Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987

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Teaching and Teacher Education

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tate

Research paper

Exploring teachers’ perspectives on career development: Q

methodology research
Youmen Chaaban a, *, Hadeel Alkhateeb b, Abdullah Abu-Tineh b, Michael Romanowski c
a
Education Research Center, College of Education, Qatar University, Qatar, Al Nasr Street, Al Tarfa 2713, Doha, Qatar
b
Educational Science Department, College of Education, Qatar University, Qatar
c
Education Research Center, College of Education, Qatar University, Qatar

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Recruiting, preparing and supporting teachers remain a public concern in many countries, with similar
Received 22 July 2022 concerns voiced in Qatar. Using a Systems Theory Framework, this study explored the systems of in-
Received in revised form fluence on Qatari teachers' career development within individual, social, and environmental-societal
29 November 2022
contexts. Q methodology was applied, using a 40-statement Q-sample. Forty-two teachers participated
Accepted 11 December 2022
Available online xxx
in this study, including 27 males and 15 females. Results revealed four distinct perspectives with minimal
consensus, and alluding to different career plans: (F-1) considering career prospects, (F-2) pursuing
leadership positions, (F-3) surviving in the profession, and (F-4) contemplating leaving the profession.
Keywords:
Teacher career development
Implications for policy planning are discussed.
Systems theory © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
Q methodology license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Qatar

1. Introduction personal interests, professional skills, autonomy, and work-life

Calls for a systems perspective on teacher career development
have been voiced in recent years (Darling-Hammond, 2017; Opfer &
Pedder, 2011; Qin, 2021). Several cross-country analyses (Darling-
Hammond, 2017; Raduan & Na, 2020) reveal similarities in ap-
proaches to teacher career development from recruitment, prepa-
ration, induction and continuous professional development (PD).
The progression along this career path has also been associated
with the advancement of teacher expertise, including experience
and competence (Raduan & Na, 2020). While linear models, which
describe the successive progression of teachers in terms of discrete
stages have been the standard, the complexities inherent in teacher
career development require similarly complex and multidirectional
models that illustrate the different directions, whether upward or
lateral, that teachers can take in their career development
(Kelchtermans, 2017; Opfer & Pedder, 2011; Raduan & Na, 2020).
These models support teachers’ enactment of professional agency
in pursuing career advancement possibilities based on their
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: ychaaban@qu.edu.qa (Y. Chaaban), hadeela@qu.edu.qa
(H. Alkhateeb), dr-abdullah@qu.edu.qa (A. Abu-Tineh), michaelhr@qu.edu.qa
(M. Romanowski).
conditions, accompanied by anticipated increases in income, rank,
recognition or status (Authors; Day & Gu, 2007; Rippon, 2005).
Despite efforts to systematize teacher career development, a
range of personal, socio-cultural, economic and political factors
have been found to influence individuals’ willingness to consider
teaching as a career (Christensen et al., 2019; Van den Borre et al.,
2021), as well as their decisions to remain in the profession till
retirement (Authors; Dupriez et al., 2016; Sutcher et al., 2019). In-
ternational organizations and scholarly research routinely sound
alarms concerning a shortage of qualified teachers who would have
the most significant impact on student achievement, particularly in
certain subject areas and grade levels (A & Houtte, 2022; Perryman
& Calvert, 2020; Sutcher et al., 2019; UNESCO, 2015, 2022). To gain a
comprehensive understanding of the teacher shortage challenge, it
is not enough to focus solely on “push factors” which pertain to the
adverse work-related conditions that drive teachers away from the
profession. Equally important are the “pull factors” that attract
teachers to the profession and encourage them to further their
careers (Amitai & Van Houtte, 2022, p. 2). In this respect, teachers
should be seen as negotiating their careers amidst push and pull
factors, and constructing their own career development trajectories
(A & Houtte, 2022; Rinke & Mawhinney, 2017).
While research on teacher career development is growing
internationally (Coldwell, 2016; Darling-Hammond, 2017; Day &

