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High attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong: an evaluation study

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High attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong: an evaluation study

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Content Running head: HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS 1

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS IN HONG KONG:
AN EVALUATION STUDY

by

Paulina Yuen

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2018

Copyright 2018 Paulina Yuen

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

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Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Monique Datta, my dissertation chair,
who provided her valuable guidance, support, encouragement, and inspiration for me to complete
this study. Her wisdom, insights, advice, laughter, and patience helped me to go through this
journey. I am truly grateful to have Dr. Datta as my chair. My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Lawrence
Picus for his insights and feedback, which made a huge difference on this study, thank you. My
special thanks to Dr. Cathy Krop, for her insights on my study; and her guidance and support on
my literature review section which started early from her course. I owe much gratitude to my
dissertation committee!
I would also like to thank all the participants in this study, who shared their opinions
candidly and made valuable contributions to this work. Our discussions opened many doors and
opportunities which I hope for our collaboration in future. I also thank the organization, for
providing me a platform and resources to carry out this research.
Finally, I wish to thank my husband, Edmond, for his tremendous support, love, guidance,
and patience throughout my study. Without his encouragement and assistance, this journey will
not be started. Thank you my dear.
I thank God for His grace and blessings.

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Dedication
I dedicate this study to my parents.
Mom and Dad, you always give me your
Unconditional love and freedom to pursue my dreams.
I will remember your words and your teachings.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 2
Dedication 3
List of Tables 8
List of Figures 9
Abstract 10
Chapter One: Introduction 11
Introduction to the Problem of Practice 11
Background of the Problem 11
Importance of Addressing the Problem 12
Organizational Context and Mission 13
Organizational Goal and Description of Stakeholder Groups 14
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 16
Stakeholder Group for the Study 16
Purpose of the Project and the Project Questions 18
Conceptual and Methodological Approach 18
Definitions 19
Organization of the Study 20
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 22
High Attrition Rates of Preschool Teachers 22
High Attrition Rates of Preschool Teachers Globally 23
High Attrition Rate of Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong 23
Preschool Teacher Burdens 23
Factors Leading to High Attrition Rate of Preschool Teachers 24
Significance of High Attrition for Early Childhood Education 24
Preparation and Training for Preschool Teachers and Retention 25
Best Practices for Preschool Preparation 25
Preschool Teacher Retention 25
Preschool Teacher Commitment 26
Preschool Teacher Efficacy 26
Preschool Teacher Profession in Asia 27
Current Challenges Facing Preschool Teachers in Asia 27
Current Challenges Facing Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong 27
The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework 28
Stakeholder Knowledge and Motivation Influences 30
Knowledge and Skills 30
Assumed Knowledge Influences 30
Occupational Knowledge 30
Personality Traits 33
Resources and Assistance 33
Motivation 34
Value and Interest 34
Teachers’ Value and Interest 35
Self-Efficacy Theory 35
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Teachers’ Self-Efficacy 36
Stakeholder Organizational Influences 38
Organizational Culture 38
Assumed Organizational Influence 1: Portrayal of Early 38
Childhood Work Setting
Assumed Organizational Influence 2: Lack of Communication 39
with Alumni
Assumed Organizational Influence 3: Faculty Overload 39
Conclusion 42
Chapter Three: Methodology 44
Purpose of the Project 44
Research Questions 44
Research Design 44
Conceptual Framework 45
Unit of Analysis 47
Participating Stakeholders 49
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale 49
Completion of PGDECE Program 49
Minimum of One Academic Year Experience 50
Interview Sampling Recruitment Strategy and Rationale 50
Data Collection and Instrumentation 51
Interviews 51
Data Analysis 53
Credibility and Trustworthiness 53
Ethics 55
Limitations and Delimitations 55
Chapter Four: Results and Findings 57
Overview of Purpose and Questions 57
Definition of Validation 57
Respondent Demographics 58
Findings 59
Results and Findings for Knowledge Influences 60
Knowledge Influence 1: Teachers Need to Know About the 60
Occupational Knowledge Such as Curriculum and Teaching
Approaches of Early Childhood Education
Knowledge Influence 2: Teachers Need to Know About Their 62
Own Character and Personality If It Fits the Job of Being an Early
Childhood Educator
Knowledge Influence 3: Teachers Need to Know the 64
Resources to Get Assistance in the Face of Work and
Job Challenges
Results and Findings for Motivational Influences 66
Motivational Influence 1: Teachers Need to See the Value in 66
Making a Difference in Young Children’s Lives as Being an Early
Childhood Professional
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Motivational Influence 2: Teachers Need to Find Satisfaction 69
and Joy in Their Work in Order to Sustain Their Interest and Be
Able to Face Challenges in Their Job
Motivational Influence 3: Teachers Need to Believe They Are 72
Capable of Teaching and Taking Care of Young Children
Effectively in Early Childhood Education Settings
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences 75
Organizational Influence 1: The Faculty/School Portrays an Ideal 75
Early Childhood Work Setting Instead of a Realistic Setting
to Students
Organizational Influence 2: Program Administration Lacks 78
Communication with Alumni Students, Which Hinders the
Organizational Goal of Tracing the PGDECE Alumni About
Their Career Moves
Organizational Influence 3: Faculty Members Are Overloaded 79
by Teaching and Nonteaching Responsibilities, Which Keeps
Them from Investing Time and Effort into Students’ Career
Decisions and Prospects
Summary 81
Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations 82
Purpose of the Project and Questions 82
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 82
Knowledge Recommendations 82
Introduction 82
Declarative Knowledge Solutions, or Description of 84
Needs or Assets
Procedural Knowledge Solutions, or Description of Needs or Assets 85
Metacognitive Knowledge Solutions, or Description of Needs or Assets 86
Motivation Recommendations 87
Value 89
Interest 89
Self-Efficacy 90
Organization Recommendations 91
Portrayal of Early Childhood Work Setting 93
Lack of Communication 93
Faculty Overload 94
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 95
Implementation and Evaluation Framework 95
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations 95
Results and Leading Indicators 96
Level 3: Behavior 98
Critical Behaviors 98
Required Drivers 99
Organizational Support 99
Level 2: Learning 100
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Learning Goals 100
Program 100
Components of Learning 101
Level 1: Reaction 102
Evaluation Tools 103
Immediately Following the Program Implementation 103
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation 103
Data Analysis and Reporting 104
Summary 104
Limitations and Delimitations of the Study 105
Recommendations for Future Research 106
Conclusion 107
References 109
Appendix A: Interview Protocol for Participants Who Are Currently Working 115
in the ECE Field
Appendix B: Interview Protocol for Participants Who Have Left their Work 116
from the ECE Field
Appendix C: Interview Protocol for School Leaders’ Opinions on High Attrition Rate 117
of Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong
Appendix D: Questions Used Immediately After the Training Program for L1 and L2 118
Appendix E: Questions Delayed 90 Days After the Training for L1–L4 Broad Levels 119
Appendix F: University of Southern California Information and Consent Form 120
for Research

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List of Tables

Table 1: Stakeholder Goal and Knowledge Influence, Type, and Assessment 32
Table 2: Stakeholder Motivational Influence and Assessment 37
Table 3: Stakeholder Organizational Influence and Assessment 41
Table 4: Interview Participant Information 59
Table 5: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 83
Table 6: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 88
Table 7: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 92
Table 8: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 97
Table 9: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Postgraduate
Alumni Graduates
98
Table 10: Required Drivers to Support Postgraduate Alumni Graduates’ Critical
Behaviors
99
Table 11: Components of Learning for the Program 101
Table 12: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 102

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Gap Analysis Process. Adapted from Clark and Estes (2008) 19
Figure 2: Interactive Conceptual Framework for Enhancing Preschool Teachers
to Remain Employed in the Field through KMO Influences.
47
Figure 3: Proposed Dashboard of Professional Development Activities 104

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Abstract
The high attrition rate of preschool teachers is a global phenomenon, from North and South
America to Europe, Australia, and Asia. It is crucial that we address this issue, as high attrition
rates for teachers inevitably disrupt the continuity of children’s care and learning in schools,
eventually and almost definitely having an adverse effect on the quality of preschool education.
This study explored factors affecting high attrition rates of preschool teachers in Hong Kong.
Through the use of Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework, the study evaluated the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences impacting the high attrition rate of
preschool teachers in Hong Kong. Recommended solutions to the barriers in retaining preschool
teachers in the field are made. Participants of the study were a group of ten postgraduate
diploma in early childhood education (ECE) alumni who completed preschool teacher training
and had at least one year’s experience working in the ECE field after their graduation.
Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews to answer the following questions of
the study: (a) What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to
achieving the organizational goal of retaining postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni as early
childhood professionals in the field for at least 3 years after their graduation? (b) What are the
recommended knowledge, motivational, and organizational solutions to those barriers in
retaining preschool teachers in the field?

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem of Practice
The high attrition rate of preschool teachers is a global phenomenon, spanning from
North and South America to Europe and Asia-Pacific, including Sweden, the United Kingdom,
Australia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong (Litjens & Taguma, 2017; Organization for Economic Co-
operation and Development/OECD, 2006; OECD, 2015). In the United States, preschool
teachers have a turnover rate of 25–50%, with nearly one-fifth of child-care, center-based staff
leaving the early childhood education (ECE) field per year (Barlett, 2004; Wells, 2015). In
comparison, the turnover rate of elementary school teachers is 33%, with 46% leaving after five
years of service (Brill & McCartney, 2008). Similarly, in Hong Kong, the drop-out rate of
kindergarten teachers is 10.5%, while the drop-out rate of primary school and secondary school
teachers is 4.6% and 5.1%, respectively (Education Bureau/EDB, 2017). “Drop-out teachers”
refer to teachers who have served in a local kindergarten in mid-September of the preceding
school year but no longer serve in any kindergartens in mid-September of the school year
concerned (EDB, 2017). The comparatively higher drop-out rate of kindergarten teachers
demonstrates that the attrition rate of preschool teachers is significantly higher than in other
teaching professions.
Background of the Problem
The high attrition rate of preschool teachers occurs in both western and eastern countries,
and the supply for preschool teachers is not sufficient to meet the demand (Wu, 2011). Teacher
attrition refers to teachers leaving the teaching profession prematurely for any reason other than
retirement (Lindahl, 2015). Teacher attrition may create a snowball effect, as teachers who quit
will pass their responsibilities on to the remaining teachers, thus placing additional work and
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burden on them. Therefore, it is important to explore the reasons for preschool teachers
leaving their profession prematurely.
One ongoing concern in early childhood education is low wages, which act as the major
cause of teacher attrition (Hall-Kenyon, Bullough, MacKay, & Marshall, 2014; Sumsion, 2002).
One study also shows that school staffing problems can be caused by excess demand, resulting
from a “revolving door,” whereby large numbers of qualified teachers depart their jobs for
reasons other than retirement (Ingersoll, 2001). The Swedish early childhood education system,
which is world renown for having one of the best child-centered educational curriculums, also
faces the problem of teacher attrition. By the year 2020, the demand for qualified preschool
teachers will exceed the supply by 4,400 teachers (Lindahl, 2015). This problem is important to
address because the high turnover rates of preschool teachers will negatively affect the work
morale, interrupt the attachment between children and teacher, and adversely affect preschool
education development (Wells, 2015).
Importance of Addressing the Problem
The high attrition rates of preschool teachers present a significant problem in the
preschool education sector within OECD countries, as well as in Hong Kong. The high turnover
rates of preschool teachers not only affect teachers’ overall work motivation, but also disrupt the
continuity of children’s learning and have a negative effect on preschool education development
(Wells, 2015). In early childhood education, a committed, well-qualified, and stable workforce
largely determines the quality of a program (Sumsion, 2002). As noted by a former Swedish
preschool teacher, “Teacher attrition was a draining experience that made group cohesion nearly
impossible” (Lindahl, 2015, p. 21).
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Several individual and societal factors explaining the high attrition in the early
childhood education field. Yet not all attrition is permanent; as research has indicated: one-
quarter of the teachers who leave the teaching profession return at some time (Ingersoll, 2011).
“Temporary attrition” refers to teachers who leave the teaching profession for reasons other than
parental leave and then return to the profession after some time (Lindahl, 2015). Temporary
attrition seems to relieve the shortage of preschool teachers to a certain degree, and save the time
and resources needed to provide training on new preschool teachers. Yet if factors causing high
teacher attrition persist, or become worst, attrition will likely become permanent and bear long-
term adverse effects on preschool education development.
Organizational Context and Mission
The Peace University (a pseudonym used for this study) is a Government of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (the “Government”)–funded university in Hong
Kong. Although it is funded by the Government, Peace University has autonomous status, with
its own Ordinance and Governing Council. In theory, it has freedom to control curricula and
academic standards, select students, conduct research, recruit staff and determine their terms of
employment, and decide on internal allocations. Since it is a publically funded university, a
government committee was set up to ensure its value for the money and provide developmental
and academic advice to the university. The committee also monitors the performance of the
university and promotes higher standards at a system level.
At the time of this study, the Peace University was aspiring to be one of the exemplary,
comprehensive learning and research universities in Hong Kong. Its mission was to promote a
culture of broad discovery of knowledge. By emphasizing the interconnectedness of knowledge
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and self-development, the university aimed to enhance the lives and livelihoods of students,
the Peace University community, and beyond.
The School of Professional Development (SPD) of the Peace University was committed
to presenting the broadest possible range of high-quality learning opportunities to its
constituencies. While its mission was to disseminate knowledge, its many and varied
constituencies included Peace University students, alumni, and friends, undergraduates and
graduates from institutions worldwide, residents, executives, and a broad range of individuals
seeking discretionary education, comprising people working in business, industry, government,
and the professions. The school was one of the faculties of the Peace University, offering
programs and opportunities for people of all ages to further their education at times and in ways
that best met the needs of the students and the goals of professional and academic advancement.
Within the School, the Teacher Training Division (TTD) was an academic component of
the SPD, which provided early childhood and primary school teacher education in Hong Kong.
The TTD offered a range of programs on a full-time or part-time basis to 2,000 students pursuing
courses with qualifications awarded from certificate to postgraduate levels. The unit employed
full-time and part-time staff members across teaching, administrative, and supporting teams.
The primary role of the academics or teaching staff members was to provide teacher training and
guidance to the students, and to equip them to be capable and independent teachers in different
disciplines.
Organizational Goal and Description of Stakeholder Groups
The Teacher Training Division (TTD), under the SPD, was meeting its goal in equipping
and training preschool teachers through the bachelor degree and postgraduate diploma in Early
Childhood Education (ECE) program. Students graduated from secondary school normally took
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4 years to complete the bachelor degree in ECE; while students with a recognized bachelor
degree (entry requirement of postgraduate diploma) took 1 to 2 years to complete the
postgraduate diploma in ECE program. Graduates from both programs were eligible to register
as qualified kindergarten teachers and secure employment at local kindergartens as preschool
teachers.
To uplift its organizational mission, the School of Professional Development (SPD)
required a collaborative effort by its stakeholder groups. The stakeholders mainly comprised the
governing bodies, the staff members, and the students. The governing bodies included
management executives from the university: the president, three vice-presidents, and five
associate vice-presidents. The SPD management board comprised eight department heads and
the Teacher Training Division (TTD) advisory committee, which included 12 well-respected
leaders from the education sector, the dean of the SPD, and the TTD director. The governing
bodies met regularly to set the goals and strategic plans for the school, as well as to monitor the
progress of the unit’s direction. As for staff members, there were over 300 full-time staff within
the SPD, and about 50 full-time staff members within the TTD, among which 20 were from the
academic section, and 30 members from academic support section. The division also employed
over 50 part-time staff members to carry out teaching duties. As for the student population under
the TTD, it comprised over 500 full-time students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs and
postgraduate diplomas in Early Childhood Education. All staff members strove to the best of
their ability to provide learning opportunities for students, and to equip them for the future as
early childhood education professionals. Student representatives from different programs within
the TTD met with the division director regularly to share their opinions about the programs, and
to offer their thoughts and feedback from students’ perspectives. The director and the program
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administrators took notes in these student meetings and discussed with the academic staff in
bi-weekly staff meetings any issues of concern.
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
The stakeholders’ organizational mission was to provide high-quality academic and
professional courses over a wide range of disciplines, to upgrade the academic qualifications and
professional skills of individual learners in their chosen areas, and to prepare them for
professional or career advancement. At the time of this study, its organizational performance
goal was that, by June 2020, 70% of postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni would remain
employed as early childhood education professionals for at least three years after their graduation.
Further, the stakeholders’ goal was that, by June 2019, 80% of PGDECE alumni would remain
employed as early childhood professionals and decide to continue their employment in the ECE
field.
Stakeholder Group for the Study
The Teacher Training Division (TTD) offered a range of academic programs to provide
pre-service and in-service teacher training with qualifications awarded at certificate to
postgraduate levels. Programs were offered with a core emphasis on the advancement of
academic qualifications as well as teacher skills for local early childhood and elementary
education practitioners. The student population under the TTD comprised over 500 full-time and
part-time students enrolling in Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECE) and Postgraduate
Diploma of Early Childhood Education (PGDECE) programs. Upon completion of the study,
students from both programs were eligible to register as preschool and kindergarten teachers to
enter the early childhood education workforce.
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Though a comprehensive analysis involving all stakeholder groups would have been
ideal in addressing the program’s organizational goals, the stakeholder group for this study was
primarily the group of PGDECE alumni graduates. At the time of this study, about 70–80
students were graduating from the PGDECE program annually. This study explored the
knowledge and motivation influences affecting PGDECE alumni’s decision to stay in or depart
from the early childhood workforce.
Evidence shows that high attrition rates for preschool and kindergarten teachers exist in
both western and eastern countries and that the supply for preschool teachers is not sufficient to
meet demand (Wu, 2011). As mentioned, the stakeholder goal was that, by June 2019, 80% of
PGDECE alumni would remain employed as early childhood professionals and decide to
continue their employment in the ECE field. Continuing professional activities included further
training to strengthen teachers’ skills in specified areas such as music, art, physical education,
special education, educational administration and leadership, as well as offering advanced
qualifications such as a kindergarten principal certificate or a master’s degree in education. At
the time of this study, many of the current ECE teachers were involved in various levels or
aspects of professional activities to bolster their knowledge and skills in order to keep abreast of
the current trends in early childhood curriculum, to stay competitive, and to plan for the next
level of advancement in the field. Therefore, teachers’ involvement in continuing professional
activities could be an indicator of teachers’ willingness and dedication to their ECE careers. In
this study, the researcher explored the phenomenon and factors contributing to the alumni
graduates' decision to stay in or depart from the early childhood professional workforce, as it
deems important to understand the factors attributing to the early childhood educators' decision
to stay as preschool teachers in the field or to quit this career.
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Purpose of the Project and the Project Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis to understand the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences and factors contributing to the high attrition rate of
preschool teachers in Hong Kong. It is important to study the underlying influences and
proposed solutions that might help the Teacher Training Unit to meeting its goal in equipping
teachers and retaining qualified teachers in the early childhood education field. Through this
study, the researcher explored the reasons PGDECE alumni left the early childhood education
field after 3 years of their graduation; and also exposed the possible causes of the higher attrition
rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. As such, the following questions guided this study:
1. What are the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences related to achieving
the organizational goal of retaining postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni as early
childhood professionals in the field for at least 3 years after their graduation?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivational, and organizational solutions to
those barriers in retaining preschool teachers in the field?
Conceptual and Methodological Approach
This study used the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework—a systematic
problem-solving framework for identifying the possible causes of performance gaps and
determining appropriate recommendations or solutions to the problems.
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The gap analysis process is divided into six phases, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Gap analysis process. Adapted from Clark and Estes (2008).
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis uses various approaches to gather and analyze data.
Research studies may apply either qualitative methods such as observation, surveys, interviews,
and focus groups; or quantitative methods such as surveys; and mixed methods, which adopt
both qualitative and quantitative tools to collect data. This study was a qualitative study that
included interviews to gather data, followed by data analysis and interpretation to uncover the
possible reasons for the high attrition rates of preschool teachers in Hong Kong.
Definitions
The following terms listed below are defined for the purpose of this study:
Drop-out rate: Teachers who served in a local kindergarten as of mid-September of the
preceding school year but no longer served in any kindergartens as of mid-September of the
school year concerned (Education Bureau, 2017).
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Kindergarten teacher: Teacher who works in kindergarten, a term originally used by Friedrich
Froebel to name his school for young children. Froebel believed that children were innately
good and that he could create an environment in which their natural creativity would flourish.
Today, American schools use the term to describe any curriculum that is designed to prepare
children for elementary grades (Collins & O’ Brien, 2011).
Preschool teacher: Teacher who works in a school that provides care and curriculum designed to
meet the needs of children ages 3 to 5 years. Ideally, preschool learning is carefully planned
and coordinated to prepare children for the transition to kindergarten. Curriculum may include
block play, science, arithmetic, pretend play, arts and crafts, constructing with manipulatives,
and gross motor activities (Collins & O’ Brien, 2011).
Preschool/Kindergarten teacher: While the term “preschool teacher” is commonly used in the
American ECE setting, “kindergarten teacher” more commonly refers to those who work in
the early childhood institutions from European and Hong Kong settings. In this study,
preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher were used interchangeably, both referred to
teachers who teach young children from birth to 8 years-old, up to the lower primary level in
school settings.
Teacher attrition: Teachers leaving the teaching profession prematurely for any other reason than
retirement (Lindahl, 2015).
Organization of the Study
This study is comprised of five chapters. Chapter 1 provided background information
about the problem of practice, including key concepts and definitions of terms to be used in the
study. This chapter also introduced the topic of high attrition rates among preschool teachers in
different countries, with a specific look at this issue in Hong Kong. Chapter 2 summarizes the
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current literature and research that relate to the study. The researcher addresses topics such as
factors behind the high attrition and challenges faced by preschool teachers. Chapter 3 introduces
and explains the methodology used, and provides the reader with the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences of the study. Participant selection, data collection, and data analysis
are elaborated. Chapter 4 includes a discussion of findings, implications of the study, limitations,
and delimitations to the study; and Chapter 5 provides recommendations for implementing
solutions within the context of applying the gap analysis to this study.

