Catching them young! A comparative study of teacher retention among beginning teachers in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates

It is widely reported that teachers in their first 5 years of entering the profession are highly likely to leave their teaching positions. There have been many discussions on how to keep beginning teachers in the profession, mainly in Western countries. However, no such discourse exists on teacher retention in non-Western contexts, such as Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to extend Western literature to the Middle Eastern context by investigating the retention of beginning teachers in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Four hundred and sixty-six novice teachers were evaluated using the Teacher Retention Scale, which was developed on the basis of the four-capital retention model. The data were subjected to inferential statistics, such as structural equation modelling and multivariate analysis of variance. The results provide evidence that supports the four-capital model as an effective measure of teacher retention. Moreover, structural and psychological capitals were identified as significant predictors of human capital. The study suggests implementing targeted training programmes that would enable new teachers in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to transition smoothly into the profession.