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103987
0742-051X/© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
Gu, 2007; Rinke & Mawhinney, 2017), there is little research
investigating the experiences of teachers in the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) countries (Amzat et al., 2022; Gallagher, 2019), and
fewer still that target the Qatari context (Authors; Authors).
Further, many studies have focused on the factors that prompt
teachers to leave the profession (Qin, 2021; Rinke & Mawhinney,
2017), rather than on those which encourage them to develop
their careers further (A & Houtte, 2022). To address this knowledge
gap, this study reported on data funded by Qatar National Research
Fund, which aimed to explore teacher career development in this
cultural context. For this study, a constructive illustration of the
teaching profession was intended, whereby the multiplicity of
factors which may influence teacher career development were
revealed based on the perspectives of Qatari teachers. Accordingly,
this study adopted the Systems Theory Framework (STF) as a useful
lens for conceptualizing the complexity of career development, and
emphasized the ways in which individuals exert their agency in
constructing their careers while simultaneously negotiating con-
straints within individual, social and environmental-societal sys-
tems (McMahon et al., 2014).
Q methodology was employed to explore the subjective per-
spectives of forty-two Qatari teachers about the influences on their
career development. The overall aim was to make teachers’ per-
spectives of supports and constraints accessible to other teachers,
teacher educators and policymakers. Accordingly, this study makes
an original contribution to knowledge and adds to current litera-
ture on career development with its distinctive methodological,
theoretical and contextual contributions. Identifying deficits and
credits within multiple systems can initiate the discourse on how
they may be proactively advanced or addressed.
1.1. Study context
In Qatar, where this study took place, a shortage of teachers in
government schools has traditionally been persistent. The Ministry
of Education and Higher Education (Ministry of Education and
Higher Education MOEHE, 2020) takes active recruitment mea-
sures to attract teachers from mostly neighboring Arab countries to
the profession, yet on provisional work visas. Due to Qatar's eco-
nomic growth and small indigenous population, the education
system must rely on expatriate teachers who occupy over 75% of
the total teacher population (MOEHE, 2020). The large number of
expatriate teachers has created a mobile and diverse teaching force
and increased attrition rates for several reasons (see Authors).
Recently, Qatar's Consultative Assembly has issued new directions
for increasing the number of Qatari teachers among the teaching
force (Al-Rayah, 2022). While more female teachers have joined the
workforce in recent years, recruiting Qatari male teachers has
proven to be more difficult. A recent study revealed Qatari teachers'
experiences of a heavy workload, lack of autonomy, gender ster-
eotyping, inconsistent leadership support, and few opportunities
for quality professional development as factors influencing their
career development (Authors). Despite relatively high salaries, the
findings also revealed that the profession has a lower social status
than other professions and lacks opportunities for promotion
(Authors). Consequently, many Qatari teachers, especially potential
male teachers do not consider joining the profession upon high-
school graduation (Authors).
While studies in many countries discuss the factors behind high
teacher attrition rates (A & Houtte, 2022; Day & Gu, 2007;
Kelchterman, 2017; Rinke & Mawhinney, 2017), the Qatari context
differs in significant ways, despite similar concerns about the
quality of teachers and teaching in the country. Three main argu-
ments allude to the complexity of the work required of teachers in
Qatari government schools. First, the unstable policy landscape
2
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
since the educational reform in 2004 onwards has challenged
teachers’ work as they have grappled with multiple initiatives
(Authors), increased accountability measures (Authors), and shift-
ing systems of centralization (Authors). Since the MOEHE regulates
government schools through a centralized system, ministerial
policies are expected to be implemented nationwide in these
schools.
Second, while the diversity in the nationality of the teaching
force presents many benefits to Qatari government schools, there is
a conscious attempt to preserve national culture and heritage, and
maintain distinctiveness among Qatari and non-Qatari teachers
through a process known as Qatarization e the targeted increase of
employment opportunities for Qatari nationals in the private and
public sector (Authors). It may be argued, therefore, that the factors
influencing the career development of these distinct groups would
also be different. Third, government schools in Qatar are divided
along gender lines, which makes addressing the male Qatari
teacher shortage a cause for more profound concern for practical
and logistic reasons because female teachers cannot fill in this void.
A recent statistic from the 2019/2020 academic year showed that
the number of female Qatari teachers in public schools was about
24% while that of male Qatari teachers was a mere 1%. Concerted
efforts were exerted to locate and encourage Qatari male teachers
to participate in this study, as their experiences have been unin-
tentionally excluded from scholarly work.
2. Conceptual framework
The Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development
(McMahon & Patton, 2018; Patton & McMahon, 2014) is a meta-
theoretical framework informed by constructivist and social
constructionist worldviews. The framework recognizes individuals
as active agents in the production of their careers and acknowl-
edges the contexts in which individuals construct their work lives
(Savickas, 2013). As a metatheory, the STF draws on key constructs
from other career development theories and applies them to un-
derstanding the myriad of factors influencing an individual's career
development. Informed by systems theory, the framework adheres
to “the importance of a whole being greater than the sum of its
parts, the interrelationships between elements or subsystems of
the system, and the changes that occur over time as a result of these
interactions” (Patton & McMahon, 2014, p. 235). The STF depicts
three systems of influence on career development, namely the in-
dividual, social and environmental-societal systems (McMahon &
Patton, 2018), all set within the broader system of time, as the
past influences the present, and together they influence the future.
At the center of the STF is the individual system which consti-
tutes a range of intrapersonal influences, such as values, beliefs,
abilities, commitments, self-concepts, gender, and nationality.
Specifically for teachers, holding positive perspectives on the
teaching status is an important intrapersonal factor, and closely
related to a stable profession capable of attracting highly qualified
graduates (A & Houtte, 2022; Darling-Hammond, 2017). Further,
exhaustion, stress, and excessive workload have been found to in-
fluence teachers' career decisions, while commitment to students
and the wider community has been found to sustain them in the
profession (Day & Gu, 2007; Kelchterman, 2017; Perryman &
Calvert, 2020). More recently, there has also been an emphasis on
teachers’ agency; that is their ability to exercise control, make
choices, and exert efforts in ways that impact their professional
identities, learning and development throughout the career span
(Authors; Day & Gu, 2010; Kelchterman, 2017). Teachers may