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CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
This literature review examines the causes of the high attrition rate of preschool teachers
in Asia. The review begins with general research on the significance of high attrition rates of
preschool teachers for early childhood education development. This section is followed by an
overview of the literature on high attrition rates of preschool teachers globally, in the United
States, in Europe, and in Asia. The review presents an in-depth exploration of factors affecting
or leading to the higher attrition rate of preschool teachers. This section includes current
research on teacher commitment and teacher efficacy in the United States, Sweden, and Taiwan.
Following the general research literature, the review moves to the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap
analysis to identify the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on preschool
teachers’ attrition in Asia.
High Attrition Rates of Preschool Teachers
The high attrition rates of preschool teachers remain an ongoing concern in the early
childhood education sector, as program quality relies heavily on a committed, well-qualified, and
stable workforce (Sumison, 2011). The high attrition rate of preschool teachers occurs in both
the western and eastern countries, including North American, European, and Asian countries,
while the supply for preschool teachers is not sufficient to meet the demand (Wu, 2010). The
high attrition rate of preschool teachers affects work morale among teachers, interrupts the
attachment between children and teachers, and brings adverse effects to the preschool education
development (Wells, 2015). While attrition is a complicated phenomenon in the teaching
profession, the causes of attrition can be categorized into three aspects: individual factors,
organizational factors, and societal factors (Lindahl, 2015). To help address the high attrition
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rate of preschool teachers, higher education or teacher training institutions must effectively
equip and train early childhood professionals, as well as examine ways to retain teachers.
High Attrition Rate of Preschool Teachers Globally
Qualified early childhood teachers are important to children’s growth and learning;
however, there is a shortage of qualified preschool teachers in many countries, including the
United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, China, and Taiwan (Dowling &
O’Malley, 2009; Lindahl, 2015; Wu, 2011). Not only is Australia experiencing a shortage of
qualified early childhood teachers, but it also faces difficulties in recruiting and retaining
qualified preschool teachers (Purcal & Fisher, 2007). Some jurisdictions such as Queensland
and the Northern Territory experience a significant drop of 18% and 67%, respectively in their
ECE teaching graduates (Dowling, 2009).
High attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. There is also a high attrition
rate in preschool teachers in Hong Kong, and it has been on a steady incline over the past few
years. The drop-out percentage of preschool teachers in Hong Kong was 7.1% from 2011–2012;
raised to 8.6% from 2015–2016; and climbed to an even higher figure of 10.5% from 2016–2017
(Education Bureau, 2017). The continuous rise of the preschool teacher attrition rate will impact
the stability and continuity of the early childhood learning environment.
Preschool teacher burdens. Preschool teachers experience a sense of insecurity and
lack of recognition about their profession (Moloney & Pope, 2015). They feel uncertain, as low
wages have been a concern in the early childhood education sector, despite some states in North
America implementing wage incentive programs to reward teachers’ attainments or
achievements to compensate for their less competitive wages (Hall-Kenyon et al., 2014).
Preschool teachers also view the excessive paperwork, educational changes, and insufficient time
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to do their job as stressful concerns in their work (Moriarty, Edmonds, Blatchford, & Martin,
2001).
Factors leading to high attrition rate of preschool teachers. Among the personal
factors leading to high attrition among preschool teachers are low salary, low satisfaction, and
stress (Lindhal, 2015). Other reasons for leaving preschool employment include low job status,
low benefits, family issues, student behavior problems, high stress, poor working conditions, and
physical exhaustion (Wells, 2015). Besides the lack of communication and social support, lack
of both recognition and profession autonomy contributes to their decision to leave the field
(Moriarty et al., 2001; Wells, 2015).
Significance of high attrition for early childhood education. High attrition rates in
early childhood education originate from the high turnover rates in preschool teaching, which
create and worsen problems in early childhood settings. Turnover in preschool settings far
exceeds that of other teaching settings, as figures show a 30% average annual rate of preschool
teacher departure compared to the 7% rate found in elementary school teachers (Whitebook &
Sakai, 2003). The high turnover rate contributes to a worsening preschool teacher shortage,
which escalates the problems with staff-child ratios. Such a staffing crisis adversely affects
current teachers’ morale and ability to work as they receive more of a burden and work pressure.
Physical and emotional exhaustion can result in teachers’ avoidance of interactions with children,
and less sensitivity toward children’s needs and interests (Erdiller & Doğan, 2015). Teacher
stress and burnout appears to have more damaging effects for young children than for students in
older grades, as continuity of care in young children is greatly affected by the high attrition of
preschool teachers. This situation has led to a nationwide crisis in the quality of early care and
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25
education services that young children receive (Erdiller & Doğan, 2015; Whitebook & Sakai,
2003).
Preparation and Training for Preschool Teachers and Retention
Best Practices for Preschool Preparation
Consistency and stability is vital for a high-quality early childhood education program as
teachers can then build trusting and nurturing relationship with young children (Bridges, Fuller,
Huang, & Hamre, 2011). Effective policies and practices are needed to help prepare and support
preschool teachers in their positions. Preschool teachers should possess the educational
qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment to promote young children’s learning
and holistic development (Holochwost, DeMott, Buell, Yannetta, & Amsden, 2009). In order to
teach young children effectively, preschool teachers need to be equipped with three broad areas
of knowledge: early childhood foundations, domain-specific curriculum content, and issues
related to working with families and students with diverse linguistic and cultural needs (Lobman,
Ryan, & McLaughlin, 2004). Teacher preparation programs should groom teachers to
understand how to apply this knowledge in program planning and execute it in classroom
settings. Indicators of good teacher quality include child-teacher interactions bonded in secure
and trusting relationships that foster children’s curiosity, reasoning, and problem-solving skills,
and promote their cognitive and social-behavioral skills (Bridges et al., 2011). The high attrition
rate of preschool teachers is a major concern among advocates worried about the quality of ECE
programs.
Preschool teacher retention. In order to retain good teachers in the field, incentives
such as financial aid and mentoring, professional development and career advancement options,
and other workplace supports such as occasional paid leave and free child care may encourage
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26
teachers to stay in the field (Holochwost et al., 2009). As retention incentive programs are
offered, courses and professional development activities should focus on skills that are proximal
to children's development (Bridges et al., 2011). Besides, as low wages have long been a
concern in early childhood education, wage incentive programs linked to higher educational
attainments or achievements for teachers could be effective in teacher retention (Hal-Kenyon et
al., 2014). Greater job retention means longer tenures in the field and higher job ranks, which
may reflect stronger commitments to the early childhood education field (Bridges et al., 2011).
Preschool teacher commitment. Teacher commitment is the strength of an individual’s
involvement and identification with a particular organization, and is positively related to job
satisfaction (Chan, Lau, Nie, Lim, & Hogan, 2008). The high drop-out rate of preschool teachers
in their first year of teaching indicates that some new teachers may feel over-burdened by the
transition from teacher education to work (Mischo, 2015). As such, low staff turnover rate
provides continuity care and a secure environment for young children (Holochwost et al., 2009).
Preschool teachers who view teaching young children as a rewarding and meaningful job find
personal fulfillment through witnessing children develop their abilities and achieve to their full
potential (Moloney & Pope, 2015).
Preschool teacher efficacy. Teacher self-efficacy affects teachers’ perceived
competence in the profession. Bandura (1997) defined self-efficacy as beliefs in one’s
capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to produce given attainments
(Chan et al., 2008). Teacher efficacy is described as the teacher’s perceived capacity to affect
student performance, or perceived capacity to achieve educational goals, despite obstacles that
occur (Mischo, 2015). Self-efficacy is not an actual measure of competence, but a sense of
confidence one might display given a specific situation. Greater self-efficacy has been correlated
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27
with expressed job commitment by both pre-service teachers and in-service teachers (Jamil,
Downer, & Pianta, 2012). Preschool teachers with higher efficacy tend to have a stronger
commitment and stay longer in the field. The quality of teacher education and preparation affects
new teachers’ self-efficacy, which may affect their decision to continue in the early childhood
education field (Lobman et al., 2004).
Preschool Teacher Profession in Asia
Current Challenges Facing Preschool Teachers in Asia
Studies in Taiwan indicated that beginning preschool teachers’ decision to leave the field
is linked to their level of teaching commitment before entering the early childhood education
profession (Wu et al., 2011). Forty percent of preschool teacher education students do not enter
preschool teaching, and about one-quarter of beginning preschool teachers exit the profession
within their first 4 years of employment (Wu et al., 2011). The high attrition rate of preschool
teachers has increased faster than the supply of teachers, and similar trends have been reported in
China as well (Wu et al., 2011). Poor wages and fringe benefits make preschool teaching a less
secure occupation; whereas advanced positions are scarce at most preschools in Taiwan (Wu et
al., 2011). In Singapore, the relationship between teaching experience and teaching commitment
is reflected by teacher efficacy, and the greater amount of teacher training may contribute to a
stronger relation between teacher experience and teacher commitment (Chan et al., 2008).
Current Challenges Facing Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong
Preschool education in Hong Kong has gone through drastic changes over the decades
since the 1970s. The major breakthrough came in the mid-1990s, when the government took
measures to improve the quality of early childhood education (Rao & Li, 2009). Despite an
increasing number of kindergarten teachers acquiring professional education qualifications in the
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28
last decade, challenges pertaining to preschool teacher quality persist (Yuen, 2011). The
education system in Hong Kong has been highly competitive, from pressure entering the local
universities, pressing down to well-reputed secondary and primary schools, and finally reaching
the kindergarten curriculum (Leung, 2012). Some kindergartens have felt pressured to provide
the kind of preschool education that parents desire, such as a more academic-oriented approach
rather than the more child-centered and developmentally appropriate approach (Ho, 2006; Leung,
2012; Rao & Li, 2009). Such pressure to fulfill parents’ demands may contradict teachers’
beliefs in developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education.
Besides, preschool teachers in Hong Kong perceive a lower image and status (when
compared to their counterparts in primary and secondary school) from parents and the
community, partly due to a history of minimal and inappropriate training in preschool teaching a
few decades ago (Ho, 2006). Preschool teachers’ desire for professional status and autonomy
increases as they receive more training and obtain higher qualifications in early childhood
education (Ho, 2006). However, preschool teachers do not get sufficient acknowledgement or
support from their workplace, as there is a lack of incentives or promotion despite successful
performance in the ECE settings (Li, 2015). Further, preschool teachers have limited
opportunities to reflect on their own teaching due to time constraints, and the lack of a supportive
environment at their workplace (Li, 2009, 2015).
The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes (2008) introduced a systematic framework to analyze the three critical
factors causing performance gaps in organizations: people’s knowledge and skills, their
motivation to achieve the goals, and organizational barriers such as resources and organizational
culture. In terms of knowledge, the Clark and Estes’ framework examines whether people know
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how to achieve their performance goals. They suggested that people acquire and need
conceptual, theoretical, and strategic knowledge and skills to deal with difficult or unexpected
future challenges, either in work or in life. Krathwohl (2002) identified four types of knowledge
that influence performance: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. In addition to
knowledge, Clark and Estes described motivation as necessary to helping us keep moving and
informing us how much effort to spend on work tasks. Three types of motivational processes
may affect performance, which include how people make their choices to pursue work goals,
whether they have the persistence to continue in the face of distractions, and how much they
invest their mental effort in achieving the goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Mayer (2011) suggested
that one is more likely to work harder where there is personal value or interest in the specific task;
and one will exert more effort in the task if holding the idea that he/she is capable of doing it
well, with high self-efficacy beliefs. Finally, organizational influences on performance may
include the lack of efficient and effective organizational work processes, material resources,
value chains, and value streams (Clark & Estes, 2008).
The various aspects of Clark and Estes’ (2008) framework will be addressed in terms of
postgraduates’ knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs to meet their performance goals:
By June 2020, 70% of postgraduate diploma alumni graduates will remain employed as early
childhood education professionals 3 years after their graduation. The first section below presents
a discussion of assumed influences on the stakeholders’ performance goals in terms of
knowledge and skills. Then, an analysis of the assumed influences on the stakeholders’
performance goals from the motivation perspectives is explored. Finally, the assumed
organizational influences on the achievement of stakeholders’ goals will be discussed. Each of
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these assumed influences on performance will be analyzed in the methodology discussed in
Chapter 3.
Stakeholder Knowledge and Motivation Influences
Knowledge and Skills
Clark and Estes (2008) have asserted the importance of an organization to determine
what type of knowledge and skills must employees have, and how they acquire them in order to
achieve their performance goals. However, many individuals are unaware of their lack of such
knowledge or skills, or may not be willing to disclose this lack of knowledge. Teacher training
institutions must understand the knowledge and skills the graduates possess, and whether they
can apply their knowledge and skills in the workplace.
Assumed knowledge influences. Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that people acquire
“conceptual, theoretical, and strategic” knowledge and skills that might help them deal with
difficult or unexpected future challenges, either at work or in life (p. 59). Rueda (2011)
mentioned that Bloom's taxonomy focuses on three domains of learning, namely, cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor; whereby factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge fall under the cognitive approach of learning. To understand the reasons PGDE
alumni stay or leave the early childhood education field, it is important to explore the types of
knowledge that influence and affect their ways of thinking and their perceptions of their career.
Occupational knowledge. Wu (2011) specified occupational knowledge as an
individual’s cognitive understanding required for a particular occupation, including its special
knowledge and skills. Winch (2004) also confirmed that the acquisition of occupational
knowledge is crucial in developing aspiring teachers’ skills and preparing for their future career
paths. As Table 1 shows, teachers in the early childhood education (ECE) sector need to possess
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conceptual knowledge about their job—such as curriculum design, teaching approaches and
pedagogy; and procedural knowledge about how to deliver lessons and activities. Their job
knowledge can be observed and assessed through leading lessons and activities in an ECE
classroom. Grotevant and Durrett (1980) further contended that occupational knowledge can
allow individuals to differentiate whether their career choices match their own vocational
interests, personality traits, and career goals—and would be valuable for PGDE alumni graduates
to assess if they are suited for the ECE field.

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Table 1
Stakeholder Goal and Knowledge Influence, Type, and Assessment
Organizational Mission
To provide high quality academic and professional courses over a wide range of disciplines, to upgrade
the academic qualifications and professional skills of individual learners in their chosen areas, and to
prepare them for professional or career advancement.
Organizational Global Goal
By June 2020, 70% of postgraduate diploma of early childhood education (PGDECE) alumni graduates
will remain employed as early childhood education professionals three years after their graduation.
Stakeholder Goal
By June 2019, 80% of postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni will remain employed as early childhood
professionals and decide to continue their employment in the ECE field.
Stakeholder group: Alumni who graduated from the PGDECE program from 2010-2016.

Knowledge
Influence
Knowledge Type (i.e.,
declarative (factual or
conceptual), procedural, or
metacognitive)

Knowledge Influence
Assessment

Teachers need to know about
occupational knowledge such as
curriculum and teaching
approaches of early childhood
education
Conceptual
Procedural
Participants will be asked to
share their experiences in
leading activities or lessons in
interviews.
Teachers need to know about
their own character and
personality if fits the job of being
an early childhood educator
Metacognitive Participants will be asked in
interviews to list their strengths
and weaknesses as a reflection
to whether that fit in the job of
an early childhood educator
Teachers need to know the
resources to get assistance in
face of work and job challenges
Metacognitive Participants will be asked to
share their experience of
challenges and provide solution
to the problems.

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33
Personality traits. Sumsion (2002) suggested that personal qualities of early
childhood educators may affect their decisions to stay in the career or to leave the field.
Research also showed that personality characteristics predispose an individual's perception of
one’s life and events (Jamil et al., 2012; Kaplan, 1996;). For example, extraversion is considered
possessing the traits of “activity, sociability, and the tendency towards pleasure and joy” (Jamil
et al., 2012, p.122) and correlates with teacher’s perception of his job. An individual often
requires self-awareness and genuine understanding of one’s own character traits. Krathwohl
(2002) described metacognitive knowledge as awareness of one’s own cognition—simply one’s
self-knowledge about cognitive tasks. Teachers need to know their own character and
personality to see if they fit the job of being early childhood educators. They need to possess the
metacognitive knowledge to reflect and monitor their own actions and behaviors as educators.
Their metacognitive knowledge can be best assessed through interviews, asking them to describe
the strengths and weaknesses of their personality.
Resources and assistance. Baker (2006) pointed out that metacognition involves when
one can more readily apply knowledge acquired in one context to another context if she has more
self-awareness and can monitor her strategies and resources better. Research has indicated that
although teacher stress is a significant factor in teachers’ well-being (Hall-Kenyon et al., 2014), a
better work environment with sufficient support can prevent them from quitting their jobs (Wells,
2015). Table 1 showed that teachers need to know the available resources to get assistance in
face of work or job challenges. They need to have the metacognitive knowledge to examine
their own needs and well-being, and be proactive in taking the necessary steps to reduce their
stress level. To assess such knowledge, teachers can be asked to present case studies or share
their experience to provide solutions to the problems. Lindahl (2015) emphasized that preschool
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34
teachers’ sense of community is also a strong indicator of job satisfaction, and helps them
cope with changes and challenges at work, thus directly affecting their decision to stay or leave
the field before they get burnt out.
Motivation
Clark and Estes (2008) described motivation as a factor in keeping people moving and
deciding how much effort to expend on work tasks. Three types of motivational processes
determine how active people make choices to pursue work goals, whether they have the
persistence to continue in face of distractions, and how much of their mental effort they invest in
achieving the goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Mayer (2011) suggested that one is more likely to
work harder when there is personal value or interest in the specific task; and one will exert more
effort on the task when holding the idea that one is capable of doing it well, with high self-
efficacy beliefs. These would be the motivational influences affecting the PGDE alumni to
decide whether to stay or to leave the ECE workforce.
Value and interest. Rueda (2011) defined value as the importance one attaches to a task;
and intrinsic value as the enjoyment one experiences in an activity. Shraw and Lehman (2009)
described personal or individual interest as catching one’s attention and sustaining engagement.
Interest can increase motivation, engagement, and persistence; as well as develop a positive
long-term effect on intrinsic motivation (Shraw & Lehman, 2009). Preschool teachers who
possess deep aspirations to teach young children cite that it is the continuous interest that pushes
them forward (Lindahl, 2015). In other words, interest drives their persistence and leads to their
intrinsic motivation for their job. Wells (2015) also mentioned that preschool teachers’ main
motivation for teaching is to help nurture and educate the young children as they perceive the
great value in their work. Therefore, despite the relatively low salary found in the ECE field,
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35
teachers reported that the greatest source of satisfaction is the “nature of work itself” (Hall-
Kenyon et al., 2014, p.158), and teachers are motivated by the interest and value they possess in
their job.
Teachers’ value and interest. Table 2 shows that to be an early childhood professional,
teachers need to see the value in making a difference in young children’s lives. To assess their
value and interest in their work, observations can determine if teachers are motivated by helping
and interacting with children. In-depth interviews can also be conducted to ask teachers how
much they value their job, and how much they would want to make a difference in young
children’s lives. Therefore, despite receiving lower pay and few opportunities for promotion
(Hall-Kenyon et al., 2014), teachers who see the intrinsic value of making a difference in young
children’s lives by being early childhood professionals (Lindahl, 2015), as well as those who
possess genuine interest in nurturing, educating, and supporting young children and their families
(Wells, 2015) are be more likely to stay in the ECE field years after their graduation.
Self-efficacy theory. Bandura (1997) defined self-efficacy as “beliefs in one's
capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments”
(p. 3). Pajares (2006) suggested that self-efficacy beliefs provide the foundation for motivating
people in their task, and fosters people’s personal growth and accomplishments. Rueda (2011)
also declared that individuals with higher self-efficacy possess greater belief in their own
competence; and the higher expectancies for positive outcomes can motivate them to work
harder and persist further on task. A recent study showed that greater self-efficacy is associated
with teachers’ professional commitment in the field, and teachers with higher self-efficacy
declared that they would choose teaching as their career again if given the choice (Jamil et al.,
2012).
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Teachers’ self-efficacy. Teacher efficacy refers to a perceived ability of a teacher to
achieve desired results (Lindahl, 2015). Researchers have defined teacher efficacy as a teacher’s
belief in his or her ability to execute the action to produce desired student outcomes (Chan et al.,
2008). Pajares (2006) also suggested that self-efficacy beliefs help to determine how much
effort people will devote to an activity, and how long they will be resilient in dealing with
unfavorable situations. Table 2 shows that teachers need to believe they are capable of teaching
and taking care of young children effectively in the early childhood education settings. There are
consistent links between teacher self-efficacy and teacher persistence and resilience, which
suggest that higher teacher self-efficacy plays an important role in teacher retention (Jamil et al.,
2012).

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Table 2
Stakeholder Motivational Influence and Assessment
Organizational Mission
To provide high quality academic and professional courses over a wide range of disciplines, to upgrade the
academic qualifications and professional skills of individual learners in their chosen areas, and to prepare them
for professional or career advancement.
Organizational Global Goal
By June 2020, 70% of postgraduate diploma of early childhood education (PGDECE) alumni graduates will
remain employed as ECE professionals three years after their graduation.
Stakeholder Goal
By June 2019, 80% of postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni will remain employed as early childhood
professionals and decide to continue their employment in the ECE field.
Stakeholder group: Alumni students who graduated from the PGDECE program from 2010-2016.
Assumed Motivational
Influences
Motivational Influence
Assessment
Value – Teachers need to see the value in making a
difference in young children’s lives as being an early
childhood professional.
Interview questions about how the participants
perceive their value as being preschool teachers
Interest – Teachers need to find satisfaction and joy in
their work in order to sustain their interest and able to
face challenges in their job.
Interview questions to measure how much the
participants satisfy with their work as preschool
teachers.
Self-Efficacy – Teachers need to believe they are
capable of teaching and taking care of young children
effectively in the early childhood education settings.
Interview questions about whether the participants
believe themselves as capable in performing the roles
as preschool teachers.

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Stakeholder Organizational Influences
Organizational Culture
Clark and Estes (2008) have defined culture as a way to describe the core values, goals,
beliefs, emotions, and processes learned in an organization, as people develop over time in their
work environment. Schein (2004) defined culture as a pattern of shared basic assumptions
learned by a group as it solves its problems of external adaptation and internal integration.
Schneider, Brief, and Guzzo (1996) have viewed culture as capturing a less conscious and more
subtle psychology in the workplace; while organizational climate such as policies, practices, and
rewards are observable, the beliefs and values of organizational culture are not clearly visible.
Berger (2014) further elaborated on culture as a deeply rooted, shared system of knowledge,
symbolic communication, patterns of behaviors, values and assumptions; therefore, it influences
employee interaction, established structures, protocols, processes, and practices.
Assumed organizational influence 1: Portrayal of early childhood work setting. The
faculty/school portrayed an ideal early childhood work setting instead of a realistic setting to
students, which may provide an illusion to students in framing an ideal workplace after they
graduate and enter the field (Table 3). Clark and Estes (2008) emphasized the importance of
clear and candid communication in helping people adjust performance to accommodate
unexpected events, as the informational and corrective feedback elements in communication help
people adjust the knowledge and skills they use to accomplish their goals. By communicating
the realistic challenges of the early childhood setting clearly and openly to students during the
course of their study, the faculty/school would provide students the mental preparation and raise
their awareness of the hardships to be faced in their future careers. Senge (1990) suggested
working with mental models that go beyond revealing hidden assumptions, as reality implies
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39
pressures to be borne, and limitations to be accepted. Organizations should help people
restructure their views of reality to see beyond the surface conditions into the underlying causes
and facts of problem. Kezar (2001) also mentioned that self-assessment and awareness of
institutional culture become necessary to improve collaborative process. The faculty/school
could adopt surveys or questionnaires to collect students’ opinions and perspectives about early
childhood settings. Such assessments could also be applied as a self-evaluation tool for
PGDECE students to understand and explore their own personality and limitations in tackling the
obstacles in the career field.
Assumed organizational influence 2: Lack of communication with alumni. Program
administration’s lack communication with alumni hinders the organizational goal of tracing
graduates about their career moves (Table 3). Clark and Estes (2008) reiterated the significance
for organizations to provide adequate knowledge, skills, and motivational support for everyone
to achieve change goals, team work, and trust built. Therefore, the program’s administrative
staff should take a more proactive role in bridging the gap between the school and its alumni to
keep track of their career moves and directions. Senge (1990) brings forth the role of leader as
steward in learning organizations, with the larger purpose or mission that underlies the institution,
as well as a sense of personal purpose and commitment to the organization’s larger mission.
Alumni could be asked to complete surveys or interview questions to express their thoughts and
have their voices heard.
Assumed organizational influence 3: Faculty overload. Faculty are overloaded by
teaching and nonteaching responsibilities, which keep them from investing time and effort into
students’ career decisions and prospects (Table 3). Clark and Estes (2008) stressed that
organizations need to align their structures and key processes with business goals, to have
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accountable organizational resources and tested processes to produce the deliverables. Also,
top management needs to be continually involved in the improvement process (Clark & Estes,
2008). Faculty are invaluable human capital and resources that contribute to the overall program
quality. Schneider et al. (1996) emphasized that change should be based on human potential
philosophy, with self-actualization movements by Maslow and the organizational development
perspective involved. They asserted that people desire growth and development, as well as value
interpersonal interactions. People need trust, support, and cooperation to function effectively.
Therefore, survey or interview questions consulting faculty’s daily workload and responsibilities
as well as their self-evaluation and reflection could be included. Berbarry and Malinchak (2011)
reiterated that an individual’s sense of engagement depends on his interpersonal connectedness.
Berger (2014) discussed the managerial legacy of control by top leaders despite their lip service
to staff empowerment. Organizational factors, namely political, structural, and cultural barriers,
impede employee communications and organizational performance.

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Table 3
Stakeholder Organizational Influence and Assessment
Organizational Mission
To provide high quality academic and professional courses over a wide range of disciplines, to
upgrade the academic qualifications and professional skills of individual learners in their chosen areas,
and to prepare them for professional or career advancement.
Organizational Global Goal
By June 2020, 70% of postgraduate diploma of early childhood education (PGDECE) alumni
graduates will remain employed as ECE professionals three years after their graduation.
Stakeholder Goal
By June 2019, 80% of postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni will remain employed as early childhood
professionals and decide to continue their employment in the ECE field.
Stakeholder group: Alumni students who graduated from the PGDECE program from 2010–2016.
Assumed Organizational
Influences
Organizational Influence
Assessment
The faculty/school portrays an ideal early
childhood work setting instead of a realistic
setting to students
Interview questions about how the faculty
members have made students informed about the
realistic early childhood work setting.
Program administration lacks communication
with alumni students which hinders the
organizational goal of tracing the PGDECE
alumni about their career moves.
Interview questions to measure how well
program administration communicates with the
PGDECE alumni after their graduation.
Faculty members are overloaded by teaching and
non-teaching responsibilities which keep them
from investing time and effort into students’
career decision and prospects.
Interview questions about whether the alumni
participants could access the faculty members to
consult for their advice on career issues.

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Conclusion
In this chapter, a review of the related literature provided global perspectives on the
preschool teacher profession. Within this context, challenges facing preschool teachers in Hong
Kong are explored. The best practices for preschool teacher preparation and retention as well as
preschool teachers’ commitment and efficacy are related to this evaluation study. This chapter
concludes with a review of the literature related to the stakeholder group in areas of preschool
teachers’ knowledge on profession as well as motivation and organizational influences in the
profession. In general, the literature describes a trend of higher attrition among preschool
teachers globally. The literature also documents factors leading to the high attrition rate of
preschool teachers in various countries, and a gap between employer expectations and skills
developed in preschool teacher preparation. Established teacher training institutions may
evaluate if they are providing appropriate and sufficient training for preschool teachers before
they enter the field. The current study suggests a need for teacher training institutions to
incorporate necessary actions and procedures to prepare students as future preschool teachers,
and to support their professional growth at stages of their professional transitions as well as for
retention. The learning and motivation theories discussed in this chapter establish needs
specifically among teachers for increased knowledge about job demands of being a preschool
teacher, and knowledge of their character and personality; also, to assess if they fit the job of
being an early childhood educator, involving the conceptual and metacognitive types of
knowledge. In addition, teachers need to see the difference they can make in young children’s
lives as well as believing themselves capable of teaching young children in order to motivate
them to excel in training and at work. As for organizational cultures and structures, faculty and
program administrators need to adopt changes to enhance the training and retention of the
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preschool teachers. Review of the above areas suggests several assumed knowledge,
motivation, and organizational areas to develop an adequate teacher training program for the
postgraduate diploma of ECE students. The following chapter discusses the assumed needs and
introduces the research methodology employed in this study.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Project
This study intended to explore the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
and factors contributing to the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. The
research was timely and significant to the field of early childhood education as the turnover rate
of preschool teachers has been on its incline. The literature relating to this topic has illuminated
similar trends and phenomena of the high attrition rates of preschool teachers in many countries.
To correspond the literature to the present study, the researcher explored this topic by conducting
interviews from previous and current preschool teachers graduated from the university’s
Postgraduate Diploma in Early and Childhood Education (PGDECE) program.
Research Questions
The two research questions examined in this study were as follows:
1. What are the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences related to achieving the
organizational goal of retaining postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni as early childhood
professionals in the field for at least 3 years after their graduation?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivational, and organizational solutions to those
barriers in retaining preschool teachers in the field?
Research Design
This study adopted a qualitative research design, which is an approach for exploring and
understanding the meaning ascribed to a social or human problem. According to Creswell
(2014), qualitative research involves emerging questions, data collection from participants, data
analysis inductively built from patterns to general themes, and data interpretation made by the
researcher who will come up with a written report or discussion on the findings. Maxwell (2013)
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45
further suggested that the inductive nature of qualitative research helps the researcher to
understand the meaning for participants in the study. The “meaning” in a broader sense involves
people’s cognition, affect, and intention; in other words, their knowledge, emotion, and
motivation. Qualitative research also identifies unanticipated phenomena and influences that
generate new “grounded” theories and could enable the researcher to pursue new discoveries and
relationships, or even to develop causal explanations, if possible or feasible (Maxwell, 2013).
By adopting the qualitative research method, the researcher attempted to investigate the factors
behind the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong, and to draw possible
relationship among the influences and factors involved.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework comprises the system of concepts, assumptions, expectations,
beliefs, and theories that supports and informs research. It is constructed, and incorporates
pieces and ideas elsewhere, while the researcher critically examines each idea to decide if it is a
valid and useful for constructing a theory that will inform the study (Maxwell, 2013). To answer
the two research questions, the researcher proposed two constructs: leadership and learning
environments. These constructs would serve an investigation of whether the Teaching Training
Unit provided appropriate pedagogy and quality teacher training programs to equip and retain
preschool teachers in Hong Kong; and if the postgraduate alumni graduates possessed the
knowledge and motivation factors to stay in the field as preschool teachers for at least 3 years
after their completion of the teacher training program.
Clark and Estes (2008) introduced a systematic framework to analyze the three critical
factors causing performance gaps in organizations: people’s knowledge and skills, their
motivation to achieve the goals, and organizational barriers such as resources and organizational
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culture. In terms of knowledge, the Clark and Estes’ (2008) framework examines whether
people know how to achieve their performance goals. They suggested that people acquire and
need conceptual, theoretical, and strategic knowledge and skills to deal with difficult or
unexpected future challenges, either at work or in life. Krathwohl (2002) identified four types of
knowledge, including factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge the
influence performance.
For the knowledge influencers, Bloom’s taxonomy focuses on three domains of learning:
cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive approach to learning includes four types of
knowledge: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002). The
postgraduate alumni in this study need to know the occupational knowledge as preschool
teachers, such as child development theories, curriculum, and teaching approaches of early
childhood education. They need to know about their own character and personality in relation to
the job as an early childhood educator. In addition, they need to know the resources available to
get assistance in the face of work and job challenges.
For the motivation influencers, the postgraduate alumni graduates must see the intrinsic
value in making a difference in children’s lives by being a preschool teacher. They need to
believe in themselves as capable of teaching young children effectively despite job challenges.
In addition, they need to be committed to staying in the preschool education field and consider it
their lifetime career.
Finally, organization influencers are comprised of an organizational culture in definition,
mental models that reveal hidden assumptions, and a leader as steward in learning organizations.
The Teacher Training Division needs to provide quality teacher training program and to promote
the best practices of early childhood education. Meanwhile, the division needs to portray a
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realistic early childhood work setting instead of an ideal setting to students. In addition, the
division’s program administration needs to communicate effectively with alumni students in
tracing and following up about their career moves in order to assess for the organizational goal.
The following figure represents the interrelationship among the elements:

