Causes and effects of quiet quitting behaviour in teachers

Quiet quitting behaviours observed in educational organizations such as schools negatively affect all outcomes of the organization. Understanding the reasons behind quiet quitting behaviour in teachers, investigating its effects on the organization and exploring preventive measures based on teacher experiences are highly important for educational quality. This study aims to reveal the experiences related to quiet quitting behaviour of teachers and administrators working in public primary, secondary, and high schools in Aydın province during the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 18 participants, including 8 teachers and 10 school administrators, were included in the study. The participants were selected using the snowball sampling technique, one of the purposive sampling techniques. The study was conducted using the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research designs, and data was collected through interviews. A semi-structured interview form was used as the data collection tool. The data was analyzed using content analysis, and findings were obtained based on participant experiences. According to the findings, the concept of quiet quitting was categorized under the sub-themes of emotional and professional reaction. The most frequently repeated codes in these sub-themes were loss of motivation, indifference, and doing only what is legally required. Characteristics of teachers displaying quiet quitting behaviour were examined under the sub-themes of individual and professional characteristics. The most recurring codes in individual characteristics were asocial tendencies and lack of enthusiasm; in professional characteristics, the most mentioned code was lack of appreciation for the job. The causes of quiet quitting were categorized under sub-themes such as student, school administration, economic, parental, individual, environmental, Ministry of National Education (MEB) and colleague related factors. According to participants' views, quiet quitting behaviour negatively affects all stakeholders within the organization. It was concluded that teachers exhibiting quiet quitting behaviour are unwilling to communicate, suffer from a loss of motivation, are disengaged from students, and negatively influence other teachers. Preventive measures were grouped under the sub-themes of actions to be taken by school administration and the Ministry of National Education. The most frequently emphasized codes were open communication and fair management practices by the school administration, and improving teachers' salaries and making teachers feel valued by the Ministry of National Education. Individual and organizational measures can be taken to prevent quiet quitting behaviour. Individually, paying attention to psychological well-being and participating in personal development training; on an organizational level, valuing employees and establishing an open communication network within the organization are among the measures that can be taken to prevent quiet quitting. KEY WORDS:Quiet quitting, Reaction, School administrator, Teacher, Work-life balance,