experience demoralization when they are prevented from using
their professional judgment (Glazer, 2020), or when there is a
mismatch between their professional beliefs and identity, and the
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
views and expectations of the school as an organization (Day & Gu,
2007; Kelchterman, 2017).
The individual system is conceptualized as part of a much larger
context comprising the social system. The socio-cultural contexts in
which individuals interact include relational and contextual di-
mensions, such as family, peers, educational institutions, and sup-
port systems. Teachers’ social system constitutes several
interrelating and interacting factors, including the immediate in-
fluence of relationships with peers, school leadership and students,
as well as cultural and structural supports (or constraints) inherent
in the school environment, such as workload, PD opportunities and
recognition (A & Houtte, 2022; Perryman & Calvert, 2020; Qin,
2021). Taken collectively as the working conditions of the school,
teachers have been found to respond to leadership support, teacher
leadership opportunities, supportive peer relationships and posi-
tive student behavior (A & Houtte, 2022; Day & Gu, 2010; Qin,
2021).
The broader environmental-societal systems, which may seem
less directly related to individuals, also influence career develop-
ment (McMahon & Patton, 2018). These include policy mandates,
historical events, media representations, and employment markets,
as well as macro level trends such as globalization. These job
conditions include aspects related to financial benefits, promotion
opportunities, accountability measures and autonomy (A & Houtte,
2022). Some researchers have voiced concerns about the “flat
character” of the teaching career with few opportunities for growth
and recognition (Kelchterman, 2017, p. 972), while others claim that
vertical promotions direct teachers up the school hierarchy and out
of the classroom; thus, ending their teaching career altogether (A &
Houtte, 2022). In a centralized education system, these conditions
are commonly regulated by policymakers located outside the im-
mediate context of the school (Kelchterman, 2017; Authors), and
constitute important factors, compelling teachers to make impor-
tant decisions about their career development (Rinke &
Mawhinney, 2017).
In accordance with the STF, the current study considers teachers
as complex individuals interacting within the social and
environmental-societal contexts, and where the interplay of factors
within these systems influences their career development (Day &
Gu, 2007; Rippon, 2005). Adopting these assumptions from sys-
tems theory, research on teacher career development can provide
useful insight into teachers' perspectives and decision-making
within unique systems (Opfer & Pedder, 2011). Evident in the
framework and its practical implications lie the core constructs of
subjectivity, meaning-making and the individual-in-context
perspective (Patton & McMahon, 2014). Accordingly, Q methodol-
ogy was chosen as the most suitable approach for this study, as it
may be challenging to sort out which factors have a greater influ-
ence on career development using other methods of inquiry,
whether quantitative or qualitative methods. This study was guided
by the following research question: What are Qatari teachers’
perspectives on the supports and constraints to their career
development in government schools in Qatar?
3. Methodology
Drawing on career development theories generally (McMahon
et al., 2014; Savickas, 2013), and teacher career development spe-
cifically (Day & Gu, 2007, 2010; Raduan & Na, 2020; Rinke &
Mawhinney, 2017; Rippon, 2005), the current study used Q meth-
odology (henceforth Q) to reveal Qatari teachers' subjective per-
spectives on the factors influencing their career development in
government schools. According to McKeown and Thomas (2013), Q
originated in the work of William Stephenson who advocated for a
conceptual change in viewpoint from examining objective traits,
3
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
inherent in quantitative approaches, to exploring individuals’
thoughts and feelings about themselves and the world. Watts and
Stenner (2012) postulated that a “well-delivered Q study reveals
the key viewpoints extant among a group of participants and al-
lows those viewpoints to be understood holistically and to a high
level of qualitative detail” (p. 4). Accordingly, Q became a system-
atic means for the scientific study of human subjectivity (Watts &
Stenner, 2012), where participants assume the status of variables
in a transposed data matrix (McKeown & Thomas, 2013).
Q was distinguished from the prevailing quantitative R meth-
odology through a simple derivation or inversion of the statistical
technique known as factor analysis (Lundberg et al., 2020).
Accordingly, a by-person factor analysis, as opposed to by-variable
factor analysis, is used in Q analysis. As a qualiquantological method
(Stenner & Rogers, 2004), Q statistically quantifies participants'
subjectivity, and presents the results as in-depth qualitative nar-
ratives. In this respect, subtle similarities and differences among
individual and group perspectives can be highlighted, as both
consensus and distinctive characteristics are captured (Brown,
2008). Compared to other methods, Q does not impose
researcher-defined categorizations as in quantitative Likert-scale
survey studies, and helps to minimize the criticisms of social
desirability inherent in qualitative research (Watts & Stenner,
2012). In short, neither quantitative or qualitative methods pro-
vide a practical, time-efficient and applicable tool as the Q meth-
odology applied in this study, thus leading to a deeper account of
the systems of influence on teachers’ career development.
In compliance with methodological suggestions by Watts and
Stenner (2012), five steps were followed in the construction and
implementation of the research design: 1) Q-sample development,
(2) participant selection, (3) Q-sorting, (4) Q factor analysis, and (5)
factor interpretation. These steps are explained in some detail
below:
Step 1. Q-sample development. To begin the process of construct-
ing the data collection instrument, known as the Q-sample, a pre-
liminary set of all conceivable statements, or Q-items, about the
topic under investigation should be generated. This concourse, in Q
terminology, is typically developed from two main sources,
constituting conversational and informational qualities (Watts &
Stenner, 2012). The word concourse originated from the Latin
word concurus, which means ‘running together.’ Therefore, a
concourse should concretely involve a wide range of compatible
ideas that ‘run together’ on the topic under investigation
(Stephenson, 1986).
As noted above, the current study was part of a larger funded
project exploring teacher career development in Qatar. In devel-
oping the concourse for this study, the conversational component
was secured by undertaking eight semi-structured life history in-
terviews with Qatari teachers, who provided important insight into
the factors influencing their career development. The findings of
this qualitative study were reported in another publication (see
Authors). Adding to this, the concourse was further developed
through an extensive literature review of existing studies on
teachers' career development (e.g., A & Houtte, 2022; Day & Gu,
2007; Kelchterman, 2017), thus representing the informational
element. Using extant literature, the list of factors influencing
teachers’ career development was enhanced and diversified. Using
these conversational and informational sources, 64 items were
constructed and constituted the initial items of the concourse.
Following the construction of the concourse, the three systems
