| Summary: | This study aims to explore the challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers in rural schools of Guizhou, China. It is intended to offer research-based information to improve our understanding of the factors related to the severe problem of teacher shortage in these rural areas. During the survey, data were collected over a period of 17 months to answer the following three main questions: 1. Are there shortages of teachers in rural schools in Guizhou? 2. What are the factors that influence teachers’ decision-making about whether or not to enter and remain in the teaching profession? 3. What strategies have been developed for teacher recruitment and retention? Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the research. Besides, the researcher conducted a field study in 47 primary schools and carried out in-depth interviews with 41 teachers, 9 headteachers, and 4 government officials. In addition, a total of 200 primary school teachers participated in the questionnaire survey. According to the analysis, the teacher shortage problem in rural schools of Guizhou is highly complex. A majority of rural schools are still short of teachers. The current teacher recruitment and retention policies of rural schools are not effective enough and have not been fully implemented. Also, salary, working conditions, location, family and individual development are the main factors that influence teachers’ decision-making about whether or not to start and continue to teach in rural areas of Guizhou. Improving working and living conditions as well as offering more training opportunities are important for the recruitment and retention of rural teachers in rural areas of Guizhou. Housing policies are the most attractive recruitment strategy for rural teachers of Guizhou. A job rotation system can help rural schools to ensure the quality of teaching and reduce the relatively high rate of teacher shortage. Furthermore, policy-makers can engage volunteers in resolving the problem of teacher shortage through collaborative efforts. In conclusion, it is significant for policy-makers to develop shared visions and make full use of every resource to resolve the teacher shortage problem. Long-term objectives should be set to ensure that the quality of education in rural schools can be improved step by step.
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