Job Satisfaction of Early Career Teachers of English: The Role in Teacher Retention and Attrition in the Bangladeshi Higher Education Context

This article employed a mixed-methods research design to determine how job satisfaction affects the future trajectory of early career teachers (ECTs), leading to either retention or career switch in the Bangladeshi EFL context. Close-ended questionnaire survey ( n = 100) was used to collect quantitative data. Besides, interviews ( n = 20) and focus group discussions ( n = 6) were taken of the ECTs working in different universities to collect data on the role of job satisfaction in determining their retention of teaching as a profession or teacher attrition of leaving the profession. Analysis of the responses of the ECTs to the questionnaire via thematic analysis revealed three major challenges: (a) salary and fringe benefits, (b) job security, and (c) teacher autonomy and working conditions. The impact of job satisfaction on teacher attrition or retention includes (a) teacher autonomy and salary having strong to moderate retention rates (b) working conditions having a neutral impact, and (c) teacher autonomy having a moderate impact on teacher attrition or retention among ECTs. The discussion of this article demonstrated the dual role of salary and fringe benefits leading to both teacher attrition and retention, and job security varied significantly in public and private universities, and working conditions depended on institutional culture. Practical implications and recommendations are also provided.