of individual, social and environmental-societal systems derived
from the STF were used as a deductive starting point. Having a long
list of items was deemed impractical, so there was a need to reduce
the concourse to a Q-sample that was “small enough for practical
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
purposes and sufficiently diverse in order to approximate the di-
versity of the concourse” (Brown et al., 2019). Accordingly, the
initial 64 items were classified, culled and simplified to obtain the
Q-sample, which included a total of 40 items. To facilitate partici-
pants’ engagement and understanding, the items were translated
into Arabic and piloted with nine Qatari teachers who offered
feedback on the clarity and coverage of the items (Watts & Stenner,
2012). Minor changes were made to the wording of several items,
but no additional statements were proposed. As shown in Table 1,
all items were assigned to a particular system in the conceptual
framework adopted in this study. Each Q-item was also given an
identification number to facilitate data gathering and interpreta-
tion. The final list of 40 items constituting the Q-sample used in this
study is provided in Appendix 1.
Step 2. participant selection (P-set). In Q research, participants
serve as variables and their recruitment should involve strategic,
rather than opportunity sampling techniques (Watts & Stenner,
2012). Also, a relatively small number of participants is desirable,
as opposed to quantitative R methodology. As Watts and Stenner
(2012) noted, “Q does not need a large number of participants,
and it is not interested in headcounts. It just needs enough par-
ticipants to establish the existence of its factors” (p. 88). What
matters in the selection process is that participants have relevant
perspectives on the issue under investigation.
In addition to these criteria, concerted efforts were made to
recruit male Qatari teachers given their limited numbers, as well as
female Qatari teachers. Furthermore, only experienced teachers
with more than 3 years of teaching experience and who were not
occupying leadership positions at the time of this study were
recruited, as other factors may be at stake for novice teachers and
those with formal leadership positions (Authors). Lastly, equal
opportunity for participation was given to the diverse subject
matter taught in government schools, as subject matter was not
deemed as a defining factor influencing career development in this
study. Guided by these criteria, 15 female Qatari teachers and 27
male Qatari teachers were recruited to undertake the Q-sorting
activities. Details of participants' demographic data are presented
in Table 3 below. Following Qatar University's ethical guidelines,
participants were recruited by contacting school principals via
telephone. Once initial approval was obtained, two research assis-
tants visited eight government schools, including those from three
major urban municipalities in Qatar. Only Qatari teachers who gave
consent to take part in this study were recruited.
Step 3. Q-sorting activities. As shown in Fig. 1, a quasi-normal and
symmetrical grid was used for sorting the 40-item Q-sample, with
values ranging from
5 (strongly disagree) to þ5 (strongly agree),
with 0 (neutral). The sorting activities were conducted in a face-to-
face setting using a paper version of the grid and statements. Par-
ticipants responded to the condition of instruction derived from the
research question stated above: Many factors influence teachers'
career advancement in Qatar. These cards present some of these fac-
tors. With which factors do you agree, with which do you disagree, and
about which do you feel neutral? They rank-ordered the items by
constantly comparing the relative importance of each. This process
Table 1
Q-sample matrix.
Individual system Social system
Statements pertaining to intrapersonal factors, such as Statements pertaining to relational and contextual
values, beliefs, abilities, commitments, and self- factors, such as relationships with others, as well as
concepts. In addition to individuals' professional cultural and structural supports, known collectively as
agency and identity. working conditions.
Items 1e9 (N ¼ 9) Items 10e24 (N ¼ 14)
4
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
yielded a single and holistic configuration for each participant,
called a Q-sort.
In a post-sorting activity, participants were instructed to elab-
orate on the items placed toward the extreme ends of the grid in
the form of written responses to open-ended questions. Specif-
ically, they explained their reasoning behind sorting the items on
the þ5 and
5 columns respectively, and whether they had further
suggestions on factors influencing their career development. This
information supported the interpretation of the results obtained
from the factor analysis described next.
Step 4 factor analysis. The empirical data from the 42 partici-
pants were imported into PQ-Method software (Schmolck, 2014); a
dedicated Q analysis tool that provides a variety of by-person factor
extraction, rotation methods, and a number of statistical measures.
Centroid factor analysis followed by varimax rotation were used in
an investigatory fashion to condense the data and account for the
maximal amount of opinion variance (Watts & Stenner, 2012). This
resulted in a four-factor solution, explaining 40% of the opinion
variance. The four-factor solution was chosen based on statistical
measures, such as the significant loading test, and based on the
researchers' intuitions (Watts & Stenner, 2012). Brown's (1980)
equation was used in calculating the significance of each Q-sort
at p < 0.01 level, which is represented as follows: 2.58 x (1 ÷ √the
no. of items in the Q-set). According to Table 2, which presents a
quantitative summary of the emerging factors, 40 of the 42 par-
ticipants loaded significantly ( ± 0.48 at the p < 0.01 level), while
two Q-sorts were null cases.
Step 5. Q factor interpretation. All the Q-sorts which loaded
significantly on the same factor were merged into a single idealized
Q-sort. This shared understanding of the issue under investigation
is commonly termed a factor array, and is obtained through
weighted averaging. Using methods described by Watts and Sten-
ner (2012), each factor array was examined holistically, which
involved considering the Q-items given the highest ranking (þ5)
and lowest ranking (
5), as well as the items ranked higher and
lower in a particular factor array in comparison to the other factor
arrays. This process minimized the chances of overseeing the items
that ranked as neutral (or zero). Accordingly, the differences be-
tween the factors, consensus statements, distinguishing state-
ments, and highest and lowest ranking statements were examined
carefully. Lastly, an abductive and iterative process was imple-
mented in interpreting these factor arrays and reporting the results,
beginning with a within-factor analysis and supported by partici-
pants' demographic data and post-sorting responses. Thus, the
results and data from the previous steps were interpreted quali-
tatively using narrative form, following techniques specific to Q
methodology (Lundberg et al., 2020). Figs. 2e5 show the z scores
for each individual item converted into a single factor array for each
Table 2
Quantitative summary of the emerging factors.
Factor F-1 F-2 F-3 F-4 Null cases
# of loadings 17 9 4 10 2
Explained variance 15% 11% 6% 8%
e
Environmental-societal system
Statements pertaining to economic and socio-political
factors, such as financial benefits, promotion
opportunities, accountability measures and autonomy,
known collectively as job conditions.
Items 25e40 (N ¼ 16)
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al. Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987

