Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Teachers: Do We Need a Gender Perspective on Teacher Shortage?

Abstract

Teacher shortages are a global phenomenon with a variety of causes. As teaching is predominantly a female profession, this perspective paper aims to explore and analyze the current discourse regarding teacher shortages from a gender perspective. It follows the question of whether there are any similarities and differences between teacher shortages from a gender perspective in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. Social norms and restrictions may influence access to the teaching profession and preselect applicants for the profession. The paper presents a concise review of existing literature on teacher-student motivation and teacher shortages from a gender perspective. It then provides a comparative view on the historical development of the teaching profession from a predominantly male to a predominantly female profession in each country. The discussion reveals the necessity to broaden the gender perspective in order to attract and retain more young people in the teaching profession.