Figure 2. Interactive conceptual framework for enhancing preschool teachers to remain employed in the
field through KMO influences.
Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis was a school within a medium-sized university in Hong Kong. The
Peace University comprised eight faculties and schools offering a range of undergraduate
programs, associate degrees, and postgraduate and research postgraduate programs leading to the
award of master and doctoral degrees. The university was committed to academic excellence
Postgraduate diploma alumni
Factual/Conceptual, procedural and
metacognitive skills as preschool
teachers; Self-efficacy, intrinsic value
and job commitment in relation to stay
in the field as preschool teachers
70% of postgraduate diploma alumni will
remain employed as preschool teachers
three years after their graduation
Division
Cultural settings and cultural models (leadership
and learning environments; pedagogy and
quality teaching training provided; portray
realistic early childhood education work setting)

Postgraduate alumni
factual/conceptual, procedural
and metacognitive skills as
preschool teachers; self-efficacy,
intrinsic value, and job
commitment in relation to stay in
the field as preschool teachers

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and had gained good reputation in the higher education in Asia. The School of Professional
Development (SPD) had its mission for providing professional training and advancement courses
for local practitioners in various disciplines. The Teacher Training Division (TTD) under SPD
provided quality teacher training and education programs in Hong Kong. In view of the
expanding need for quality training services in early childhood education, the TTD had set its
vision to uplift the professionalism of early childhood practitioners in the field.
TTD offered a range of full-time and part-time academic programs to provide pre-service
and in-service training in early childhood and elementary education studies, with qualifications
awarded at certificate to postgraduate levels. All programs offered a core emphasis on the
advancement of academic qualifications and a practicum focus on the practice of teaching skills
on young children from 0 to 8 years-old. The Postgraduate Diploma of Early Childhood
Education (PGDECE) program aimed at developing the professional knowledge and skills of
degree holders who were interested in developing their careers in the early childhood education
sector. The program structure was comprised of courses from the core domain covering the
foundation knowledge and skills from child development theories, learning theories, curriculum
design, parental involvement, understanding children with diverse needs as well as
administrative management in ECE settings. Students also choose elective courses from
language and literacy development to early intervention and leadership in ECE settings. In
addition, students needed to fulfill the practicum component covering 10–12 weeks of placement
in a local kindergarten, to apply their learned theoretical concepts in real ECE environment and
settings. All lectures and tutorial sessions were conducted in English, while students could opt
for using English, Cantonese, or Mandarin as their language of instruction in fulfilling their
practicum component at local nursery schools, preschools, or kindergartens as student teachers.
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Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholders of School of Professional Development under Peace University
included the governing bodies, the staff members, and the students. For the purpose of this study,
the participating stakeholders were the alumni graduated from the PGDECE program under
Teacher Training Division (TTD) from the years of 2010 to 2016. TTD offered both full-time
and part-time mode of study for the PGDECE program each year. Students entering the program
possessed a recognized bachelor’s degree in a range of disciplines, and most of them also possess
work experience in another career but wanted to explore the early childhood education field.
They normally went through either a one-year, full-time or two-year, part-time study including
practicum training in early childhood education settings. Upon successful completion of the
program, graduate students were eligible to register as qualified kindergarten teachers in Hong
Kong. Each year, about 70 students would graduate from the PGDECE program. Therefore, an
estimate of about 420 alumni graduated in the years 2010–2016 could be the participating
population for this study. The researcher invited 10 PGDECE alumni graduates to participate in
the interviews for this study.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Completion of PGDECE Program
Participants of this study were alumni of the program of Postgraduate Diploma in Early
Childhood Education (PGDECE) over the years of 2010 to 2016. Alumni graduated either from
the one-year full-time study or two-year-part-time study, with the same requirements of
completing 11 subjects including at least 400 hours of practicum training in preschool or
kindergarten settings. Practicum training was conducted on-site at preschools or kindergartens,
where students apply their knowledge and skills learned from the program, to act as student
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teachers in delivering age-appropriate activities for young children. Alumni who completed
the program were either still employed as early childhood education professionals, or left the
ECE field and changed their careers after their graduation. Whatever their current status, the
researcher reached out to invite alumni from both sides for interviews, in order to explore the
reasons for their staying or leaving the ECE field.
Minimum of One Academic Year Experience
Apart from graduating over the years 2010–2016, participants of this study had to possess
at least one academic year’s work experience in the early childhood education field after their
graduation. In order to gather data about the factors leading to the high attrition rates of
preschool teachers, the researcher conducted interviews with participants who possessed at least
one year's preschool teacher experience as the minimum, while some participants had up to
seven years’ experience in the ECE field after their graduation if they had come from the earliest
cohort of year 2010. The researcher intended to use interview questions to understand their
reasons for remaining or departing from the field, and to collect qualitative data to answer the
study’s questions.
Interview Sampling Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
For this study, the sampling strategy was purposeful sampling, whereby particular
settings and individuals were selected intentionally to provide information that was relevant and
crucial to the research questions (Maxwell, 2013). The researcher selected 10 participants among
the PGDECE population who fulfilled the criteria of having graduated between 2010 and 2016,
and having at least one year preschool teacher’s experience after graduation. Merriam and
Tisdell (2016) mentioned that purposeful sampling provides the researcher opportunities to
discover, understand, and gain insight to explore the problem of a study. Six out of the ten
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selected participants were under the researcher's fieldwork supervision during their study
period. Together with the other four participants in the group, these ten alumni graduates were
among the ones who kept connection with the researcher after their graduation. The researcher
invited the ten alumni to participate in this study through email or phone invitation. Besides, the
use of a semistructured interview guide that includes a mix of structured interview questions and
conversation will serve the best of the data collection process (Patton, 2002). The researcher
interviewed the 10 selected alumni from the PGDECE program in 2010–2016, to collect their
views and perspectives on the research questions. The 10 participants came from different
cohorts over the six years from 2010–2016, and included both female and male alumni, who
remained employed or left the ECE field. Among the 10 alumni graduates, seven of them were
current teachers while three of them were former teachers who had left the ECE field. In
addition, the researcher interviewed three preschool and kindergarten principals to obtain their
unique perspectives toward the issue of the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong
Kong, which could add the breadth and depth in exploring the research questions.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
In order to answer the two research questions and to understand the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving the organizational goal, the
researcher conducted the qualitative research and purposefully selected the participants that
would best inform the researcher about their perspectives toward the research questions.
Interviews
One data collection technique often used in qualitative research is the face-to-face, one-
on-one, in-person interview. The purpose of interviewing is to allow researchers to enter into
other person's perspectives, to find out things that cannot be directly observed, such as feelings,
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thoughts, and intentions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Patton, 2002). The researcher adopted the
semistructured interview model, which allowed the questions to be used flexibly. The largest
part of interview was guided by lists of questions or issues to be explored yet might not need to
be in strict order or predetermined wording (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Purposeful sampling was used to conduct data collection for this study, and purposefully
selected participants best helped the researcher understand the problem and the research
questions (Creswell, 2014). The researcher selected 10 participants from the alumni graduates
who completed the PGDECE program from 2010 to 2016. Depending on the status of the
participants, whether the participants still currently worked in the ECE field or had already left
the field, the researcher chose interview protocol A (for participants currently working in the
ECE field) or interview protocol B (for participants who had left their work in the ECE field),
respectively, to collect the data. Besides, the researcher used interview protocol C to collect
school leaders’ or principals’ opinion of the high attrition issue of preschool teachers in Hong
Kong.
In the interviews with the current teachers, the researcher asked questions about their
employment history as preschool teachers, their job duties and responsibilities, their beliefs and
perception of their jobs, their expectation and level of satisfaction in their jobs as well as their
thoughts about their careers. On the other hand, through the interviews with the former
preschool teachers, the researcher asked additional questions about their reasons for leaving the
preschool teaching jobs, and the possibility of their returning to the ECE field in future. As for
the interviews with the school leaders, the researcher asked questions about their opinion on
factors contributing to preschool teachers’ departure from the ECE field, and their suggestions
for the teacher training institution’s role in lowering the preschool teacher attrition rate.
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Participation in the interview was on voluntarily basis, and no incentive was provided
for participating in the study. Individual interview lasted 30 minutes each, and the researcher
conducted the interview either in a meeting room or at the participant's workplace, which was set
to suit the participant's time and convenience. Interviews were mainly conducted in English as all
interview questions were written in English. Only one principal chose to answer the questions in
Chinese (Cantonese), thus the researcher provided translation on the transcripts to ensure the data
were accurately reflected on the study.
Consent forms to participate in the study were presented and explained for the
participants to sign, and confidentiality of data would be kept, as stated, on the documents. The
researcher also sought the participants' permission to allow audio-recording during the interviews.
Nevertheless, the participants were informed about the right to withdraw from the study if they
decided not to continue or participate at any time.
Data Analysis
After collection of data through interviews, the researcher organized and prepared the
data for analysis, which involved transcribing and translating the interview recordings, typing up
field notes and cataloguing the data into patterns and themes (Creswell, 2014). Coding is the
process of organizing the data by bracketing chunks and writing a representing word on the
margins. The researcher developed a qualitative codebook, which included a list of codes and a
brief definition of the codes, which generated patterns and themes from the data. These themes
helped the researcher to generate interpretation and discussion of the research questions.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
In order to establish the credibility and trustworthiness of the study, a strategy of
triangulation was applied (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016), which involved navigating two or three
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measurement points converging on a site or topic. The common types of triangulation include
the use of multiple methods, multiple sources of data, multiple investigators, or multiple theories
to confirm emerging findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Triangulation using multiple sources
of data compares and cross-checks data collection through different sources, from different
people with different perspectives (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In this study, data collection was
conducted through individual interviews of 10 alumni of the PGDECE program from different
cohorts between the years of 2010 to 2016. Some graduates remained in the field as preschool
teachers or early childhood professionals; while some students had left the field and changed
their careers. Besides, additional data were collected from interviewing three kindergarten
principals about their opinion on the research topic. Therefore, different perspectives were
gathered from the participants, and follow-up interviews or discussion with the same participants
generated further accuracy in analyzing data. This kind of member checking could foster the
accuracy of the interview findings, as the researcher would take back parts of the polished or
semi-polished product, their interpretation from the interview findings, to conduct a follow-up
interview or discussion with participants and provide an opportunity for them to comment on the
findings (Creswell, 2014).
Using a rich, thick description to convey the findings, and clarifying the bias a researcher
has brought to a study adds both credibility and trustworthiness to the study (Creswell, 2014).
Here, the researcher provided detailed descriptions of the setting and background of the topic,
and the background and current status of the participants (under anonymous). When qualitative
researchers provide detailed descriptions or offer many perspectives about a theme or topic, the
results become more realistic and richer (Creswell, 2014). Besides, the researcher could clarify
her own bias brought to the study by creating an open and honest narrative through her self-
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reflection. As reflectivity is a core characteristic of qualitative research, and comments about
the researcher's interpretation of the findings is shaped by one's background, clarification of bias
adds credibility to the research (Creswell, 2014).
Ethics
The researcher completed the IRB (Institutional Review Board) training on ethical
guidelines in conducting research. Participants in the interview were contacted by the researcher
through verbal and written invitation. Participation in the interview was voluntary, and the
participants had the right to withdraw from any time during the research. Written informed
consents were signed to ensure the confidentiality of data being collected and the security of data
being stored. The researcher also obtained permission to record and analyze the data, and the
identity of the participants was kept anonymous in the study.
The researcher worked in the university as a lecturer and taught a number of courses from
the PGDECE program. While the participants were alumni and former students taught by the
researcher, there was no conflict of interests during the research period. Their decision to not
participate in the interview would not affect their grades as they had all completed their program
at least two years previously. It would also have no effect on their current work status or their
performance evaluations or job advancement. All participants understood the researcher’s role
as an investigator in this study. The data collected from the study informed the researcher about
aspects of improvement for the PGDECE program, which may lead to potential program
improvement in the future.
Limitations and Delimitations
The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of the high attrition rate of
preschool teachers in Hong Kong. Through the lens of interviewing a group of 10 alumni who
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56
were preschool teachers in the field, and three school leaders from local kindergartens, a
qualitative method research was carried out to investigate the knowledge and motivational and
organizational influences affecting their decision to remain in or to leave the field.
However, the first limitation of this study was the sample population. While alumni from
the PGDE program were qualified to register as kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong, there were
other programs such as Bachelor of Education (ECE) and Higher Diploma in ECE, which also
trained qualified preschool teachers in the local market. Therefore, the sampling population for
this study may not be representative enough to reflect a larger labor force in the ECE field.
The second limitation of this study was the number of participants involved in interviews
may not be sufficient. For this study, the researcher invited ten individual PGDE alumni among
the 420 alumni graduated from 2010–2016, through emails and phone calls to participate in the
interview. This only represented 2% of the total population of the PGDE alumni over the past 6
years. Therefore, the sampling number for this study may not have been sufficient.
The delimitation of this study was the lack of quantitative data collected from the
participants, as the researcher predicted the low response rate of survey results generated from
such data collection. It was observed that the majority of PGDE alumni did not affiliate with the
school after their graduation, and the division did not trace their career moves after the first year
of their graduation. The researcher felt that it would be difficult to obtain feedback from surveys
due to the loose connection between the alumni and the school. Therefore, the researcher
decided to conduct in-depth interviews, which generated rich and promising qualitative data to
answer the research questions.

