RMIT highlighted the gap between how the profession is presented to pre-service teachers and the reality they encounter on entry, particularly around workload and pay pressures. A more flexible and coordinated system would better support those most vulnerable in the workforce — those at the start of their careers.