I Am the Eye of the Needle and Everything Passes through Me: primary headteachers explain their retirement
- 1 June 1996
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in School Organisation
- Vol. 16 (2) , 149-163
- https://doi.org/10.1080/0260136960160203
Abstract
Fourteen early retiring primary headteachers in individual and group interviews discussed their decision to apply for early retirement. Retirement decisions were affected by ‘pushes’ from the system and ‘pulls’ towards retirement. Perceived pushes were external pressures, job expansion/overload, bureaucracy, local authority support, loss of job satisfaction and school relationships. Pulls comprised ‘facilitators’ (personal and financial) and ‘gains’ (control, opportunities, health and family). Pushes against retirement comprised losses of positive school relationships, role and status, job challenge and time structure. Early retirement amongst these headteachers appeared to derive from current retirement trends, job stress and lack of management support.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Action First-Thinking Later!Management in Education, 1995
- Primary Headteachers' Careers: a survey of primary school heads with particular reference to women's career trajectoriesBritish Educational Research Journal, 1994
- Occupational stress in head teachers: a national UK studyBritish Journal of Educational Psychology, 1993
- Job Satisfaction and the Headteacher: a nominal group approachSchool Organisation, 1993
- The Changing Role of the Head in the Primary School in EnglandSchool Organisation, 1991
- Coping with multiple innovations in schools: An exploratory studySchool Organisation, 1991
- A conception of adult development.American Psychologist, 1986
- Early Retirement Processes among Older MenResearch on Aging, 1985
- Research ReportEducational Administration Bulletin, 1973