Table 3
Demographic information of the P-set in relation to factor loadings.

Factors F-1 F-2 F-3 F-4 Total

Gender F¼3 F¼4 F¼1 F¼7 F ¼ 15

M ¼ 14 M¼5 M¼3 M¼3 M ¼ 25
Age 43.5 41 48.5 38 43
Experience 18.5 15 22 16 18

Fig. 4. Factor array F-3.

Fig. 1. Grid.

Fig. 5. Factor array F-4.

4. Results

A four-factor solution (F-1, F-2, F-3, and F-4) was extracted; each
representing a social perspective on factors influencing Qatari
teachers' career development shared among a group of teachers.
Fig. 2. Factor array F-1.
The results are presented in the form of comprehensive narratives
by integrating the quantitative results and qualitative elaborations.
In documenting results, the item number and its item ranking are
placed in parentheses, such that (5;
2) refers to item 5 with the
assigned value of
2 in a given factor. Each factor was labeled in a
way that represented participants’ general sentience as follows: (1)
considering career prospects, (2) pursuing leadership positions, (3)
surviving in the profession, and (4) contemplating leaving the
profession. Table 3 provides the demographic data collected during
the pre-sorting activity.

4.1. Factor 1: a stressful career without benefits e considering

career prospects

Seventeen participants, including fourteen males and three fe-

males, loaded significantly on F-1, accounting for 15% of the opinion
variance. These teachers strongly believed that teaching is a
stressful career, both physically and mentally (8; 5), as teachers
Fig. 3. Factor array F-2.
spend more time on paperwork and administrative tasks than
actual teaching (21; 5). As a result, they emphasized that teachers
of the four emerging factors in this study. These scores are also do not have a manageable workload at school (15;
5) and do not
provided in table format in Appendix 1. enjoy a healthy work-life balance (7;
4). Adding to these push
factors, they believed that a heavy accountability culture hinders
5
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al. Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987

teachers’ work (37; 3), compounded with the notion that teachers decisions that impact their work (38;
5). Consequently, they
do not receive rewards for high performance (19;
5). believed there are few benefits for teachers to join the profession
On a similar note, teachers were less certain about career (28;
3).
advancement opportunities provided by the MOEHE, as they Many of their other concerns were related to the absence of
thought information about career advancement requirements is career advancement opportunities, particularly in the form of a
not readily available (34; 1), nor is there a career ladder that clar- career ladder. With insufficient information about career
ifies these advancement opportunities for teachers (34; 1). There- advancement requirements readily available (34;
3), these
fore, they did not think that there are neither promotion teachers could not identify a differentiated pay structure that in-
opportunities for teachers (29;
1), nor a differentiated pay centivizes higher performance among teachers (33;
4), or
structure that incentivizes higher performance among teachers different titles for teachers as they gain higher expertise in the
(33;
1). These teachers also thought that clear guidelines for profession (32;
4). In sum, they concerted that the current
teachers’ roles and responsibilities at each stage in their career licensure requirements fail to provide opportunities for career
(31;
1) are lacking, as are different titles for teachers as they gain advancement (35;
2), and teachers cannot decide their develop-
higher professional expertise (32;
2). Accordingly, they do not ment along different career tracks (36;
2). Accordingly, they
necessarily have plans to complete the licensure requirements for a believed there were few job opportunities for teachers (27;
2).
leadership position at the school (9; 2), or stay in the teaching
profession until retirement (4;
1).
4.3. Factor 3: in it for the long run e surviving in the profession
Regarding, teacher recruitment, they believed the media does
not portray teaching as a lofty profession (5;
3), nor does the
Four participants, including three males and one female, loaded
teaching profession enjoy a high status in the Qatari society (1;
2).
significantly on F-3, accounting for 6% of the opinion variance.
They added that there are few job opportunities for teachers
These teachers illustrated a positive outlook for their career
(27;
3), and few benefits for teachers to join the profession
development. Their perspectives were distinguished from those of
(28;
4). Similarly, regarding retention, these teachers believed
the other participants on a number of factors. For one, they dis-
that ministerial directives do not necessarily support teachers’
agreed that teaching is considered a feminine profession in society
work (39;
2), nor are they successful in retaining teachers in the
(2,
5). On the contrary, they thought that the teaching profession
profession (40;
2).
enjoys a high status in the Qatari society (1; 4), and that it is an
Career development was mainly enhanced through their
intrinsically rewarding career (3; 3). Accordingly, they planned to
commitment toward students who motivate them to teach (5; 4), as
stay in the teaching profession until retirement (4; 3).
well as a strong patriotic commitment toward the teaching pro-
While they thought teachers do not receive rewards for high
fession (6; 3). However, they did not think teaching is an intrinsi-
performance (19;
3), they emphasized the importance of recog-
cally rewarding career (3;
4), and that teachers are challenged by
nition (18; 5), especially from school administrators, who were
difficult student behavior (17; 3). Their relationships with col-
believed to acknowledge teachers’ innovative ideas for improve-
leagues, by contrast, were relatively important as they believed
ment (22; 1). Also within the social system, they disagreed that
teachers collaborate with colleagues in professional teams (16; 4)
teachers spend more time on paperwork/administrative tasks
and that peer learning opportunities supported teachers’ profes-
compared to actual teaching (21;
5), despite their emphasis on
sional learning (24; 4).
teachers having a heavy workload at school (15;
4), and being
unable to extend their roles beyond the classroom (20;
3). How-
ever, these aspects of the profession did not deter them from the
4.2. Factor 2: the only way out is up e pursuing leadership
relative autonomy that teachers have to make decisions that impact
positions
their work (38; 1), as well as the job opportunities (27; 1) and
promotion opportunities available for teachers (29; 2).
Nine participants, including five males and four females, loaded
They further distinguished themselves in their perspectives on
significantly on F-2, accounting for 11% of the opinion variance.
ministerial directives. They believed that ministerial directives
Similar to F-1, these teachers believed teaching is a stressful career,
mostly support teachers’ work (39; 4), and are successful in
both physically and mentally (8; 4), and that teachers are chal-
retaining teachers in the profession (40; 2). Further, they com-
lenged by difficult student behavior (17; 3). To overcome these
mended the current licensure requirements as providing oppor-
hindrances to their career development, they had plans to complete
tunities for career advancement (35; 5) and agreed that there are
the licensure requirements for a leadership position at the school
different titles for teachers as they gain higher expertise in the
(9; 5), where they intend to stay until retirement (4; 3). Two main
profession (32; 3), in addition to a differentiated pay structure that
pull factors relating to the social context of the school stood out for
incentivizes higher performance among teachers (33; 1).
F-2 teachers, namely that teachers receive effective professional
Their main concerns centered on the lack of family support in
development opportunities (14; 4) and effective induction pro-
the decision to become a teacher (10;
3), as well as the role of
grams for novice teachers entering the profession (13; 3). Another
media in failing to portray teaching as a lofty profession (25;
4).
two individual factors were also noted as influencing their career
The role of teacher preparation in providing a well-rounded prep-
development. They shared a similar patriotic commitment toward
aration program at university was of significant concern (12;
4),
the teaching profession (6; 5) as other participants, and they were
while other participants held opposite opinions in this regard.
similarly motivated to teach due to their commitment toward
students (5; 4), as F-1 teachers.
Despite these pull factors, the environmental-societal system, 4.4. Factor 4: despite everything, I'm still leaving e contemplating
with a particular emphasis on ministerial directives, influenced leaving the profession
these teachers' career development. They believed that ministerial
directives do not support teachers’ work (39;
5), nor are they Ten participants, including three males and seven females,
successful in retaining teachers in the profession (40,
4). Further, loaded significantly on F-4, accounting for 8% of the opinion vari-
they emphasized that teachers do not have the autonomy to make ance. For F-4 teachers, an ambivalent illustration of the teaching

