'There’s no place I’d rather be!’ The importance of peer relationships in early career teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession

Teacher retention is in crisis with approximately one third of practitioners choosing to leave teaching within the first five years of practice (DfE, 2022). This has resulted in the loss of vital professional experience and, in turn, an increased attention by policymakers on factors which might influence teachers’ career decisions. Previous research has focused on those who decide to leave teaching (Worth & De Lazzari, 2017), ignoring the strengths needed to retain a strong and experienced teaching profession, such as social support between teachers which has been associated with the emotional and relational dimensions of teaching (Jo, 2014; Spicksley et al., 2021). Furthermore, supportive relationships, and recognition as a committed practitioner, can provide a vital source of teacher self-efficacy and motivation (Vangrieken et al, 2015). This paper draws on results from an online questionnaire survey which explored peer relationships in primary schools and their importance in teachers’ career decisions, presenting common trends across the individual and collective experiences of participants. The findings provide an interesting context of peer-relationships for ECTs that has relevance for wider policy discourses regarding the recruitment and retention of teachers.