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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Overview of Purpose and Questions
This purpose of this study was to explore the factors contributing to the high attrition rate
of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. This analysis will evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences that affected preschool teachers’ perspectives and decision making to
stay or leave the early childhood education field. While a comprehensive evaluation should
engage all stakeholders in question, this study was mainly focused on the previous and current
preschool teachers who graduated from Peace University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Early and
Childhood Education (PGDECE) program. The questions that guided this study were:
1. What are the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences related to
achieving the organizational goal of retaining postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni as
early childhood professionals in the field for at least 3 years after their graduation?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivational, and organizational solutions to
those barriers in retaining preschool teachers in the field?
The researcher conducted interviews to gather qualitative data, and draw out significant themes
to answer the first question.
Recommendations to address the second question will be discussed in Chapter 5.
Definition of Validation
Validation is the inquiry of gathering validity evidence that supports the researcher’s
interpretations or inferences (Johnson & Christensen, 2015) and examining those interpretations
for their relevance. Each of the assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
discussed in this chapter had their gaps validated, partially validated, or not validated, based on
the data analyzed. An influence is considered validated when 50% or more of the responses
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concur that there is gap in the area and things need to be adjusted. An influence is considered
partially validated when part of the responses shows that there is gap in the area and another part
shows no significant gap in the area. An influence is considered not validated when the
responses show that there is no gap in the area and no changes need to be made.
Respondent Demographics
The participating teachers for the interview included 10 graduates from the PGDECE
program. There were nine female participants and one male participant. All 10 participants
graduated from the PGDECE program in different cohorts from 2010 to 2016 and had at least
one year’s teaching experience after graduation. At the time of this study, seven out of 10
participants were still teachers working in the early childhood education field. Each interview
lasted for 30 minutes, covering questions prepared for participants who were currently working
in the ECE field (refer to Appendix A) and questions prepared for participants who had left the
ECE field (refer to Appendix B). In addition, three kindergarten principals were invited to share
their perspectives on the study topic (refer to Appendix C); however, they were not the main
stakeholders in this study. The purpose was to collect additional opinions from the school
leaders in the ECE field to answer the research questions.
To maintain the anonymity of the participants, CT1 to CT7 represents teachers still
working in the ECE field; PT1 to PT3 represents teachers who left the ECE field; and SL1 to
SL3 represents school leaders in kindergarten settings. Participating teachers were asked to
describe their employment history as a preschool teacher. All of them had experience working
with children from 2 years to 6 years of age. Information on the participating teachers is listed in
Table 4, below, which shows that two participants had less than 2 years’ teaching experience;
three participants had 2 to 4 years’ teaching experience; while five participants had more than 4
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years’ teaching experience. Therefore, 50% of the participants had at least 4 years’ work
experience in the early childhood education field. Two teachers had 7 years working in the field.
Table 4
Interview Participant Information
Teacher
Number of Years Employed as Preschool Teacher
1–2
years
2–4
years
4 years
or above
CT1 √
CT2 √
CT3 √
CT4 √
CT5 √
CT6 √
CT7 √
PT1 √
PT2 √
PT3 √

Findings
In this chapter, findings of the study are presented with reference to the Clark and Estes
(2008) model wherein knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences are explored in
relation to the organizational goal. Data from the interview are analyzed and synthesized into
themes then categorized under each of the influences to bring insights and understanding to the
research questions. Afterward, Chapter 5 will address the questions with recommendations
suggested for organizational practice.

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Results and Findings for Knowledge Influences
Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that people acquiring conceptual, theoretical, and
strategic knowledge and skills might need help dealing with challenges at work or in life. In the
interviews, participating teachers were asked to express their occupational knowledge, such as
curriculum and teaching approaches of early childhood education, which consisted of conceptual
and procedural knowledge to carry out duties in their work. In addition, they were asked to
reflect on whether their own character and personality fit the job of being an early childhood
educator; and whether they had the resources to get assistance in face of work challenges—this is
considered one’s metacognitive knowledge in handling the tasks and situations.
Knowledge influence 1: Teachers need to know about the occupational knowledge
such as curriculum and teaching approaches of early childhood education. This influence
was validated, as over 50% of responses showed a gap in this area. Wu (2011) and Winch (2004)
asserted the importance of occupational knowledge to sustain an individual's aspiration and
effort in his or her career. When asking the participating teachers to describe their job duties and
responsibilities as a preschool teacher, all participating teachers exhibited their occupational
knowledge in teaching young children. They explained that their job and duties required a
certain level of understanding in children’s development and growth. Most of the teachers
expressed that they knew a lot about child development theories, activity, and lesson planning,
observation and assessment, report writing and other documentation work in schools. CT5 said,
“I look after children’s social development and emotional development, also prepare them for
school readiness.” CT6 said, “We do our weekly lesson plans, conduct our ongoing assessments
and observations on children … carry out different activities.” PT3 added, “I will be handling all
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the class reports, lesson planning, making all the preparation work from the teaching materials,
the curriculum plan and the assessment plan as well.”
While all teachers seemed to possess sufficient knowledge to carry out their tasks, when
the researcher asked them if they were facing any challenges at work, diverse responses were
received. Two teachers expressed facing challenges in designing curriculum; two described
having difficulties handling children with special needs; and five teachers acknowledged lacking
the skills and knowledge for dealing with parents’ requests or expectations. CT4 replied, “I
think the biggest challenge is whether I am delivering the curriculum properly … if my
curriculum is good enough for them (the children).” CT6 responded, “I would like to have more
exposure to special needs, because actually, I really struggle with special needs.” CT1 added on
facing challenges on curriculum and parent requests,
One of the challenges is to chase the curriculum, and when talking about curriculum, we
have to satisfy parents’ needs or what they want … there are requests from parents and
they ask me how to get (children) prepared to get into primary school. These are the
questions I feel challenging.
CT2 shared her need to acquire more knowledge and skills in dealing with parents, and echoed,
“We need a course to tell different kinds of parents and how we handling the situation. It’s not
just talk to them in general, but like to prepare different kinds of scenarios .” CT3 further
expressed her concern of being unable to communicate well with parents and mentioned that she
needed to be extremely careful in terms of the words she used, as she was afraid of choosing
inappropriate words that might be offensive to parents.
In addition, responses from the school principals coincided with the fact that preschool
teachers may face various challenges due to inadequate knowledge in certain areas—ranging
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from curriculum design, to parental expectation, to skills for handling children with special
needs. SL1 reckoned that teachers had to know the curriculum well and, in turn, help parents
understand how young children learn. She commented that working in the early childhood
education field was very complex and sighed, “I think there are still a lot of people out there
seeing early years as unreal education and I think that can be very challenging for professionals.”
SL2 expressed further that teachers would find it more difficult if they had to handle children
with special needs in the classroom without the support of the school management. She
sympathized with the teachers and admitted, “Their daily work is quite stressful, and that may be
a point why teachers leave …the teacher just didn't know what to do.”
The data presented above demonstrated a significant gap in this area as the majority of
participating teachers expressed various needs to acquire further occupational knowledge in
delivering their tasks, which also coincided with the school leader’s opinion. Apart from
possessing such conceptual and procedural occupational knowledge in handling their work,
teachers need to possess metacognitive knowledge to reflect and monitor their thoughts and
actions.
Knowledge influence 2: Teachers need to know about their own character and
personality if it fits the job of being an early childhood educator. This influence was partially
validated as part of the responses showed no gap in this area while another part showed the
opposite. Krathwohl (2002) considered metacognitive knowledge one’s awareness and self-
knowledge about performing cognitive tasks. From the interviews, all participating teachers
reflected the character and personality that they felt fit the job as a preschool teacher. Being
patient, cheerful, positive, open-minded, caring, outgoing, observant, considerate, people-
oriented, and passionate with children were the commonly raised qualities as a preschool teacher.
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CT2 responded, “I’m an outgoing person and I’m very cheerful and I’ve loved children!” CT3
reflected, “I think I’m quite an observing person and also quite caring … I am patient, and also
have an open mind.” CT5 said, “I’m more like a people’s person … I’m pretty much a positive,
outgoing person, so it makes it easier for me to interact with them (children and parents).” CT6
also shared, “I’m very passionate with kids … I’m very patient with kids … I’m also quite
positive and cheerful … I’m very detail minded.” PT1 added further, “I have a positive attitude
which can support children to learn and grow happily … I have passion and also am a
considerate person who can get along well with all the people in our working environment.”
However, one teacher made a different comment when reflecting about her character and
whether it fit the job as a preschool teacher. CT4 replied, “To be honest, I … before teaching
preschool, I have always refused. I’ve got many offers … so I’ve always refused, because I
thought I didn’t have the patience with kids of this age.” CT4 elaborated that she entered the
preschool teaching profession because her previous employer whom she had a good working
relationship with, asked her to take up the preschool teacher position and she decided to give it a
try. Therefore, CT4 took up the teaching job and received preschool teacher training, and she
considered things were working out fine as she had been in the ECE field for more than four
years after her graduation.
Most of the teachers seemed to possess the megacognitive knowledge to carry out self-
reflection or assessment of their personality and character that fit the job as an early childhood
educator. Such an assessment was an indicator to evaluate if one possesses the personal qualities
of early childhood educators, which might affect his or her decision to stay in the field (Sumsion,
2002).
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However, when the researcher asked the school principals’ opinion on the factors
contributing to preschool teachers’ departure from the ECE field, the school leaders reflected that
some teachers or student teachers may not truly understand their own character and whether it fit
the role of a preschool teacher. This situation might lead to dissatisfaction and short employment
in the ECE field after their graduation. SL2 expressed, “I feel sometimes that teachers should be
born rather than trained…they’re dissatisfied because they don’t understand the role that they are
actually in.” SL3 responded,
Some students do not know about kindergarten teacher’s roles …they’ve paid effort to
finish their study, but they do not really like it. Since they do not understand the field …
they do not like their jobs and will leave the field soon afterwards.
Therefore, based on the diverse responses in this area gathered from the participating teachers
and the school leaders, this metacognitive knowledge influence was partially validated.
Knowledge influence 3: Teachers need to know the resources to get assistance in the
face of work and job challenges. This influence was partially validated, as part of the responses
showed no gap in this area while another part showed a gap exists. Wells (2015) indicated that a
supportive work environment can prevent teachers from quitting their jobs. Most current
teachers from the interview shared that they found the resources to obtain support in face of work
challenges and difficulties, mainly from the employers, principals, or from their peers. CT1 said,
“I will ask or I will seek help from my colleagues, or my principal, or supervisor, and they are
very helpful, and …I can discuss questions with them then reply the parents and solve the
problems.” CT3 stated, “My team is very supportive and also my manager is very supportive as
well … I mean to consult their advice.” CT4 also responded, “If I am facing any challenges, I
would talk to my colleagues, because … I don’t know everything, so I would bring it up in our
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meetings and I will talk to the principal.” CT6 added further, “I’m lucky to have a good
support from my colleagues and my principal, so I will probably go up to them and talk about
that first …my principal would address the issues that I’m facing.”
While most of the current teachers in the interviews expressed that they were able to
locate resources and seek assistance in face of challenges at work, a few participating teachers
reflected that it was not easy to get assistance or support from the school principal or
management level in certain situations. CT7 emphasized that she would always speak up if there
was any conflict between teaching staff, even at the cost of getting herself in trouble. Still, she
knew some principals might not like her style, “I guess some principals prefer like … out of sight,
out of mind, let you guys deal with it on your own but I think that's really bad.” Furthermore,
PT3 shared her frustration about when she could not obtain sufficient support from her employer
in dealing with an inexperienced staff at work; as she recalled, “Having to deal with people who
are totally green, that wasn’t quite what I expected … that's really put me off, that's part of the
reason why I left.” While a supportive work environment helps teachers cope with their stress, a
nonsupportive workplace may drive teachers away as they cannot obtain the resources and
assistance from the management level at work. Lindahl (2015) has pointed out that preschool
teachers need to build a sense of community in order to cope with their challenges at work and
sustain their job motivation before they burn out and make the decision to leave the field.
To sum up, one influence was validated and two influences were partially validated under
the assumed knowledge influences. Most participating teachers declared that they possessed the
knowledge and skills required to interact with children and carry out their daily tasks as
preschool teachers. Yet they felt that they were inadequate in the areas of communicating with
parents and interacting with children with special needs. While most teachers believed that their
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character and personality fit well for the role as preschool teacher, some school principals
argued that not all teachers truly understand the role of a preschool teacher. When most of the
participating teachers were aware of the resources to seek assistance in cases of work challenges,
some responded that the resources might not be available to them as their voices are not heard
and acknowledged. Therefore, the data clearly demonstrated a gap in the knowledge, influences,
and actions needed to be taken to address the gap.
Results and Findings for Motivational Influences
Clark and Estes (2008) indicated that motivation determines how much effort an
individual spends on the tasks, and how persistent he or she continues to work and pursue his or
her goals. From the interviews, participating teachers were asked to share about the value and
interest they saw in their job, and their self-efficacy in delivering the job duties as required. The
existence of value and interest, and high self-efficacy beliefs in preschool teaching are strong
indicators to display motivational influences that impact teachers’ staying or departing from the
field.
Motivational influence 1: Teachers need to see the value in making a difference in
young children’s lives as being an early childhood professional. This influence was partially
validated as part of the responses showed there was no gap in this area while another part
showed that there was a gap. As Lindahl (2015) and Wells (2015) mentioned, preschool teachers
who see the intrinsic value in making a difference in children’s lives will bring them the
satisfaction and motivation to move forward at work. From the interview, most of the
participating teachers declared that making a difference in children’s lives gave them the most
satisfaction at work. PT2 reflected, “I like seeing them (children) grow.” Seeing children begin
the school year by crying and feeling uncomfortable, then transforming to having happy faces,
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smiling and greeting teachers after several months of interacting and taking care of them made
PT2 most satisfied with her job. CT6 echoed, “I find my greatest satisfaction and seeing their
(children’s) improvement over the year, and so that’s why I’m really keen on taking this as my
career.” CT5 added,
As a teacher, it gives me a sense of satisfaction that when parents come to you and tell
you that, we’ve seen the child growing, and doing well, it gives me a sense of
contentment and I feel really satisfied that I have done well in my job.
SL3 also agreed that teachers who see the value in their job can motivate them to work harder.
She reiterated that parents’ appreciation of teachers’ effort and care for their children could
greatly motivate teachers to contribute more in their work.
While some teachers shared great value and satisfaction after seeing the changes they
made in children’s lives, other teachers expressed different views of the preschool teaching job
and how they felt about society’s perspectives, which demonstrated a gap in this area. When
asking PT3, who had left her job as a preschool teacher 4 years after graduation, she replied,
“The reason that I left because I got something better … which is starting my own company.”
When asking PT3 if she would consider resuming her preschool teaching job in future, she
responded, “It is a job that always needs people … but it’s definitely not my first choice.”
Though PT3 had quit her job as a preschool teacher, she reiterated that she still enjoyed teaching
kids but she would do it in a different capacity. Other participating teachers shared their
observations from the ECE field. CT2 expressed concern about seeing some new teachers
entering the field, and commented that they only considered preschool teaching as a step moving
to their next career as they had no keen interest in being a preschool teacher. CT2 elaborated,
“Because for a kindergarten teacher, you can receive better salary than a clerk … And they don’t
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know what they’re doing and just want to get a better salary, and after few years they just quit
the job.” CT2 was worried about not getting devoted teachers in the field as she witnessed some
teachers not seeing the value and not treating their jobs seriously. CT4 added that society does
not show the respect to preschool teachers they deserve, and said, “I guess the teachers need to
be more respected. I feel kindergarten teachers are not respected enough in the society, and I
don’t think people understand how important early childhood is.” Therefore, there were mixed
feelings and thoughts by the participating teachers about the value of being a preschool teacher.
Similar opinions about the value of preschool teaching were expressed by some
kindergarten principals. SL3 described the factors contributing to preschool teachers’ departure
from the ECE field, “I’ve found some teachers see this as a stepping stone even after their
training, they may go study abroad, or pursue further in study related to early childhood.” SL3
elaborated that some teachers preferred to get a more “professional” job than a preschool teacher:
“They’re not satisfied with the teacher’s roles in serving children, or they want to be more
professional in other areas. When talking about professional, kindergarten teachers are not
considered as professionals.” Not only are preschool teachers not viewed as professionals, but
also, they do not gain respect and acknowledgement for their work. As expressed by SL2,
“Please acknowledge what they have done, and then the teachers will feel valued, and actually
when teachers and people feel valued, they will work hard … And I feel that the respect should
be.” Therefore, preschool teachers often experience a lack of recognition and a sense of
insecurity about their profession (Moloney & Pope, 2015). Based on the multiple and diverse
responses gathered from different participating teachers and the school leaders, this motivational
influence was partially validated.
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Motivational influence 2: Teachers need to find satisfaction and joy in their work
in order to sustain their interest and be able to face challenges in their job. This influence
was validated, as over 50% of responses showed a gap in this area. Despite low wages and low
job status being the major reasons affecting teachers’ motivation in preschool teaching (Lindhal,
2015; Wells, 2015), teachers who choose to stay in the field can find satisfaction in their work to
sustain their interest. Most of the participating teachers expressed getting satisfaction and joy in
their work. CT1 said, “I love to communicate or have interactions with kids a lot. I like to talk
to them.” CT5 responded,
I like to know my children, like to interact a lot with them … by doing so, I come to
know them more closely what they like, what they don't like … As a preschool teacher,
it's all about knowing the children in the classroom … and how you can do things with
them which will make them happy and enjoyable in the school.
When the participating teachers were asked in the interview to rate their satisfaction in the job as
a preschool teacher, most of them rated 7 to 9 out of a scale of 10, on average.
CT2 said, “If the maximum score is 5, I think 4; quite satisfied.”
CT3 responded, “9 out of 10, very satisfied, really!”
CT4 replied, “Eight and a half, 1.5 is missing… for money (laughing).”
CT5 declared, “I think I should just give myself, maybe a 7 or 7.5.”
CT6 replied, “I would think it would be a 7, because I like what I'm doing.”
CT7 responded, “I would say maybe seven or eight.”
CT1 did not give a number but explained,
In terms of communicating with children or interacting with them, I am very satisfied
because as I said, I love to talk to the children … I want to know more about their
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feelings, how they are doing every day; so I feel very satisfied when I see my children
in the kindergarten.
From the interview, all participating teachers expressed great joy and satisfaction in
teaching and interacting with young children. However, when six 10 of ten teachers elaborated
further on the challenges and hardships working in the ECE field, they admitted a decrease of
satisfaction caused by other factors. More than 50% of participating teachers cited work stress,
burn out, low salary, and low respect as the major factors impacting their satisfaction and interest
in their work. Regarding the workload and stress that comes with preschool teaching jobs,
teachers indicated that preschool teaching was not just interacting with kids; their job duties are
limitless. Both the current teachers and previous teachers felt the work pressure and long hours
in their jobs, and the kindergarten principals concurred about the work burdens on teachers. CT
5 shared,
I have to do a lot of paperwork, and sometimes, I don’t get the time. So, I take it home
and work from home …we have to do a lot of portfolios or observation …if I don't get
the time to finish it … I do it during my hours at home when I'm free at home.
PT2 reacted, “I think it's the working time ... and the overtime …I don't really have time to
prepare for the class…I need to work overtime to prepare for class.” CT6 expressed that she and
her colleagues were overwhelmed by the additional paperwork over the past semester, and added,
“I think that's really affected my job satisfaction a lot because we were always getting tired and
burnt out.”
School leaders also recognized preschool teachers’ burden. SL3 expressed that a
kindergarten job includes not only teaching, but also lots of paper work, big and small projects
and events, meetings and conferences, parent communications, and so on; all these greatly
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increase teacher’s burden. SL2 commented that a preschool teacher’s workload in Hong Kong
is extremely high, yet the salary is not on the government pay scale, which becomes very much
negotiable. On top of that is the large class size in kindergartens, which she considered an
extremely stressful factor relating to teachers’ departure.
As SL2 brought up the salary factor, some teachers reflected upon the low pay and low
status in preschool teaching as diminishing satisfaction in their work. They felt that most people
considered preschool teaching an easy job, as reflected in the profession’s low pay. CT7
responded, “I think people think teaching is easy but it's not.” CT1 admitted,
I feel very satisfied every day when I see my children … However, in terms of the salary,
or maybe the expectation from the society or from the parents, I'm not much
satisfied …people view the job of preschool teacher is somehow easy.
PT1 also reflected, “I hope …having improvement from the kindergarten salary scheme …will
be having protection for all the kindergarten teachers.”
Apart from the disappointing salary associated with preschool teaching, ECE educators
strongly felt the low social status of their profession. PT3 declared that preschool teachers are
not paid fairly as their counterparts like primary or secondary school teachers, and that leads to
low status and low respect in preschool teaching. PT3 commented:
Considering the workload, maybe they should just raise the pay scale; I think a lot of
people would stay… if they are able to pay well, just like primary school or secondary
school teachers, I think they will get more respect from society.
Kindergarten principals shared similar views of lower status experienced by preschool educators.
SL1 mentioned society’s perspective on early childhood education as informal and unnecessary,
“When you say [work in] kindergarten, you see this ‘Oh ... Ok’... like it’s not for real. So, I think
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there is something about the status of early years still.” SL2 elaborated on the lack of respect
from parents as shown from their attitude toward preschool teachers. SL2 sighed, “The parents
don't want to listen to you … And if they… have respect in the whole spectrum of secondary-
primary, why should early years be separate?”
In short, this motivational influence was validated as there was over 50% of responses
showing a gap in this area. Most participants found satisfaction and joy in their preschool
teaching jobs; however, there were many factors impacting their interest and satisfaction from
their work, which may be strong factors affecting teachers’ decision to stay in or depart from the
ECE field. Besides, among the ten selected alumni, five participants possessed more than four
years' preschool teaching experience after their graduation. They shared a common reason for
remaining employed in the ECE field as they received more autonomy in their workplace.
Motivational influence 3: Teachers need to believe they are capable of teaching and
taking care of young children effectively in early childhood education settings. This
influence was partially validated as part of the responses showed there was no gap in this area
while another part showed that there was a gap. While self-efficacy beliefs help to determine
how long an individual will be resilient and willing to devote to an activity (Pajares, 2006),
teacher efficacy indicates how much a teacher perceives his or her ability to deliver the task
(Lindahl, 2015). When asking the participating teachers to describe how they viewed themselves
as capable in performing their jobs as preschool teachers, most of them gave assertive responses
that they were capable of doing their work. Among all, CT6 stated,
I think I'm pretty capable as now I'm equipped with the knowledge that I need, after
doing my degree here and … I think in terms of knowing how to handle the job well, I
think I can do it.
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CT1 also cited possessing sufficient knowledge and skills to handle the job as required, and
said, “So for knowledge, I think I'm capable enough because I have studied the PGDE
program … and because I have almost 7 years of experience … And for the skills, I think I'm
capable as well.”
However, when asked to share their biggest challenges at work, they began to tell vivid
stories and give concrete examples, which showed that most teachers were capable of teaching
young children but may be less capable of handling other issues at work. Apart from the
previously cited challenges about handling children with special needs, or parental requests and
issues, teachers faced difficulties with their expectations in the ECE settings which may impact
their self-efficacy. CT2 mentioned,
As an English teacher, the biggest challenge is how to motivate the students to learn the
language … some of them are newcomers to Hong Kong, so the key thing for them to
learn is Cantonese instead of English as a second language.
CT2 explained that it was very difficult to tell certain parents about how she could help their
children to learn the English language, which is important for children’s future path. On the
contrary, CT1 and CT6 encountered parents who requested that teachers give more homework so
as to equip the kids for primary school, which may be against their own beliefs in providing age-
appropriate activities for young children to learn. In addition, CT4 shared her concern about
whether she was planning and delivering the curriculum properly to children, as she said, “If my
curriculum is good enough for them … for the kids to get into the better schools and so on.”
School leaders also expressed their perspectives on preschool teachers’ self-efficacy at
work. When asking the kindergarten principals about their opinion of preschool teachers’
satisfaction with their work, they all concurred that teachers were not too satisfied because of the
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work burdens, long hours, and job status. Moreover, teachers’ expectation at work also
impacted their performance. SL1 indicated that teachers can be more satisfied with their work if
there is a very clear framework. SL1 elaborated that the school management should adopt
performance pay–related increments, set targets with teachers, and communicate expectations
clearly at the beginning of the school semester. SL1 said, “I meet with them (the teachers) every
six weeks and tell them how on task they are in terms of a pay related reward… We’ve looked at
the targets together.” In order to motivate the teachers to perform at their best, SL1 emphasized
that teachers need to know the expectation and demonstrate their capability at work. SL1
concluded,
There’s more satisfaction that there are no surprises, so teachers need to know what is
expected of them, how they are performing in relation to what leaders want from them …
To people working in the blind, I don’t know how well they are performing.
High teacher self-efficacy is a good indicator of teacher persistence and resilience in the face of
job challenges (Jamil et al., 2012). In view of the diverse responses in the data collected, the
motivational influence on self-efficacy was partially validated.
To sum up, one influence was validated, and two influences were partially validated
under the assumed motivational influences. Most participating teachers saw the value in making
a difference in young children’s lives as being an ECE professional, yet they indicated that the
society was not placing high value in the preschool teaching profession. While all teachers
found satisfaction and joy working with children, they admitted many existing factors impacting
their satisfaction and interest level in their work. And, as I have discussed, teachers need self-
efficacy to perform their best in the ECE settings. However, it was observed that some teachers
may be capable of carrying out their tasks while some may be doubtful about their work.
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Therefore, the data demonstrated a gap under the motivational influences. Moving from the
knowledge and motivational influences to the organizational level, the participating teachers
shared their opinion from the PGDE alumni’s perspectives in terms of institutional training and
its preparation for their readiness in entering the early childhood education field.
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences
Berger (2014) indicated that an organization is influenced by its culture, which comprises
a shared system of knowledge, patterns of communication and behaviors, and values and
assumptions, which deeply affect employee interaction, established structures and procedures,
policies and practices. Though the participating teachers were not employees at Peace
University, they were asked to express their thoughts from the alumni's perspectives about how
the school or division had equipped them to be preschool teachers, and how the institution has
provided them support on their career path before and after their graduation.
Organizational influence 1: The faculty/school portrays an ideal early childhood
work setting instead of a realistic setting to students. This influence was validated, as over
50% of responses showed a gap in this area. Some students had an optimistic impression about
working in the ECE field and viewed it as easy, relaxed, and just having fun with young children.
Such impressions may come from society’s perception of the preschool teacher profession, as
described in the previous section. Therefore, the faculty and school should communicate clearly
to students the realities of preschool teaching including the challenges and difficulties. Clark and
Estes (2008) stated that clear and open communication help people to adjust performance and
accommodate unexpected events. That will prepare students to anticipate the hardships faced in
the preschool teaching profession, and will help them determine their paths before entering the
ECE field. The participating teachers were asked to express their views about how much their
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preschool teaching training (received from Peace University) had prepared them to perform
the preschool teacher job. Most of the teachers commented that the school had provided them
adequate knowledge and training in performing a preschool teacher’s job. CT2 replied:
The training gave me a background or knowledge not just how I'm going to teach a
lesson, but to learn how the children learn … so the preschool teacher training is quite
good for us to prepare us to understand.
CT4 said, “I felt it made me a better teacher for sure … I get more creative now, so I can design
my curriculum or lesson plans.” In addition, all the participating teachers agreed that the
practicum placement component (lasted 10 to 11 weeks long) gave them the opportunity to work
in an early childhood classroom and provided the necessary training to be preschool teachers.
However, when asked about their suggestion for the teacher training division to add or to
adjust their PGDECE program, five out of ten teachers suggested that the division add to the
length of the practicum period, and to provide a variety of school settings for student teachers to
have a more thorough and realistic experience working in the ECE field. CT7 replied, “Possibly,
extending the hours …I would say … double it like six months?” CT3 echoed:
I think … it would be better for the student to have a longer study, say two years’ full
time, and also allow the placement in one more placement school, so that the student will
be more familiar with different settings.
CT1 responded, “The training is quite enough in terms of knowledge or the background
information. As for the skills or for practicum, I think the time can be longer, so that I can try
different classes or different schools.” PT2 shared similarly, and expressed,
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A longer practicum time will help us to have more time to immerse in that
environment … say around one term … In this way you can go through from the
beginning to the end, so you experience a complete term.
PT3 made the suggestion of lengthening the placement period into internship and said, “As an
internship … could be one semester. I think it will be good because they then get to see the
reality not just a short period of time.” Not only teachers expressed the need to provide extended
practicum training, school leaders also asserted that the PGDECE program should provide more
opportunities for student teachers to experience the reality of the ECE settings. SL3 elaborated,
“Some students do not know much when they come to school for practicum, and then they
realize the reality when they’re here, as if they have entered the field by mistake.” Therefore, the
principal stressed the importance of introducing the ECE field to students when they enter the
program, as the ECE field is unique, and the roles of kindergarten teachers are very different
from a primary or secondary school teacher. SL1 even queried, “Does that say we are not
pushing them (student teachers) quite enough in their practice?” SL1 expressed that the
university should set a higher standard to prepare student teachers to achieve in the preschool
teacher training program. SL1 concluded, “My suggestion or my thoughts might be: push them a
little bit more, expect a bit more of them.”
This organizational influence was validated, as over 50% of responses showed a gap in
this area. Overall, all the participating teachers believed that the school had provided good
training and equipped them with sufficient knowledge to enter the field as preschool teachers.
Yet they also expressed a strong need to have a longer practicum or student teaching hours in
order to experience a more “realistic” situation working in the ECE sector. Some teachers
requested more coverage on handling classroom situations, classroom management skills, or
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strategies in handling children with special needs. As Senge (1990) mentioned, reality implies
pressure to be borne and limitations to be accepted; a realistic early childhood education setting
with real challenges and difficulties need to be addressed and communicated clearly to the
students while they attend the teacher training program.
Organizational Influence 2: Program administration lacks communication with
alumni students, which hinders the organizational goal of tracing the PGDECE alumni
about their career moves. This influence was validated, as almost 100% of responses showed a
gap in this area. In order to achieve the organizational goal that by June 2020, 70% of PGDECE
alumni graduates would remain employed as ECE professionals 3 years after their graduation,
the program administration needs to maintain a record of the graduates' employment information.
Clark and Estes (2008) emphasized the organization's role to provide sufficient knowledge, skills,
and motivational support to achieve their goals; therefore, the institution should take a proactive
role in following up with the graduates’ employment as preschool teachers after their graduation.
From the interview, the researcher asked the participating teachers about their connection with
the PGDE program administration. All alumni indicated that they only completed a graduate
survey sent by the program administration about 1 year after their graduation. That was the only
survey or correspondence they received from the school. It was found that the school kept no
record of the PGDE alumni’s employment information. Only when some of the alumni enrolled
in other ECE courses or engaged in other professional development activities through the school
and the division was program administration able to trace those alumni's career moves.
Therefore, this organizational influence was validated as there was a significant gap in this area,
which indicated that actions should be taken to close the gap.
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Organizational influence 3: Faculty members are overloaded by teaching and
nonteaching responsibilities, which keeps them from investing time and effort into students’
career decisions and prospects. This influence was not validated as the responses showed there
was no gap in this area. Clark and Estes (2008) reiterated that organizations need to allocate
resources to align with their business goals. Human resources are essential and valuable assets to
reaching business goals; the institution needs to assign a reasonable workload to faculty
members who can invest their time to support the students in their career planning. When
participating teachers were asked to share if they could seek advice from the faculty on a
preschool teacher career before they entered the ECE field, some of them indicated that they did
not seek advice, while a few of them responded in a positive manner. CT1 said, “The lecturers in
the PGDE course, I think they affect me the most in my ideas, say, how mentally I can prepare to
be a preschool teacher.” CT3 echoed:
Actually they gave quite good advices from different aspects … because they knew quite
a lot … they really knew the industry quite well … I actually grab some really good ideas
from them …I mean in terms of career prospect.
CT6 replied:
I think all the staff (faculty) have been, they've given me pretty fair opinion, on what the
actual ECE field is like, or we will be talking together as a whole class … prepare for the
job when I left.
CT7 shared:
I really got some good advice from the faculty about where I could be, where I could go
in the future, to build on my experience. I think it was good, it was nice to have that
person to person interaction.
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PT1 added,
The school really can give us a lot of advice and help, and especially during the studies,
no matter we are in practicum, or even in different training, or having mock job interview,
all the teachers in the faculty really help us to get all the information we need.
Despite faculty members being busy with both their teaching and nonteaching responsibilities,
they were able to reach out to the PGDE alumni (students back then) and offer support and
assistance on their career decision and prospects. Most of the participating teachers were able to
consult the faculty and the school about work situations and career opportunities in the ECE field.
Therefore, this influence was not validated as the responses showed that there was no gap in this
area.
In summary, two influences were validated, and one influence was not validated under
the assumed organizational influences. While the majority of participating teachers agreed that
the faculty and school had provided sufficient training to prepare them as preschool teachers,
they expressed that practicum training did not provide them enough opportunity to “taste” the
realistic lives in the ECE settings. School leaders also indicated further training and higher
expectation could be set up to equip the student teachers. In terms of faculty support, the
participating teachers shared that they were able to access the staff to seek their advice on career
issues despite the faculty’s heavy workload. However, the PGDECE program administration
lacked communication with the alumni and failed to trace their career moves, which could highly
impact the achievement of organizational goals for retaining the alumni graduates in the ECE
field 3 years after their graduation.

