Can Buildings Make Teachers Leave? The Complex Relationship Between Teachers and Their School Building: From an Interior Designer’s Perspective

This study explores the link between perceived indoor air quality (IAQ) and teacher attachment in schools, focusing on 242 teachers across 38 buildings. It combines surveys assessing IAQ perceptions and health symptoms with in-depth interviews to understand teachers' emotional ties to their workplaces. Findings indicate a significant relationship between IAQ concerns and negative place attachment, particularly among teachers experiencing health symptoms or dissatisfaction with ventilation quality, with teachers expressing detachment behaviors. The results underline the importance of addressing IAQ to enhance teacher retention and suggest a need for further research on interventions across various contexts.