6
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
profession was portrayed. Their perspectives were largely incon-
sistent between pull and push factors, yet they eventually do not
plan to stay in the teaching profession until retirement (4;
5).
Several push factors consolidated this decision, as they did not
think that teaching is an intrinsically rewarding career (3;
3), nor
did they believe that the teaching profession enjoys a high status in
the Qatari society (1;
4).
F-4 teachers agreed with F-1 and F-2 teachers on the influence
of ministerial directives on teacher career development. They
believed ministerial directives are unsuccessful in retaining
teachers in the profession (40;
5) and do not support teachers’
work (39;
3). They further believed that teachers do not have the
autonomy to make decisions that impact their work (38;
4).
Additionally, they did not think teachers have a manageable
workload at school (15;
2), as they spend more time on paper-
work/administrative tasks compared to actual teaching (21;
2).
All the while, they thought teaching is a stressful career, both
physically and mentally (8; 2), for which teachers do not receive
recognition for high performance (18;
4).
Despite these push factors, F-4 teachers held perspectives that
distinguished them from other participants. They believed teacher
salaries are competitive compared to other professions (26; 5), and
that there are many benefits for teachers to join the profession (28;
4). Their perspectives of the media portraying teaching as a lofty
profession (25; 2) was relatively positive, as were their perspectives
of teachers receiving a well-rounded preparation program at uni-
versity (12; 4). Similar to other participants, they strongly believed
in the importance of a patriotic commitment toward the teaching
profession (6; 5), and their commitment to students motivates
them to teach (5; 3).
In the social context of the schools, F-4 teachers believed that
peer learning opportunities support teachers’ professional learning
(24; 4), as they collaborate with colleagues in professional teams
(16; 3). They also believed that shared leadership offers opportu-
nities for teachers to engage in leadership responsibilities (23; 3).
5. Discussion and implications
Drawing on systems thinking perspectives, teacher career
development is better understood as a complex interplay of mul-
tiple factors within diverse systems (Opfer & Pedder, 2011). This
study adopted Q methodology and proposed a conceptual frame-
work for teacher career development, constituting individual, so-
cial, and environmental-societal dimensions. Results of this study
identified four perspectives regarding the most important in-
fluences on Qatari teachers' career development. Overall, the re-
sults showed that teachers’ perspectives fell on a continuum of
diverse views, with minimal consensus, thus further emphasizing
the complexity of teacher career development.
Succinctly, the interplay of pull and push factors could be
interpreted in relation to teachers' future intentions for their ca-
reers (Q-item 4: 1; 3; 3;
5). For F-1 teachers, a stressful career
without benefits left them considering career prospects, without a
clear decision on where they were going with their careers. They
are at risk of becoming what Glazer (2020) termed “invested
leavers,” that is experienced teachers, who for some of the reasons
noted by F-1 teachers, decide to leave the profession. Similarly
acknowledging several push factors, F-2 teachers revealed that the
only way out of what they perceived as a stressful career was up the
school hierarchy, and hence they considered pursuing leadership
positions. According to Kelchtermans (2017), teachers may see few
possibilities to diversify their career due to the profession's flat
character, and vertical promotions into leadership positions can be
considered as a career switch, rather than a promotion.
By contrast, F-3 teachers held the most positive perspectives
7
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
toward the teaching profession, and planned to stay in the teaching
profession until retirement. Their perspectives mainly focused on
the importance of factors within the environmental-societal sys-
tem, in the form of career advancement opportunities and minis-
terial supports. For F-4 teachers, the teaching profession presented
itself as a tug-of-war between opposing supports and constraints,
with the latter playing a decisive role in their decision to leave the
profession before retirement. Similar school-related factors
dissuading teachers from remaining in the profession have been
documented in other studies (Coldwell, 2016; Day & Gu, 2007).
According to Day and Gu (2007), factors in the school setting are
important in that different “levels of support available within the
workplace, create particular conditions for [teachers'] professional
learning and development and lead to variations in their concerns
and needs at different critical moments or phases of their profes-
sional and personal lives” (p. 427). Therefore, it is not enough to
provide professional learning opportunities that target individual
teachers' values, beliefs, abilities, commitments, and self-concepts,
without also considering the social and environmental-societal
systems of influence. This is in line with Colwell's (2016) concep-
tualization of a school's career culture, in which teachers are
encouraged and supported to pursue promotion and career pro-
gression opportunities, yet there is also a good fit between the
school culture and teachers' orientations. In other words, teachers
should be empowered to remain in the profession, committed to
their learners and enjoy resilience, yet at the same time, they are
able to meet the challenges of a changing work context (Day & Gu,
2007).
The following discussion centers on the distinguishing state-
ments for each factor and across all factors, which are statements
with high or low factor scores (Watts & Stenner, 2012). The im-
plications for policy planning are presented simultaneously.
Within the individual system, the participating teachers were at
odds with thinking that the teaching profession enjoys a high status
in the Qatari society (Q item 1: 2; 0; 4;