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Summary
This chapter presented the data drawn from in-depth interviews with PGDE alumni and
school leaders to explore the knowledge and motivational and organizational influences
introduced in Chapter 2. Apart from the discussion of knowledge and motivational and
organizational influencers contributing to the study, the researcher also generated common
themes and factors that reflected the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. In
order to meet the organizational goal of retaining 70% of PGDE alumni in the ECE profession 3
years after their graduation, the organization needs to consider the influencers and related factors
such as challenges and professionalism that impact attrition. Recommendations addressing these
KMO influencers and related factors are discussed in the following chapter.

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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis to understand the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences and factors contributing to the high attrition rate of
preschool teachers in Hong Kong. It was important to study the underlying influences and
develop proposed solutions that might help Teacher Training Division to meet its goal in
equipping teachers and retaining qualified teachers in the early childhood education field. This
study explored the possible causes of the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong.
It also examined the reasons and challenges of the PGDECE alumni who left the early childhood
education field and might not return to work in the field. In Chapter 4, the researcher addressed
the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences related to achieving the
organizational goal of retaining postgraduate diploma in ECE alumni as early childhood
professionals in the field. In this chapter, the researcher will make recommended knowledge,
motivational, and organizational solutions to those barriers to retaining preschool teachers in the
field.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. The knowledge influences in Table 5 represent the list of assumed
knowledge influences and their probability of being validated based on the data analysis after
interviews with the stakeholders, and supported by the literature review. Clark and Estes (2008)
suggested that many individuals are unaware of their lack of knowledge and skills in performing
the tasks; in order to retain preschool teachers in the field, the teacher training institution needs
to understand the knowledge and skills the graduates possess, and whether they can apply their
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knowledge and skills at their workplace in the ECE settings. As such, as indicated in Table 5,
all knowledge influences are validated with a high priority for achieving the stakeholders’ goal;
and context-specific recommendations for these influences are listed as well.
Table 5
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
knowledge
influence: cause,
need, or asset*
Validated
Yes, High
Probability,
or No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
citation
Context-Specific
recommendation
Teachers need to
have full
knowledge about
the job details
and
responsibilities of
being an early
childhood
educator (D)
V Y People need to
possess knowledge
and training .in order
to perform their job
duties as required
(Clark & Estes,
2008).
Provide regular on-the-job training to
enhance teachers' knowledge and
skills about being an early childhood
professional.
Teachers need to
know how to
apply various
teaching
approaches and
implement lesson
plans in early
childhood
classrooms (P)
V Y People need to
assimilate the content
they know then apply
and demonstrate
"how to do it" (Clark
& Estes, 2008).
To develop mastery,
individuals must
acquire component
skills, practice
integrating them, and
know when to apply
what they
have learned (Schraw
& McCrudden,
2006).
Provide training workshop or seminars
to update and equip teachers the
current teaching approaches to be
implemented in ECE classroom

Encourage teachers to conduct peer
observation and evaluation on activity
demonstration
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Teachers need to
know about their
own character
and personality if
fits the job of
being an early
childhood
educator (M)
V Y The use of
metacognitive
strategies facilitate
learning
(Baker, 2006).

