Research indicates that nearly 44% of beginning teachers exit the profession within the initial five years (Ingersoll et al., 2018). Some of the reasons teachers leave their jobs include job satisfaction, burnout, and financial circumstances. It has been noted that the biggest reason for leaving jobs in public schools is stress (Diliberti et al 2021). However, the reasons for teachers leaving their jobs in private schools, where they earn higher salaries or have better conditions compared to other schools, are unknown. Examining the underlying reasons for teachers who do not leave their jobs due to financial or stress-related reasons is essential for the future sustainability of the teaching profession. This gap suggests that teacher attrition cannot be fully explained by external or material conditions alone and calls for a deeper examination of the pedagogical and professional structures shaping teachers’ experiences. In this context, John Dewey’s conceptualization of education as a form of “constructive engineering” provides a useful lens, emphasizing teaching as an intentionally designed and evolving practice that cultivates new competencies in teachers (Dewey, 2009). Building on this perspective, the present study employs a learning engineering framework to investigate the processes and experiences of teachers who leave the preschool teaching profession. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to examine in depth the processes and experiences of teachers who leave the preschool teaching profession and pursue different career choices. In accordance with this aim, the present study addresses the following research question:

1. What are the lived experiences of preschool teachers who leave the profession and pursue alternative careers?

A qualitative phenomenological research "…investigates various reactions to, or perceptions of a particular phenomenon" (Fraenkel et al., 2012, p. 432). Accordingly, in the current study, a phenomenological design was employed to understand preschool teachers’ lived experiences of the processes of leaving the profession and choosing the alternative careers. Also, the purposive sampling was used to enable a detailed examination of teachers leaving the profession. In this context, the criteria for participating in the study were that the participants had a four-year bachelor's degree, had professional experience in private early childhood education institutions, and had left the teaching profession. Eight preschool teachers who had left the profession at different points in their careers participated to the study. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Face-to-face interviews with teachers lasted between 35 and 55 minutes, depending on their experience. To ensure the trustworthiness of the study, intercoder reliability, expert opinion, reflexivity, and thick and rich descriptions were employed. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software through inductive content analysis.

The preliminary findings of the study indicate that, particularly in terms of societal perception, the teaching profession is not sufficiently valued, and that the factors leading to professional satisfaction are largely based on abstract and delayed indicators. Changes in teachers’ well-being before and after leaving the profession emerged as a significant factor influencing their decisions to pursue alternative careers. Participants emphasized that their efforts as teachers often result in outcomes that become visible only after a long period of time, which contributes to feelings of frustration and plays a crucial role in their tendency to leave the profession. Furthermore, teachers reported that the teaching profession does not offer clear opportunities for career advancement. They described being under constant pressure to perform the same work in similar ways due to ongoing expectations and demands, with limited prospects for professional growth. Participants noted that the highest formal promotion available within the profession is often school leadership positions, such as becoming a principal; however, based on their observations of others in these roles, they perceived school leadership as involving similar responsibilities and stressors rather than a meaningful career progression. As a result, participants argued that, like other professions, teaching needs to be restructured to offer diverse and sustainable career pathways. In this context, the findings were discussed under the emerging perspective of learning engineering in education, which offers alternative roles and trajectories beyond traditional classroom teaching. Finally, the study highlights the importance of protecting the teaching profession both socially and through policy initiatives. Enhancing the social value of teaching, supporting teachers’ well-being, and designing systems that foster professional satisfaction and visible career development may play a key role in preventing teachers from leaving the profession and ensuring the future sustainability of the teaching profession.

Dewey, J. (2009). Education as engineering. Journal of Currciulum Studies, 41(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270802169345 Diliberti, M., Schwartz, H. L., & Grant, D. M. (2021). Stress topped the reasons why public school teachers quit, even before COVID-19. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1121-2 Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Ingersoll, R., Merrill, E., & Stuckey, D. (2018, October). Seven Trends: The Transformation of the Teaching Force (Research Report #RR-2018-2). Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania.