The role of teacher selection criteria and preparation on teacher self-efficacy, satisfaction, and commitment: an analysis of Kazakhstani TALIS data

ABSTRACT In Kazakhstan, an increasing school student population, low rates of graduates entering the profession, and high novice teacher attrition have made the attraction and retention of quality teachers a critical issue. To investigate this problem, the authors draw on the 2018 TALIS dataset involving a survey of 5201 Kazakhstani teachers from 275 participating schools. The study, framed by Chapman’s teacher attrition model, uses a nested data design. As an outcome variable, the authors make use of a corollary of attrition, the self-reported career commitment variable in the Kazakhstani TALIS dataset. The analysis suggests that teachers who enter the profession with enhanced altruistic tendencies have improved self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Further, teaching-as-a-first-career-choice appears to drive both job satisfaction and career commitment, while learning to manage behaviour and mixed-ability settings also appears to drive improved long-term career commitment. Implications for teacher education and research in other Central Asian and post-Soviet countries are offered.