The ability to reflect
on necessary skills
and knowledge in
assessing demands,
planning one’s
approach and
monitoring progress
(Krathwohl, 2002)
Provide workshops or seminars to
discuss about qualities and
characteristics of the role of early
childhood educator, enhance teachers’
skills to perform self-assessment and
acquire self-help skills by reflecting
one’s traits as an early childhood
educator.
Teachers need to
possess sufficient
self-awareness to
get assistance in
face of work or
job challenges
(M)
V Y Good education
provides people with
solid conceptual and
analytical knowledge
to solve novel future
challenges which
may not be expected
or prepared before
(Clark & Estes,
2008)
Provide job related seminars to
prepare teachers for facing future
challenges such as job stress or
emotional issues

Declarative knowledge solutions, or description of needs or assets. Declarative
knowledge includes factual knowledge about the world, and conceptual knowledge about
principles and concepts (Mayer, 2011). As Table 5 illustrates, preschool and kindergarten
teachers need to possess knowledge about their job and their responsibilities in how to nurture,
teach, and take care of young children. Clark and Estes (2008) mentioned that people need to
possess knowledge and training in order to perform their job duties as required. Providing a
checklist containing a preschool teacher's job description and responsibilities will present a
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holistic picture about the work of this profession. Teachers will be well aware of the job
details if the checklist is found in a teacher's handbook when they start their employment at a
school.
Wu (2011) explained that an individual's cognitive understanding required for a job
includes special knowledge and skills. Holochwost et al. (2009) emphasized that preschool
teachers need to possess educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment to
promote young children's learning. Winch (2004) further suggested that the acquisition of
knowledge is crucial in developing aspiring teachers’ skills and preparing for their career path.
Procedural Knowledge Solutions, or Description of Needs or Assets
Procedural knowledge is knowing how to do something, which requires the skills to
accomplish specific activities (Rueda, 2011). Preschool and kindergarten teachers need to know
how to apply various teaching approaches and implement appropriate lesson plans in early
childhood classroom settings. Clark and Estes (2008) stressed that people need to assimilate the
content they know then apply and demonstrate it in work settings. Providing a job aid such as
sample lessons or activity plans would illustrate how to apply the theories and approaches in
planning classroom activities, and would help teachers, especially novice ones, to visualize how
to turn abstract concepts into concrete lessons. Such recommended job aids could be posted on-
line or through the staff intranet at school so that teachers can easily access them.
Bridges et al. (2011) emphasized that teachers need to understand how to apply their
knowledge in program planning and execute it in classroom settings. Lobman et al. (2004) also
explained that preschool teachers need to be equipped with knowledge on curriculum and apply
them to work with families and children from diverse backgrounds. Grotevant and Durrett (1980)
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elaborated further that the ability to apply occupational knowledge provides individuals the
avenue to understand their career choices in early childhood settings.
Metacognitive Knowledge Solutions, or Description of Needs or Assets
Metacognitive knowledge is the awareness of one’s own cognition and cognitive processes,
which allows one to know when and why to do something (Rueda, 2011). Preschool and
kindergarten teachers need to know about their own character or personality to determine if they
fit the job of being an early childhood educator. Baker (2006) mentioned the use of
metacognitive strategies to facilitate one’s learning about his or her own strengths and
weaknesses. Providing workshops and seminars to discuss the qualities and characteristics of
early childhood educators may enhance teachers’ understanding about themselves, and equip
them skills in self-assessment and professional enrichment.
Sumsion (2002) suggested that personal qualities of early childhood educators may affect
how they perceive their job and careers. Jamil et al. (2012) also emphasized teachers’ self-
awareness and understanding of his or her own characteristics traits as important factors
affecting teachers’ performance at school.
Preschool and kindergarten teachers need to possess sufficient self-awareness to get
assistance in the face of work challenges. Clark and Estes (2008) asserted that a good education
provides people with the conceptual and analytical knowledge to solve novel and future
challenges. In order to assist teachers in developing the self-awareness to get assistance to deal
with future work challenges, job-related seminars focusing on job stress relief or mental health
care would help teachers prepare for future crises and alleviate their stress level at work, which
hopefully can retain teachers longer in the field.
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Baker (2006) suggested that metacognition allows one to apply knowledge acquired in
one context to another context if he or she has more self-awareness to monitor strategies and
resources better. Hall-Kenyon et al. (2014) indicated that teacher stress is a significant factor in
teachers’ well-being especially when there is lack of support for teachers. Wells (2015) asserted
the importance for teachers to know the resources to get assistance for managing work
challenges. Therefore, teachers need to have metacognitive knowledge to examine their own
needs and well-being, and have the self-awareness to take necessary steps to reduce their stress
level.
Motivation Recommendations
The motivation influences in Table 6 represent the list of assumed motivation influences
and their probability of being validated based on the data analysis after interviews with the
stakeholders, and supported by the literature review.
Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that motivation is crucial to helping individuals keep
moving and determines how much effort to invest in a task. Teachers are motivated when they
see the value of their work tasks, find interest and satisfaction from their work, and possess high
self-efficacy as capable in carrying out the tasks. As such, as indicated in Table 6, all
motivational influences are validated with a high priority for achieving the stakeholders’ goal;
and context-specific recommendations for these influences are listed.

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Table 6
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*

Validated
Yes, High
Probability, or
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Value – Teachers need
to see the value of
making a difference in
young children’s lives
as being an early
childhood professional.
V Y Learning and
motivation are
enhanced if the learner
values the task (Eccles,
2006).
Provide a role model or
peer models to share
their work as early
childhood professional
and how they make an
impact in children's
lives and in the
community.
Interest – Teachers need
to find satisfaction and
joy in their work to
sustain their interest and
face challenges in their
job.
V

Y Activating and building
upon
personal interest can
increase learning and
motivation (Schraw
& Lehman, 2009).
Provide sharing
sessions or workshops
to gather different
preschool teachers in
the field in order for
them to share their
passion, vision, and
challenges at work.
Self-Efficacy –
Teachers need to
believe they are capable
of teaching and taking
care of young children
effectively in the early
childhood education
settings.
V Y Feedback and modeling
increases self-efficacy
(Pajares, 2006).

Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners have positive
expectancies for
success (Pajares, 2006).
Provide positive and
constructive feedback
to teachers about their
work and interactions
with young children.

Provide recognition and
appreciation to teachers'
efforts and performance
in early childhood
education settings.

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Value. Rueda (2011) referred to value as the importance one attaches to a task. Clark
and Estes (2008) suggested that utility value drives people to focus on the benefits of finishing
the task, and justifies enduring hardship despite all unfavorable circumstances. As Table 6
illustrates, teachers need to see the value in making a difference in young children’s lives as
early childhood professionals. Eccles (2006) stated that learning and motivation are enhanced if
the learner values the task. The recommendation is to provide preschool teachers a role model or
peer models to share their work as early childhood professionals, and how these models can
make an impact in children's lives. In turn, preschool teachers can see and be reminded of the
utility value of their profession in society.
Mayor (2011) suggested that one is more likely to work harder where there exists personal
value or interest in the specific task. Lindahl (2015) indicated that, for early childhood
professionals, seeing the intrinsic value of making a difference in young children's lives is the
crucial factor in their decision to stay in the field. Wells (2015) also mentioned that teachers who
perceive great value in their work possess great motivation in nurturing and educating young
children despite receiving lower compensation or benefits from their work.
Interest. Clark and Estes (2008) mentioned that people will more easily and quickly
choose to do what interests them the most. Table 6 shows that teachers need to find satisfaction
and joy in their work in order to sustain their interests and are able to face challenges in their job.
Activating and building upon personal interest can increase learning and motivation (Schraw &
Lehman, 2009). Therefore, the recommendation is to provide workshops or sharing sessions to
gather different preschool teachers in the field, which enables them to share their passion, vision,
and challenges at work, so as to maintain their job satisfaction and interest in their work.
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Shraw and Lehman (2009) pointed out that personal and individual interest can catch an
individual’s attention and sustain engagement; and interest can increase motivation, engagement,
and persistence. Hall-Kenyon et al. (2014) reiterated that teachers who reported that their
greatest source of satisfaction is the “nature of work itself” are those who are motivated by the
interest and value they possess in their job. Lindahl (2015) further elaborated that preschool
teachers who possess great desire in teaching young children declare that it is the continuous
interest that pushes them forward. In other words, interest drives one’s persistence and leads to
intrinsic motivation for their work.
Self-Efficacy. Bandura (1977) defined self-efficacy as believing in one’s capabilities to
organize and execute the course of action required to produce given attainments. Table 6 further
shows that teachers need to believe they are capable of teaching and taking care of young
children effectively in the early childhood education settings. Feedback and modeling increases
self-efficacy while learning and motivation are enhanced when learners have positive
expectancies for success (Pajares, 2006). The recommendation is to provide positive and
constructive feedback to teachers about their work and interactions with young children to foster
their self-efficacy. Besides, the recommendation for organizations to provide recognition and
appreciation to teachers’ efforts and performance in early childhood education settings is crucial
to developing one's self-efficacy.
Rueda (2011) declared that individuals with higher self-efficacy possess greater belief in
their own competence. Pajares (2006) also suggested that self-efficacy beliefs provide the
foundation to motivate people in their task, to foster people's personal growth and
accomplishment. Jamil et al. (2012) further emphasized how teachers with higher self-efficacy
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declare that they would choose teaching as their career again if given the choice, which plays
an important role in the process of preschool teacher retention.
Organization Recommendations
The organization influences in Table 7 represent the list of assumed organizational
influences and their probability of being validated based on the data analysis after interviews
with the stakeholders, and supported by the literature review.
Clark and Estes (2008) underscored clear communication as crucial in helping
individuals to predict and accommodate unexpected events, collect feedback, and adjust their
skills and knowledge in performing work tasks and achieving task goals. As such, as indicated
in Table 7, organizational influences except the last influencer are validated with a high priority
for achieving the stakeholders’ goal; with context-specific recommendations for these influences
as listed.

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Table 7
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence: Cause,
need, or asset*

Validated
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)

Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
citation

Context-Specific
recommendation
The Faculty/school
does not portray a
realistic early
childhood work
setting but an ideal
setting to students.
V Y Staying current
(teachers and
administrators) with
the field’s research
and practice is
correlated with
increased student
learning outcomes
(Waters, Marzano &
McNulty, 2003).
Faculty/school to
conduct career
workshops, invite
principals and
experts to share, to
enable students to
keep abreast of the
current field
practice and
development of the
early childhood
work settings.
Program
administration lack
communication
with alumni
graduates which
hinders the
organizational goal
of tracing their
career moves.
V Y Communicate
constantly and
candidly to those
involved about
plans and progress
(Clark & Estes,
2008)
Project
administrative staff
work with faculty
staff to set up
alumni body to
connect with alumni
graduates, and to
trace their career
moves.
Faculty are not able
to invest time and
effort into students'
career decision and
prospects due to
overloaded
teaching and non-
teaching
responsibilities.
N N Insuring staff’s
resource needs are
being met is
correlated with
increased student
learning outcomes
(Waters, Marzano &
McNulty, 2003).

Division leaders to
provide sufficient
resources and
support to faculty so
that they can
balance their work
and be able to invest
time to assist
students in their
career decision.

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Portrayal of early childhood work setting. As Table 7 illustrates, the school does
not portray a realistic early childhood work setting but an ideal setting to students. It is essential
for teachers to inform students about the current field practice, about the realistic challenges of
working with children with special needs, and to link the theoretical knowledge with practical
situations in authentic early childhood environments. Waters et al. (2003) suggested that
teachers and administrators staying current with the field’s research and practice is correlated
with increased student learning outcomes. The recommendation to the school is to conduct
career workshops and invite current principals and experts to share about the updated trends and
events in the field; such as how to communicate with parents and strategies to support children
with diverse learning needs; this practice enables students to keep abreast of current field
practice and development of the early childhood work settings.
Senge (1990) suggested that organizations help people restructure their views of reality, to
see beyond the surface conditions into the underlying causes and facts of problem. Clark and
Estes (2008) also emphasized the importance of clear and candid communication in helping
people adjust performance to accommodate unexpected events, and improve their knowledge and
skills through constructive feedback. By communicating the realistic challenges of the early
childhood setting clearly and openly to students during the course of their study, the school
would provide students mental preparation and raise their awareness in the hardship and
difficulties to be faced in their career after graduation.
Lack of communication. Table 7 also shows that the program administration lacks
communication with alumni graduates, which hinders the organizational goal of tracing their
career moves. Clark and Estes (2008) emphasized the importance of constant and candid
communication to those involved about plans and progress. The recommendation to program
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administrative staff is to work with the faculty staff to set up the alumni body to connect with
alumni graduates, in order to update and trace their career moves in the field.
Kezar (2001) cited self-assessment and awareness of institutional culture as necessary to
improve the collaborative process. Senge (1990) brought up the role of leader as steward in the
institution, to achieve the purpose and commitment of the organization's mission. Clark and
Estes (2008) further reiterated the significance for organizations to provide adequate knowledge,
skills, and motivational support for everyone to achieve change goals, team work, and trust
building. Therefore, the program administrative staff should take a more proactive role in
bridging the gap between the school and the alumni students, in order to keep track on their
career moves and directions.
Faculty overload. Table 7 further shows that faculty staff members are not able to invest
time and effort into students' career decision and prospects due to overloaded teaching and
nonteaching responsibilities. This assumed influence was not validated as data reflected that the
alumni graduates received sufficient support and advice from the faculty members despite their
busy schedules and heavy workload. Nevertheless, organizational leaders are recommended to
provide sufficient resources and support to faculty so that they can balance their work and be
able to invest time to assist students in their career decisions.
Berger (2014) illustrated that organizational factors such as political, structural, and
cultural barriers impede employee communication and organizational performance. As faculty
staff are invaluable human capital and resources that contribute to overall program quality,
organization leaders should treasure these resources and balance their workload, empower them
to develop their potentials, and invest in their effort to foster students’ growth and development.

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Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was applied for
this implementation and evaluation plan, based on the original Kirkpatrick Four Level Model of
Evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006). This model suggests that evaluation plans start
with level-four results on organizational goals and work backward to identify recommendations
on behavior change leading to those goals. Further, this “reverse order” of the New World
Kirkpatrick Model provides opportunities to develop solution outcomes on assessing work
behaviors, identify whatever learning occurs, and, finally, assess whether participants are
satisfied with the implementation plan.
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The purpose of Peace University is to promote a culture of knowledge discovery through
research and high-quality learning opportunities. The School of Professional Development (SPD)
of the Peace University has been committed to nurturing responsible individuals who possess the
knowledge and skills to serve the community. The school offers programs and opportunities for
people of all ages to fulfill their goals of professional and academic advancement, with its
teacher training programs bearing a good reputation in the region. The school carries out its
mission to train preschool teachers in the field annually, yet it has been observed that the attrition
rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong is on an incline in recent years (Education Bureau,
2017).
This study examined the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational influences
that affect the high attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. The recommended
solutions, professional development opportunities, related on-the-job support and training,
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should produce the desired outcome: an increase in the enrollment rate of preschool teachers
in professional development courses and a decrease in the attrition rate of preschool teachers in
general. The stakeholder group for this study was primarily a group of PGDECE alumni
graduates who were trained preschool teachers from the program. This study explored the
knowledge and motivational influences affecting the alumni’s decision to stay in or depart from
the early childhood workforce. In order to align with the organization's mission in providing
high-quality academic and professional courses over a wide range of disciplines, and preparing
individual learners for professional or career advancement, the Teacher Training Division needs
to consider ways to enhance teacher quality and promote teacher retention in the field, which
hopefully can lead to a lower attrition rate of preschool teachers in the coming years.
Results and Leading Indicators
Table 8 shows the proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators (from the
Kirkpatrick model) in the form of outcomes, metrics, and methods for both external and internal
outcomes. If the internal outcomes are met as expected as a result of the training and
organizational support for teachers or participants, then external outcomes should also be
realized.

