ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Leadership in Education
Migration Orientations of Teachers and Student Teachers in Albania: A Sequential Mixed-Methods Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Pedagogy, Universiteti Aleksander Moisiu Durres, Durrës, Albania
- 2Departamet of Mathematics, Aleksander Moisiu University, Durres, Albania
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This study examines the migration orientations of in-service and student teachers in Albania, a country facing persistent educational and labor market challenges within the Western Balkans. Using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, qualitative data collected in 2023 identified push and pull factors; low salaries, limited professional development, and declining recognition of the profession, that informed a nationwide survey of 816 participants in 2025. Quantitative results showed no significant associations between migration intentions and economic status, age, or perceived professional status, but did reveal a significant difference between groups: student teachers were more frequently undecided about emigration, while in-service teachers reported clearer intentions to stay or leave. Qualitative narratives provided additional insight, emphasizing the interplay of economic pressures, institutional weaknesses, and concerns about professional dignity and trust. Together, these findings highlight the limitations of partial reforms and underscore the need for systemic measures to strengthen recognition, career pathways, and institutional credibility. The study contributes longitudinal evidence to debates on teacher retention and education sustainability, with implications for policy strategies aimed at reducing teacher shortages in transitional education systems and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Keywords: Teacher migration, student teachers, Albania, migration orientations, exploratory mixed-methods, Professional recognition, Institutional trust, teacher retention policy
Received: 15 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Plaku and Thanasi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Anila Koli Plaku, uamd.anil79@yahoo.com
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