Attracting and retaining well-trained and strong teachers is essential for every school. Yet, this proves to be challenging. This is also reflected in the ever-growing teacher shortage we are facing in Flanders (and worldwide), which is increasingly putting pressure on education. In response to this urgency, efforts are being made at various levels to find ways to turn the tide. Many schools themselves are also searching for solutions.

For example, 216 schools from 27 school partnerships have started working in experimental 'pilot projects' on September 1, 2023, to test new ideas to prevent teacher shortage. What is unique about these projects is that schools get the chance to deviate from legal regulations. These pilot projects will have an important signaling function regarding potential solutions that schools (or school groups) see in their HR policies to address the teacher shortage. Schools will focus on various strategies such as a more flexible school organization, specific school assignments, teacher professionalization (including induction support), teacher specialization, strengthening collaboration and complementarity among teachers, job mobility, and/or attracting other profiles. To facilitate this signaling function, this research will map the indicative effects of these pilot projects, considering the great diversity among them. Some projects focus on specific actions aimed at reducing the teacher shortage, while others plan to implement a variety of actions serving different objectives.

This research project centers around a framework based on various theoretical perspectives on strategic development-oriented personnel policy, policy theory, change processes, and indicators of sustainable work.

Three research goals are pursued:

1. Mapping the policy theories on which the pilot projects are based,
2. Investigating which elements play a role in the change process occurring as a result of the pilot projects,
3. Studying which indications of the effects of the pilot projects are already visible.

The research employs a mixed-method design combining document analysis, case study research, and survey research.

The results of this research must be relevant for educational policy and practice. We aim to provide insights into the diversity of measures taken. We also intend to inform both policy and practice about important conditions for setting up future actions similar to those currently being implemented in the pilot projects. Additionally, we want to offer insights into some important indications of the results and effects of the pilot projects. Understanding the indications of effects at both the appreciation and experience levels and at the level of indicators of sustainable work can provide a basis for practice and policy to evaluate which actions and processes are desirable in the future.