Teacher Retention in an Age of Performative Accountability

In this review of Teacher Retention in an Age of Performative Accountability, the reviewer argues this is essential reading for researchers, policy makers, and senior school leaders seeking a clear, evidence-based account of why teachers leave and what sustains them. Jane Perryman brings together long-term empirical projects and a Foucauldian lens to explain how a culture of performative accountability shifts teacher time and attention toward measurable outputs, making this book the single best recent synthesis of theory and data on recruitment and retention.

Key Features

• Data-driven analysis: Draws on several long-term research projects to provide concrete, longitudinal evidence about teacher recruitment and retention trends.
• Theoretical framing: Uses a Foucauldian framework to link individual teacher experiences to wider institutional and policy pressures for accountability.
• International perspective: Examines impacts both in the UK and internationally to highlight patterns that cross national policy differences.
• Focus on work realities: Shows how assessment, exams and inspection preparation reshape daily practice and limit creativity in teaching.
• Connects empirical findings to debates about neoliberal performativity, making it useful for those shaping or critiquing school policy.

Who It's For

Researchers in education policy and sociology will find the combination of long-term data and Foucauldian interpretation particularly useful for framing future studies. Senior leaders and policy analysts who need a compact, evidence-backed explanation of teacher turnover will also benefit from the book's clear linkage between accountability systems and teacher attrition.

Practicing teachers looking for classroom-level strategies or practical lesson plans should look elsewhere; this is a structural and theoretical critique rather than a how-to manual. Those seeking a global handbook of retention strategies may need to supplement Perryman's analysis with locally focused implementation guidance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Combines long-term empirical projects into a coherent narrative that strengthens claims about trends in retention.
• Strong theoretical framing using Foucault that helps explain how institutional pressures shape teacher subjectivity and practice.
• Clear articulation of how assessment, exams and inspections redirect teacher labor away from creative elements of the job.

Cons

• The book is analytic and policy-focused, so it does not provide detailed classroom-level solutions for immediate practice change.

Specifications

Title	Teacher Retention in an Age of Performative Accountability
Author	Jane Perryman
Scope	UK and international analysis
Method	Long-term research projects and empirical data
Theoretical lens	Foucauldian framework
Main focus	Impact of neoliberal performativity on recruitment and retention

Our Verdict

Teacher Retention in an Age of Performative Accountability is a persuasive, well-documented account that should be on the shelf of anyone engaged in education policy or research. Its value lies in combining long-term empirical evidence with a robust theoretical lens to explain retention dynamics, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking structural explanations rather than immediate classroom fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include empirical research?
Yes. Perryman draws on several long-term research projects and empirical data to support the analysis.

Is this book practical for classroom teachers?
Not directly; the emphasis is on structural critique and policy implications rather than classroom-level strategies.

Does the analysis apply outside the UK?
Yes. The book explicitly discusses impacts in both the UK and internationally to highlight broader patterns.