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Table 8
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
1. Increased teacher
retention in the early
childhood education sector
The number of teachers
available at the beginning of
semester year
Solicit data, i.e., obtain data of
teacher registration from the
education bureau (government)
2. Increased professional
leaders in the field of ECE
The number of leaders or
principals employed in local
kindergarten settings
Solicit data, i.e., obtain data of
principal registration from the
education bureau (government)
3. Increased public
awareness of the significant
roles of kindergarten
teachers
The frequency of teachers'
testimonies mentioned in
press coverage.
Track frequency of teachers'
testimonies in press coverage
Internal Outcomes
1. Enhanced ECE teacher
quality
Review of teacher training
criteria, content and skills to
be covered
Aggregate data from existing
local principals' survey and
feedback
2. Increased number of
student teachers to be trained
Collect data on the number
of teachers to be trained
Aggregate data from teacher
training institution on the number
of student teacher graduates
3. Increased teacher job
satisfaction
Teacher satisfaction to be
measured in surveys
Compare annual survey results

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Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus were the alumni of the Postgraduate
Diploma in ECE (PGDECE) course. The first critical behavior is that alumni graduates identify
appropriate professional development courses or activities. The second critical behavior is that
they engage in various types of professional development activities or training courses. The third
critical behavior is that they review the completion rate of professional development courses or
activities. The specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of these outcome behaviors appear
in Table 9.
Table 9
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Postgraduate Alumni Graduates
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. ECE alumni
identify appropriate
professional
development courses
or activities
The number of
participants’
enrollment of
appropriate
professional activities
or courses
The administration shall
review the number of
appropriate professional
development courses or
activities to be offered

During the first
60 days of new
semester
2.ECE alumni engage
in various types of
professional
development activities
or training courses
The number of course
applications by types

The administration shall
survey the number of
applications by type
received from PGDE
alumni graduates
During the first
60 days of course
application open
enrolment period
3. ECE alumni review
the completion rate of
professional
development courses
or activities
The number of alumni
graduates completing
the professional
development courses
or activities

The administration shall
track the number of
completion cases or
completion rate

During the last
30 days of course
delivery period

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Required drivers. Alumni graduates require the support of their supervisors and the
organization to reinforce what they learn in the training and to encourage them to apply what
they have learned in their workplaces. Rewards should be established for achievement of
performance goals to enhance the organizational support of teachers. Table 10 shows the
recommended drivers to support critical behaviors of alumni graduates.
Table 10
Required Drivers to Support Postgraduate Alumni Graduates’ Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3, etc.
Reinforcing
Job aid including checklist containing a list of teacher's job
duties and responsibilities found in teacher's handbook
Semi-annually 1, 2, 3
Workshops or seminars to discuss about qualities and
characteristics of the role of early childhood educator
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Encouraging
Workshops or seminars to gather different preschool teachers to
share their passion, vision, and challenges at work.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Role model or peer models to share their work as ECE
professional and how to make an impact in children's lives and
in the community
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Rewarding
Professional growth and possible promotion opportunities

Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Public acknowledgement, such as certificate presentation
ceremony
Yearly 1, 2, 3

Monitoring
Project administrative staff to set up alumni body to connect
with alumni graduates, and to trace their career moves.
On-going 1, 2, 3
Faculty/school to conduct career workshops to enable students
to keep abreast of the current field practice and development of
the early childhood work settings.
Quarterly 1, 2, 3

Organizational support. Faculty/school can conduct career workshops and invite
principals and experts to share, to enable alumni graduates to keep abreast of current field
practice and development of the early childhood work settings. Additionally, program
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administrative staff can work with faculty staff to set up an alumni body to connect with
alumni, to update and to trace their professional development plans and career moves. In order
to ensure the achievement of organizational goal by retaining 70% of alumni graduates in the
ECE field by June 2020, the program administration can help monitor the progress of the
stakeholder goal, which is to ensure that 100% of alumni will engage in continuing professional
development activities or courses to equip themselves as ECE professionals by June 2019.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following completion of the recommended solutions, the stakeholders
will be able to:
1. Recognize the occupational knowledge such as curriculum and teaching approaches in
early childhood education (D)
2. Compare and contrast the types of professional development activities. (P)
3. Recognize the need to engage in professional development programs. (D)
4. Identify an appropriate course to equip oneself as ECE professional. (D)
5. Create a checklist of completion for different professional development activities. (P)
6. Monitor their work to follow the schedule in professional development path. (M)
7. Indicate confidence that they can evaluate their professional growth as ECE teacher
within the prescribed time limits. (Confidence)
8. Value the variety and timeliness of the professional growth process. (Value)
9. Value the planning and monitoring of their work. (Value)
10. Value the peer and mentor support in their professional development path. (Value)
Program. The learning goals listed in the previous sections will be achieved through
professional development training, workshops, and seminars. The alumni will equip themselves
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from teaching approaches to curriculum design, from school administration to parental
communication. During the professional training activities, participants will be provided a job
aid of key terms and references to the requirements for being a preschool teacher.
Components of learning. Declarative knowledge is often required when applying
knowledge to solve problems. Learning is often evaluated in terms of both the declarative and
procedural knowledge being taught. Learners should value training as important access to their
newly learned knowledge and skills on the job, and demonstrate their confidence in applying
their newly learned knowledge and skills in their workplace. Table 11 shows the evaluation
methods and timing for these components of learning.
Table 11
Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks through discussions, and
other focus group activities
Periodically during workshop or seminar, and
alumni gathering events
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Demonstration in groups using the job aids to
successfully perform the skills.
During workshop or seminars
Quality of the feedback from peers during
group sharing
During workshops or alumni gatherings
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Discussions of the value of what they are being
asked to do on the job
During workshops
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Reflection from the impact of professional
development courses
After the courses
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey items using scaled items Following each module/lesson/unit in the
evaluation part
Discussions following practice and feedback During workshops
Reflection from the impact of professional
development courses
After the courses
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Discussions following practice and feedback During the workshop
Create an individual action plan During the workshop

Level 1: Reaction
Table 12, below, lists the methods used to determine how the participants react to the
learning events.
Table 12
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Completion of online modules/lessons/units By the end of the course
Attendance During the workshop/seminar
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course
Relevance
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Brief pulse-check with participants via survey (online) and
discussion (ongoing)
After every module/lesson/unit
and the workshop
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course
Customer Satisfaction
Brief pulse-check with participants via survey (online) and
discussion (ongoing)
After every module/lesson/unit
and the workshop
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course.

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. Evaluation is made to check with
the participants' reaction and learning progress. Data will be collected upon the start, duration,
and completion of modules by the participants. These data will reflect engagement with the
course material. Brief surveys (refer to Appendix D) will be carried out after each module to
consult the participants' overall satisfaction with the course and the level of relevance of course
material to their job performance.
For Level 1, the instructor will conduct regular brief pulse-checks by asking participants
about the relevance of the content to their work and to the organization, delivery, and learning
environment. Level 2 will include checks for understanding using discussion and sharing among
groups in responding to questions and scenarios drawn from the workshops and seminars.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately 90 days after
the implementation of the professional development training, the organization will administer a
survey (refer to Appendix E) containing scaled items using the Blended Evaluation approach to
measure, from the participant’s perspective, satisfaction and relevance of the training (Level 1),
confidence and value of applying their training (Level 2), application of the training to the
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reflective process (Level 3), and the extent to which their commitment to work toward the
new goal in their careers (Level 4).
Data Analysis and Reporting
The Level 4 goal is reflected by the participants' completion rate of their professional
development courses such as a kindergarten principal certificate or other professional
development or enhancement courses. Each semester, the reviewer will track the number of
participants who have completed these courses on the course completion reports presented by the
project administration team and the program-in-charge. The dashboard graph below (Figure 3)
will report the data on these completion rates as a monitoring and accountability tool. Similar
graphs will be created to monitor Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 3. Proposed dashboard of professional development activities.
Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model was applied for the implementation and evaluation
plan of this study (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The four levels of training and evaluation
HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

105
were used to ensure that alumni have the knowledge, motivation, and organizational support
to provide data on perceived causes of the high attrition rate of preschool teachers. As with this
model, recommendation starts with the identification of outcomes, metrics, and method to
measure the results of the targeted outcomes that align with the organization’s goals. Then
critical behaviors are assessed to see if the participants are applying what they have learned at
their workplace. Learning outcomes are further identified as the participants are evaluated on
their learning and knowledge, attitude, commitment, and confidence during the training. Lastly,
participants’ satisfaction, engagement, and the relevance of the training is assessed for their
reaction to training. In order to implement change and maximize the program results, it is
important to evaluate and analyze data collection, and to ask the questions: “Does the level of ….
meet expectations? If so, then why? and If not, then why not?” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Limitations and Delimitations of the Study
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences and factors behind the high
attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong. The study applied the qualitative research
method to interview a group of 10 alumni who were preschool teachers in the field, and a group
of three school leaders to seek their additional opinion on the study.
There were limitations of this study. The first limitation was the sample population, as
the alumni from the PGDE program represented only a small group of teachers in the ECE field.
There were other programs such as Bachelor of Education (ECE) and Higher Diploma in ECE,
which also trained qualified preschool teachers in the local market. Therefore, the sampling
population for this study may not be representative enough to reflect a larger labor force in the
ECE field in Hong Kong.
HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

106
The second limitation of this study was the insufficient number of participants
involved in interviews. For this study, only 10 PGDE alumni were invited to participate in the
interview, which only represented 2% of the total population of about 420 PGDE alumni over the
previous 6 years. Therefore, the sampling number for this study may not be sufficient.
The third limitation of this study was the absence of other major stakeholders. For
accessible data collection, the participating stakeholders of this study were the alumni and school
leaders in the ECE field whom the researcher could make contact with and collect data without
causing concern from conflict of interests. This study would be more comprehensive if the
researcher could include voices and opinions from the institution leaders, program administrators,
faculty members, and a larger number of preschool leaders in the early childhood education field.
The delimitation of this study was the lack of quantitative data collected from the
participants. Because the majority of PGDE alumni graduates did not affiliate with the
university after their graduation, and the program administration did not trace their career moves
after the first year of their graduation, the researcher predicted a low response rate in the survey
data collection. Therefore, the researcher decided to collect data through in-depth interviews.
Nevertheless, this study would be more complete if both qualitative and quantitative data were
collected and analyzed.
Recommendations for Future Research
Preschool education in Hong Kong has been going through tremendous changes over the
past few decades. Research topics conducted in the preschool environment in Hong Kong are
scarce. This study intended to evaluate the influences and factors impacting the high attrition
rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong, yet it also exposed many potential research areas in the
early childhood education field. The participants in the study shared valuable opinions and
HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

107
perspectives in this field, which generated numerous meaningful topics and issues to
investigate. It is worthwhile to examine the preschool teachers’ work conditions and
environment to further understand their challenges at work. Besides, other topics may include:
the impact of management styles in ECE settings, the collaborative effort of preschool and
parents, the effectiveness of preschool teacher training, the professionalism of preschool teachers,
equity and compensation of preschool teaching, and so forth. They are all important topics that
can impact and contribute to the quality of preschool education in Hong Kong, and in the Asian
region.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to explore the factors behind the attrition rate of preschool
teachers in Hong Kong. Though the current 10.5% of attrition rate in kindergarten teachers is
more than double the attrition rate of primary and secondary teachers in Hong Kong (Educational
bureau, 2017), it does not seem to be an alarming figure compared to those of other countries and
regions. However, the figure is on its increase as witnessed from the past 5 years, and has
generated enough concern to investigate and evaluate the issue. Despite the sufficient supply of
kindergarten teachers in the ECE field, the fact that experienced or non-novice teachers’
departure from the field is causing an impact on children’s learning and adding burdens to
existing teachers is a concern. Factors behind the attrition phenomenon are many, and some
factors are discounting teachers’ satisfaction and passion in their work, which may lead to their
decision to quit from their jobs. In order to lower the attrition rate, an economist may
recommend to raise preschool teachers' salary for them to stay in the field. That sound
suggestion will need further study to verify its effectiveness to solve or lessen the attrition
problem. Nevertheless, teacher training institutions need to understand the influences and
HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

108
identify solutions to tackle the problem. Continuous professional development activities
enable existing teachers to equip themselves to be better educators and prepare themselves for
career advancement, which can help to maintain or increase teachers’ motivation and satisfaction
to remain in the ECE field.
There is still much work to do to raise awareness and recognition of the preschool
teaching profession. The majority of the participating teachers in this study made a firm and
clear decision that they would choose to be a preschool teacher if given an opportunity to choose
again. They all shared their desire and vision in making a “change” in the early childhood
education field. Apart from making an impact to benefit children's learning, they would like to
see society change its perspectives about the preschool teaching profession; this is their hope and
their goal for the future.

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109
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Appendix A
Interview Protocol for Participants Who Are Currently Working in the ECE Field

Interview Questions
1. Tell me your employment history as a preschool teacher.
2. Describe your job duties and responsibilities as a preschool teacher.
3. How does your character and personality fit the job as a preschool teacher?
4. Describe how you view yourself as capable in performing the job as preschool teacher?
5. How much would you rate your satisfaction in the job as a preschool teacher?
6. As a preschool teacher, what is/are the biggest challenge(s) that you are facing, if any?
7. Share an example of how you would react when facing challenges and difficulties at your
preschool teaching work.
8. How is the reality of being a preschool teacher meeting the expectation you have held for
this job?
9. How much did your preschool teacher training prepare you to perform the preschool teacher
job?
10. How well could you consult advice from the faculty on the preschool teacher career before
you entered the ECE field?
11. What would you suggest the teacher training institution to add or to adjust, in their
preschool teaching training?
12. If you were given an opportunity to choose again, will you choose preschool teacher as your
career?
13. How long are you planning to work as preschool teacher or early childhood professional?

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Appendix B
Interview Protocol for Participants Who Have Left their Work from the ECE Field

Interview Questions
1. Tell me your employment history as a preschool teacher.
2. Describe your job duties and responsibilities as a previous preschool teacher .
3. How did your character and personality fit the job as a preschool teacher?
4. How much would you rate your satisfaction in the job as a preschool teacher?
5. Why did you leave your job as a preschool teacher?
6. How much do you miss your preschool teaching job?
7. If there is one thing that you can change in the preschool teacher's work, what would that be?
8. How was the reality of being a preschool teacher meeting the expectation you had held for
this job?
9. How much did your preschool teacher training prepare you to perform the preschool teacher
job?
10. How well could you consult advice from the faculty on the preschool teacher career before
you entered the ECE field?
11. What would you suggest the teacher training institution to add or to adjust, in their
preschool teaching training?
12. To what extent will you consider to resume your preschool teaching job in future?

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

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Appendix C
Interview Protocol for School Leaders’ Opinions on High Attrition Rate of
Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong

Interview Questions
1. What is the average length of employment among the preschool teachers in your school?
2. To what extent do you agree attrition rate of preschool teacher in Hong Kong is high?
3. In your opinion, what are the factors contributing to preschool teachers' departure from the
early childhood education field?
4. How much do you think preschool teachers in Hong Kong are satisfied with their work?
5. Can you suggest anything for the teacher training institution to offer or do in order to lower
the preschool teacher attrition?

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

118
Appendix D
Questions Used Immediately After the Training Program for L1 and L2

Level 1 Engagement Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
1. The course content and materials met my
expectations.

2. I am involved and participate actively in class.
Level 1 Relevance
3. The course materials relate well with my job
needs.

4. The course content enhances my understanding
of job knowledge and skills.

Level 1 Participant Satisfaction
5. I would recommend other teachers to participate
in the course.

Level 2 Attitude
6. I believe I am making a difference with my job.
Level 2 – Confidence
7. I believe I am capable in performing my best at
work.

Level 2 – Commitment
8. I will dedicate to my work to serve the needs of
others.

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

119
Appendix E
Questions Delayed 90 Days After the Training for L1–L4 Broad Levels

Level 1 Reaction Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
1. What I learned from the course has been
valuable to my professional growth.

2. I feel I am better equipped as an educator to
teach young children.

Level 2 Learning
3. I am able to apply what I have learned from
the course in a realistic school setting.

4. I am able to integrate the new knowledge
learned from the course with my prior
knowledge and experience.

Level 3 Behavior
5. I am willing to share my new learning from
the course with my colleagues at work.

6. I am able to write teacher journals to reflect
on my teaching practices daily.

Level 4 Results
7. I see that I am making a difference as teacher
in children's lives.

8. I am able to complete the course to obtain the
kindergarten principal certificate.

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

120
Appendix F
University of Southern California
Information and Consent Form for Research

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS IN HONG KONG

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Paulina Yuen at the University of
Southern California. Please read through this form and ask any questions you might have before
deciding whether or not you want to participate.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research study aims to understand the influences and factors contributing to the high
attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
Your participation in this study is voluntary; you may decline to participate without penalty. If
you agree to take part in this study, you will be invited to participate in an interview, which lasts
for approximately 45 minutes, at a place mutually agreed by you and the investigator. Before
starting the interview, the investigator will ask for your permission to audio-tape the
conversation for the purpose of data collection.
You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to. You may withdraw from the study
at any time without penalty. If you withdraw from the study before data collection is completed,
your data will be returned to you or destroyed.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will receive no compensation for participating in this study.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential. At
the completion of the study, direct identifiers will be destroyed and the de-identified data may be
used for future research studies.

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Paulina
Yuen at pyuen@usc.edu and/or (852) 91596913.

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu.

HIGH ATTRITION RATE OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

121
CONSENT
I have read and understand the above information. I have received a copy of this form. I agree to
participate in this study and give permission to audio-tape the interview process.

Signature of the Participant __________________________Date ____________________

Signature of the Investigator _________________________ Date ___________________

Abstract (if available)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Yuen, Paulina (author)

Core Title High attrition rate of preschool teachers in Hong Kong: an evaluation study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 04/12/2018

Defense Date 03/02/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Early Childhood Education,high attrition,interest,kindergarten teachers,Knowledge,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organizational influences,preschool teachers,Value

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Datta, Monique Claire (committee chair), Krop, Cathy Sloane (committee member), Picus, Lawrence Oscar (committee member)

Creator Email paulinay@yahoo.com,pyuen@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-7550

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Legacy Identifier etd-YuenPaulin-6242.pdf

Dmrecord 7550

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Yuen, Paulina

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

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