Why should policy makers prioritise flexibility when recruiting professionals from STEM backgrounds? An Australian study

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) expertise is essential for any modern workforce and economy. Teacher shortages, particularly in STEM fields, have become particularly acute in recent times, in Australia as elsewhere. Professionals with qualifications and experience in STEM can play a key role in addressing these issues. This Australian project, funded by the New South Wales Department of Education, sought the views of pre-service, practising and prospective teachers through interviews and survey to identify strategies for policymakers to streamline the progression of these professionals into and in teaching. We conducted five interviews and received 70 complete survey responses from participants with a prior or current STEM background. Deci and Ryan’s principles of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) were utilised to examine participants’ job satisfaction and career engagement as they transitioned into teaching. Through context-sensitive analysis of our findings, we developed an acronym ‘SWIFT’ for increasing teacher recruitment and retention; a process that is, in nature: Society-wide; Whole-of-school; Income-driven; Flexible, and; Targeted. In this paper, we focus on flexibility, one of the highest priorities for our respondents.