4). Without establishing a
cause-and-effect relationship, F-3 teachers were the only teachers
who thought their profession was respected and valued, and they
were also the only teachers who planned to stay in the classroom
until retirement. Previous studies (A & Houtte, 2022; Qin, 2021;
Rinke & Mawhinney, 2017) have alluded to the importance of
perceived social status in teacher retention studies, further
emphasizing it as having important implications for policy plan-
ning. Tied to such planning should be the role of the media in
portraying teaching as a lofty profession (Q-item 25: 3; 0;
4; 2),
specifically social media outlets that influence the public's view of
education. Participants were also divided on this perspective, with
the majority believing that various forms of local media have failed
to create a positive narrative around the profession. According to
the results of the current study, one implication could be to focus
the discourse on teaching as an intrinsically rewarding career (Q-
item 3: 4; 1; 3;
3), where teachers are committed to students who
motivate them to teach (Q-item 5: 4; 4;
2; 3), without seeing
difficult student behavior as a challenge (Q-item 17: 3; 3; 0; 0). The
aforementioned items pointed to diverse perspectives, which can
be corrected through media portrayals (McMahon & Patton, 2018)
and other corrective measures to teachers' working conditions (A &
Houtte, 2022).
Another implication could be emphasizing a patriotic commit-
ment toward the teaching profession (Q-item 6: 3; 5; 4; 5). All
teachers unanimously agreed on the importance of this factor in
influencing their career development. The Qatari education context
is unique in its reliance on an expatriate teacher workforce who
arrive in the country on short-term residency permits. The Qatari
government has acknowledged the issue of raising the number of
Qatari nationals through substantial investments in the sector. The
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
MOEHE also differentiates the basic salaries of Qatari nationals who
join teaching, compared to the wages of other government em-
ployees. However, the success of these procedures seems to be
limited as evident in the reluctance of school graduates to join the
profession (Authors), and the diverse perspectives expressed by the
teachers in this study about the relative competitiveness of teacher
salaries in comparison to other professions (Q-item 26: 0;
1; 2; 5).
Noteworthy, increasing teacher salaries may not solve this issue
(Authors), as there are numerous systemic conditions which also
need to be addressed for a more comprehensive solution
(Christensen et al., 2019; Day & Gu, 2007; Rinke & Mawhinney,
2017).
Once in the profession, these teachers found several hindrances
to their career development. Unanimously, they disagreed that
teachers enjoy a healthy work-life balance (Q-item: 4;
1;
1;
1),
or that teachers have a manageable workload at school (Q-item 15:
5;
1;
4;
2). Compounding these results, most believed that
teachers lacked autonomy to make decisions that impact their work
(Q-item 38: 1;
5; 1;
4), as well as facing tightened accountability
measures according to F-1 participants. These have been recurring
themes in the Qatari-based research (Authors; Authors), and
internationally (Perryman & Calvert, 2020; Qin, 2021). A lack of
autonomy and tightened accountability measures are processes
that tend to go hand-in-hand, specifically in centralized education
systems which aim to produce consistency and uniformity in ex-
pectations and performance across government schools (Authors).
Adopting neoliberal and managerial conceptions have degraded
teacher professionalism and undermined the attractiveness of the
profession (Perryman & Calvert, 2020; Authors). While there is
evidence that the MOEHE has become aware of the substantial
workload placed on teachers (Authors), there needs to be a
comprehensive revision of the tasks and responsibilities required of
teachers inside and outside the classroom, weighed against their
relative importance for student learning (Perryman & Calvert,
2020).
Further implications can be derived from the influence of two
pull factors which participants unanimously agreed positively
influenced their career development within the social system. First,
teacher collaboration with colleagues in professional teams (Q-item
16: 4; 2; 2; 3) was denoted as a supportive condition. These
teachers also agreed on the importance of school administrators
who acknowledge teachers' innovative ideas for improvement (Q-
item 22: 2; 1; 1; 1). Kelchtermans (2017) emphasized the impor-
tance of these so-called “professional core relationships within the
school as an organization, [which] are structurally inherent to
teaching and schooling and inextricably related todas well as
influencingdthe core of the educational processes: teaching and
learning” (p. 967). Colleagues and principals are an important
source of social recognition which lets teachers know they are
valued and trusted professionally. Other studies (A & Houtte, 2022;
Glazer, 2020; Rinke & Mawhinney, 2017) have revealed how con-
flicts in the relationship with colleagues and principals have been
decisive factors in teachers' decisions to leave the profession.
Accordingly, these relationships can constitute the most supportive
or destructive working conditions in teachers’ professional lives
(Day & Gu, 2007; Glazer, 2020; Kelchtermans, 2017). The results of
the current study bring a positive outlook for teacher career
development, especially when these relationships are maintained
through systemic and systematic structures that encourage formal
and informal collaborations among colleagues (Sutcher et al., 2019),
as well as various forms of teacher leadership opportunities which
combine teaching with relevant outside-the-classroom school re-
sponsibilities (A & Houtte, 2022; Authors), as well as other forms of
horizontal promotion opportunities (see Kelchtermans, 2017).
The outer environmental-societal system also played a
8
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
significant role in influencing these teachers' career development,
for better and for worse. This system was explored regarding job
