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The impact of the ECF programme on the work engagement, wellbeing and retention of teachers

The Early Career Framework (ECF) is part of the government’s .

Research is an integral part of the MyAV·¶-led ECF programme and this includes a four-year study to examine its impact over time.

Over time this research will provide nuanced evidence to inform system and school level decision makers about how better to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

Upcoming events

17 April 2024, 5:00 pm–6:30 pm

About the research

Focus

This research will fill a gap in knowledge about how factors relating to individual teachers and their work environments may work in combination with their learning experiences on the ECF programme to influence their professional practice, and their decision making about remaining in teaching. Ěý
More specifically, we will research effects upon teachers’ working lives, including their workload, engagement, resilience and wellbeing and investigate how such effects – individually and in combination – impact on retention over time.
We will use annual surveys and interviews to investigate the outcomes and build longitudinal databases to track participants over time. This approach will provide robust evidence to enable us to understand:

  • Who the intended leavers, movers and stayers are over time.
  • The extent to which and how their experiences on ECF programmes have influenced their professional dispositions and qualities, how effective they are as teachers, and why they intend to leave or stay.
Methodology

There are four core elements to the ECF programme research:

  1. Tracking of early career teacher (ECT) destinations through unique teacher IDs and school IDs. Ěý
  2. End of year survey of all IOE ECF participants (i.e., ECTs and Mentors).Ěý
  3. A sub-sample of teachers and mentors (n=120) are invited to take part in an annual telephone interview to discuss their learning experiences of the ECF programme and its impacts.
  4. An additional sub-sample of 28 schools are invited to take part in a more in-depth case-study. This will involve two school visits in year 2 for interviews with teachers/mentors for each cohort (there are 2 cohorts), and one visit per year subsequently.

Outcome

Publications
  • House of Commons Education Select Committee inquiry: , April 2023, 13 June 2023

Interim research reports

Leithwood, Kenneth; Gu, Qing; Eleftheriadou, Sofia; Baines, Lisa (2024) Developing and Retaining Talented Mentors (Interim Research Report 3). Publication series of the research into the impact of the Early Career Framework (ECF) programme on the work engagement, wellbeing and retention of teachers: a longitudinal study, 2021-2026. MyAV·¶ Centre for Educational Leadership: London, UK.

Gu, Qing; Eleftheriadou, Sofia; Baines, Lisa (2023) The impact of the Early Career Framework (ECF) programme on the work engagement, wellbeing and retention of teachers: a longitudinal study, 2021-2026. Interim Research Report 2: Early career teachers’ and mentors’ reported experiences with the ECF programme. MyAV·¶ Centre for Educational Leadership: London, UK.

Baines, Lisa; Gu, Qing; Eleftheriadou, Sofia; (2022) The impact of the ECF programme on the work engagement, wellbeing and retention of teachers: a longitudinal study 2021-2026: Interim Research Report. MyAV·¶ Centre for Educational Leadership: London, UK.

Webinar and conference presentationsĚý

Teacher recruitment, development and retention – rethinking policy and practice priorities (3rd July 2023). This is the first in the "What Matters in Education" seminar series jointly organised by MyAV·¶ IOEĚýand the ESRC Education Research Programme (ERP). Presentations to be available soon.

Research teams and committees

Core research team
  • Professor Qing Gu
  • Dr Lisa Baines
  • Dr Sofia Eleftheriadou
  • Professor Kenneth Leithwood - University of Toronto, Honorary Professor at MyAV·¶ IOE
MyAV·¶ research committee
  • Professor Peter Earley
  • Mark Quinn
  • Stephen Calladine Evans
  • Dr Andy Hodgkinson
  • Dr Alyson Colman
ECF research team and committee
  • Ruth Smith – East London Teaching School Hub
  • Jen Fiddaman – Oxfordshire Teaching School Hub
  • Natasha Evans – Harris City Academy Crystal Palace
  • Stephanie Bingham – North East Teaching Schools Partnership

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