Work Intensification, Work–Life Conflict and Turnover Intentions in the Teaching Profession: Evidence From School Teachers in Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Teachers worldwide are expected to adapt to increasingly complex demands. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of qualified teachers in the profession. In this context, our paper explores the role of work intensification (WI) as a predictor of teacher turnover intention, an important antecedent that has never been explored amongst school teachers. The role of work–life conflict (WLC) is also considered, given the salience of this issue according to teacher unions. We distributed an online questionnaire to teachers from various sectors (preschool, primary, secondary, adult training, professional training and special education) through union listings and got 405 valid responses. We ran statistical analyses using PROCESS Macro v.4.2 for SPSS, and our results indicate a direct, significant and positive relationship between WI and intention to leave (p ≥ 0.001; R² = 0.179). Moreover, we found that WLC interacts with WI in its impact on intention to leave (p ≥ 0.001; R² = 0.191). Theoretical contributions are made using the job demands-resources and conservation of resources theories, and practical implications for government and school leaders are discussed.