conditions, particularly ministerial procedures regulating teacher
promotions, career advancement, and licensure requirements.
Regarding Q-items 26e36, the teachers who loaded on F-1 and F-2
generally ranked these items on the negative side of the grid, while
those who loaded on F-3 and F-4 ranked them positively (see
Appendix 1). Taking F-3 teachers' perspectives as representing
teachers who decided to develop in their profession, it may be
inferred that such factors play a decisive role in career decisions.
Their perspectives pointed to the importance of licensure re-
quirements which provide opportunities for career advancement
(Q-item 35: 0;
2; 5; 0), the key role of different titles for teachers
as they gain higher expertise in the profession (Q-item 32: 2;
4; 3;
1), and the presence of many promotion opportunities for teachers
(Q-item 29: 1; 1; 2; 0). They also emphasized the need for infor-
mation about career advancement requirements to be readily
available, which the majority of participants similarly believed was
lacking (Q-item 34: 1;
3;
2;
1). Furthermore, F-3 teachers were
the only teachers who considered ministerial directives as pri-
marily supporting teachers’ work (Q-item 39: 2;
5; 4;
3) and are
successful in retaining teachers in the profession (Q-item 40: 2;
4;
2;
5). All other teachers who loaded on F-1, F-2 and F-4, believed
otherwise. The MOEHE may consider these implications as a po-
tential blueprint for current policy planning, which aims not only to
retain teachers in Qatari government schools, but also to support
their career development along a multidimensional career devel-
opment model which maintains a balance between teacher agency
and structural conditions (Kelchtermans, 2017).
6. Limitations and future research
This study is not without limitations that could be taken up in
future research in the field. For one, it should be noted that Q
studies are typically exploratory in nature, and do not claim gen-
eralizations beyond the immediate set of participants (Watts &
Stenner, 2012). Despite the importance of contextual factors in
exploring teachers' career development, it should be contended
that the Qatari government school context is quite peculiar.
Therefore, caution was made not to generalize the results of this
study beyond its immediate context, while remaining cognizant of
the importance of this study in representing the subjectivity of
teachers' perspectives. Future research may explore the experi-
ences of teachers from similar socio-cultural contexts in compar-
ative ways using the Q-sample generated in this study. On this note,
the post-sorting activity confirmed the comprehensive nature of
the Q-sample as additional items were not suggested by partici-
pants. However, it may be possible that additional items may have
been overlooked. Thus, future studies may need to consider other
factors documented in extant literature that may influence teacher’
career development.
Further, in regards to common notions of validity and reliability,
which are necessarily documented in quantitative research,
Lundberg et al. (2020) explained that such terminology become
irrelevant in Q studies, since “participants' Q sorts are neither right
nor wrong, but constructed through respondents' rank-ordering of
self-referent items” (p. 3). Therefore, such terminology is of no
concern in Q (Brown, 1980). The main value of Q research lies in
revealing opinion clusters among a group of participants, with a
particular emphasis on subjectivity and their often underlying
perspectives. In the prospect of future research, the generated Q-
sample may be further examined through quantitative research
methods, which may provide new insights on the way teachers
respond to the factors influencing their career development.
Furthermore, follow-up qualitative research studies may further
Y. Chaaban, H. Alkhateeb, A. Abu-Tineh et al.
support the explanation of results and provide a comprehensive
and holistic account of teachers’ experiences in Qatari government
schools.
Additionally, the data for this study was limited to government
schools and from Qatari nationals only, while excluding private
schools in Qatar which employ the largest expatriate teacher
population. Due to the difference in the way these two school
systems are governed, and systemic differences in how the Qatari
and Non-Qatari teacher workforce is regulated, future studies may
reveal influential factors along these considerations. Lastly, due to
its dynamic and emerging nature, this study of career development
was mainly explorative and diagnostic. Longitudinal studies that
explore changing conditions within interacting systems over time
may be needed (Coldwell, 2016; Day & Gu, 2010).
7. Concluding remarks
The current study aimed to present a constructive illustration of
the teaching profession, whereby the multiplicity of factors which
influenced teacher career development are revealed based on the
perspectives of Qatari teachers. Most research has indicated that
isolating one or even a few factors that influence career develop-
ment is difficult. Likewise, the current results revealed that the is-
sues at stake require multi-faceted solutions, since, depending on
the interplay of factors in the individual, social and environmental-
societal systems, teachers referred to an amalgam of different fac-
tors as being most influential. The importance of the current study
lies in exploring teacher career development, seen through the
possibility of taking action to prevent so-called “invested leavers”
from leaving the profession (Glazer, 2020).
Consent to publish
The authors give their consent for the publication of this paper.
Availability of data and material
Not applicable.
Funding
This work was supported by the [Qatar National Research Fund
QNRF] under Grant number NPRP13S-0209-200,319].
The funding source had no involvement in any part of the study
design.
Code availability
Not applicable
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
Acknowledgments
Not applicable.
Exploring teachers' perspectives on career development: Q
methodology research.
9
Teaching and Teacher Education 122 (2023) 103987
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103987.
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