A Study of Research on Teacher Turnover in China: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
China, Informing School Leadership, Scoping Review, Teacher Attrition, Teacher TurnoverAbstract
Teacher turnover remains a persistent challenge in Chinese schools across rural and urban regions and has been shown to negatively affect student learning. However, evidence on its determinants remains fragmented. This scoping review aims to synthesize empirical research on the factors associated with teacher turnover in Chinese schools and to translate the evidence into guidance for school leaders and policymakers in China and comparable contexts. A scoping review was conducted using online databases to identify empirical studies published over the past 25 years. Studies were screened against predefined inclusion criteria, and 54 studies were retained. Reporting followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Data on study characteristics, including sampling, research focus, methods, and reported determinants, were charted and synthesized descriptively and thematically. The review found that teacher turnover is associated with a constellation of interrelated factors rather than a single cause. These include professional conditions, pay and allowances, leadership, job satisfaction, burnout, professional development, collective efficacy, and personal conditions. By mapping these determinants, the review contributes to academic discourse by consolidating fragmented empirical evidence and framing teacher turnover as a multi-level phenomenon, thereby providing a foundation for future theory-driven and comparative research. It also offers an evidence-informed basis for principals and policymakers to design targeted retention strategies, particularly by addressing professional conditions, compensation, leadership, and teacher well-being. The findings are relevant beyond China for systems seeking to reduce turnover and stabilize the teaching workforce
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