Teacher and leader transience is a common theme in international schools, where a school leader stays at the same international school for a little more than three years on average (McMaine, 2024). Expatriate teachers and administrators travel the “international school circuit,” enjoying the flexibility to stay in a position or to leave when they choose (Poole & Bunnell, 2020). While the challenges of transience are well-documented, there is a growing recognition of the benefits to international educator transience, both for individuals educators and the communities they serve.
Multiple perspectives on transience exist among international school leaders. A study conducted among leaders in two international schools in Eastern and Southern Africa explored how international school leaders perceive transience among international school teachers and leaders (McMaine, 2024). While there are certainly negative aspects associated with teacher and leader turnover—such as the costs associated with recruitment and onboarding, the loss of institutional knowledge, and the potential disruption of school culture—it is equally important to acknowledge the positive impacts that transience can have. Participants in the study expressed a belief that there is an optimal time of five to eight years for individuals to stay at an international school and identified multiple benefits to transience.
International schools are complex, diverse, and unique, shaped by multiple factors–from the communities within the school to those without. International schools often exist as “islands,” despite the communication inherent in today’s connected society. Study participants noted that transient teachers and leaders bring fresh perspectives, energy, and enthusiasm to this “island” environment. The study showed the belief that educator transience contributes to idea circulation, enriching school culture and contributing to positive change. In this sense, transience serves as a form of knowledge exchange to enhance creativity and innovation across schools.
Many leaders in the study viewed transience in international schools as a form of career advancement. The decision to relocate to a new school or country—whether for professional development, a new challenge, or to experience a different part of the world—may reflect a desire to improve their personal or professional situation. Participants noted that when teachers and leaders arrive at a new school with a mindset of having “moved to improve,” this attitude can positively influence the school culture.
The experience of moving from one school or country to another allows teachers and leaders to acquire a broad range of skills and cultural knowledge. Each new location offers unique challenges that require adaptability and creativity (McMaine, 2024). Study participants told how transient educators and leaders gained cultural capital—knowledge of diverse cultural norms, as well as novel approaches that they could carry forward to their next position. Transience, in this sense, becomes an effective form of on-the-job training that continuously sharpens the expertise of educators in dynamic, multicultural settings.
Research has discussed the disruptive impacts of leaders or teachers leaving a school, but within international schools where leaving is normal, transience can create a sense of urgency within the school community (McMaine, 2024). The awareness that an important member of the team is leaving—or that a new person will soon take their place—can propel the entire school to act quickly to complete tasks, implement changes, and drive progress. One participant in the study shared how they worked right up until the very moment of their departure, driven by the wish to provide a smooth transition for their successor. This very valid sense of urgency can help to drive short-term goals to completion.
Transience offers international school leaders and educators the unique opportunity to leave multiple legacies, each time they leave an international school. The data showed that the perception of legacy was tied to transience. Some participants looked back at programs or projects that they had initiated in other schools and commented on the continuation of those programs as a legacy, while others took pride in leaving a school in good working order. The ability to move is aligned with the cultivation of a persona, and legacy building works toward the cultivation of a persona, which is an important tool .
Although teacher and leader transience brings challenges, leaders in the study viewed transience through a positive lens. Transience brings with it unique opportunities for international schools to innovate, adapt, and evolve. It allows for the flow of ideas across borders, the development of well-rounded educators, and a desire to establish a legacy. In this way, the transient nature of the international schools is not a liability, but rather a strength that contributes to the dynamic and diverse landscape of international education.
References
McMaine, B. (2024). Shifting sands: Perceptions of transience in leadership decisions in international schools in Southern and Eastern Africa. [Doctoral dissertation, University of the Cumberlands].
Poole, A. & Bunnell, T. (2020). Developing the notion of teaching in “international schools” as precarious: Towards a more nuanced approach based upon “transition capital.” Globalisation, Societies and Education, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2020.1816924
Ben McMaine is the leader of learning for the Language Acquisition Department at the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky and is a certified Critical Friends Group coach and an International Baccalaureate Educator Network Spanish B examiner. McMaine has taught in Ecuador, Argentina, China, the United States of America, and Tanzania.
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/
