Teachers' work and the marketisation of international schools: A quantitative analysis of teacher control, fulfilment, and buffering from business influences.

This research examines how marketisation—the application of business principles and practices—affects teachers' work experiences, particularly in international schools, many of which are for-profit and increasingly operate as EduBusinesses (schools run with dual goals of profitability and education outcomes). Using questionnaire data from 204 teachers across various school types and locations, the study developed and validated scales measuring teachers' feelings of fulfilment and buffering from business influences, lack of control over their work, business influences on teaching, and the extent to which their school operates as an EduBusiness. Findings indicate that greater business influences and operation as an EduBusiness are associated with teachers experiencing less control over their work, while buffering from these influences correlates with higher fulfilment and reduced feelings of lost control. The study highlights that marketisation impacts teachers across different school sectors, suggesting that business pressures in education may undermine teacher autonomy and well-being regardless of school type, with implications for policy and school governance in the expanding international school sector.