Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Grit To Not Quit - An Examination Of The Relationship Between Grit And Teacher Retention, Alexia W. Bultman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the level of grit that best predict years in teaching. The study sought to answer the research question, How accurately can years of teaching experience be predicted from the linear combination of grit score (meaning the consistency of interest and perseverance of effort), age, gender, level of education, grade level taught, and subjects taught? Teachers (N = 468) of preschool-12th grade in a large suburban Atlanta school district responded to survey questions from the Grit-S Scale questionnaire along with demographic questions. Multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the data. The …

Teacher Retention And Turnover In Small, Remote, Rural Schools In Missouri, Jordan Dickey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-method study sought to find specific factors influencing teachers in small, remote, rural school districts to continue teaching or to leave their teaching position. Additionally, this study sought to identify specific things district-level administrators could do influence teacher retention rates in small, remote, rural school districts. The quantitative data revealed the top three most influential attributes contributing to teacher retention are supportive school administration, the size of the teacher’s class, and the teacher’s relationship with colleagues. The qualitative data provided narratives to support these rankings and to further identify factors of small, remote, rural schools and their influence on …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Alternatively Certified Second-Career Educators, Alison L. Harmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of alternatively certified second-career educators in urban elementary schools in South Carolina. Currently, alternatively certified second-career educators are defined as professionals who have a degree in a field other than education but teach with an alternative license. The central question for this study was: How do alternatively certified educators describe their experiences and perceptions of the teaching profession in the first five years? The phenomenological qualitative approach unveiled the underlying reasons why alternatively certified teachers stay in education past the first five years. The theories guiding …

Understanding How Covid-19 Has Changed Teachers’ Chances Of Remaining In The Classroom, Gema Zamarro, Andrew Camp, Dillon Fuchsman, Josh B. Mcgee

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The 2020-2021 academic year was a trying year for teachers. We use a nationally representative sample of teachers from the RAND American Teacher Panel to document that teachers’ stated consideration of leaving the profession increased during the pandemic. We also study factors associated with teachers’ consideration of leaving the profession and high levels of job burnout during the pandemic. Approaching retirement age (being 55 or older), having to change instruction modes, health concerns, and high levels of job burnout all appear to be important predictors of the probability of considering leaving or retiring from teaching. Hybrid teaching increased consideration of …

Retention Of African American Male Teachers, Lessons Learned From The Field, Patrice Holmes

Doctor of Education Dissertations

A lot of research has been written on why African American males decide to leave the field of education; factors such as pay, job satisfaction, prestige, and lack of growth opportunities are major influencers on their decisions. A number of studies noted that African American males face job discrimination in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways which contribute to their leaving the profession. This research surveyed African American male teachers who left the classroom to share personal reflections that led to leaving the classroom and what steps could have been taken to retain them in the classroom. The research …

Positive Influences On Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study On The Contributing Factors To Teacher Retention In Rural North Dakota, Jennifer A. Jung

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

An alarming number of educators are leaving the field within the first five years of employment. Midwestern rural schools experience a slightly higher percentage of turnover than do their urban counterparts. Due to this shortage of teachers, many districts across the nation have employed strategies to recruit and retain competent teachers. This qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach seeking to identify common themes among teachers who are long-staying teachers in a rural district (those with 1000 or fewer students). Both the social constructivism and teacher career cycle theoretical frameworks have been utilized to support the researcher’s understanding of rural teachers' …

The Interdependency Of Impactful Teacher Induction Programs And Teacher Retention, Wendy M. Duroseau

Dissertations

The goal of new teacher induction programs was to improve the instruction of new and beginning teachers through ongoing professional development and instructional coaching with the hopes of retaining highly-qualified teachers and improving student learning. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of new teacher induction programs based on teacher satisfaction and retention rates. This study addressed the following research questions: (1) What are the known qualities of a highly-effective teacher induction program? and (2) What can school district leaders do to improve a teacher induction program to increase teacher satisfaction and retention rates? The context of this inquiry was …

Perceptions Of Classroom Management Coaching At District A Independent School District, Ashley L. Brittain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed teacher retention and research-to-practice gaps in the literature related to classroom management coaching and what types of teacher support are the best and why. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches regarding District A Independent School District’s campus intervention coach model. This study attempted to understand better the perceptions of how the campus intervention coach model influences teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession; how teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches perceive the campus intervention coach model’s effectiveness in reducing the percentage of …

Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri: Who Should Solve The Problem? A Three-Tiered Analysis Of Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri, Joshua Flores

Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition is an ongoing issue in the United States and more specifically in the state of Missouri. This dissertation, using a three-tiered analytical approach, offers suggestions, recommendations, and strategies, aside from raising salaries or increasing benefits packages, that schools, their districts, and leaders can implement to bolster teacher retention. The findings are based on the practices of successful districts, buildings, and leaders. The first level of research included semi-structured interviews with district level personnel to offer guidance and recommendations that can be implemented at the local school district level. Similarly, the second level of research utilized the same …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Teacher Work Engagement For Expatriate Teachers At International K12 Schools In China, Jennifer L. Johnson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental, descriptive quantitative survey study was to evaluate if teacher self-efficacy predicts teacher work engagement for expatriate teachers in international schools in China. The purposive sample was composed of 103 expatriate, international school teachers who have worked in China during the past 10 years at an international K12 school and are personally known to the researcher or the researcher’s contacts. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and the Engaged Teachers Scale (ETS) measured teacher self-efficacy and teacher work engagement. Results from simple linear regression indicated a statistically significant predictive relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teacher …

Teacher Retention In High-Poverty, Urban Schools, Jill Love

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Teaching has always been about the success of the students. Students who have effective, qualified teachers show the most success. Throughout the years, schools in urban areas have struggled to keep quality teachers within their buildings. Due to teacher turnover in the neediest schools, the students are greatly affected. The students in high-poverty urban schools are some of the lowest performing students across the country. When you pair low performance with significant teacher turnover, the outcome is grim. Research shows that districts and schools need to do more than just recruit qualified teachers, they must also retain them for …

Perceptions Of Untenured Teachers On The Effectiveness Of District Induction Programs, Sam Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how induction programs impact untenured teachers’ overall experiences and perceptions. This study focused on stories, experiences, and values that were explicitly discussed by each participant related to their district’s induction program. In general, strong induction programs provide an intense level of professional development to all untenured teachers on content, instruction, and best practices related to students and classrooms (Danielson, 2008). Albert Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) explicitly discusses how we learn from our surrounding peers through observation and imitation.

A descriptive case study through interpretive inquiry was used to help uncover data …

The Relationship Between Teacher Preparation And Attrition In The Teaching Field, Gerardo Trujillo

Dissertations

In this study, the researcher investigated the relationship between the preservice preparation and attrition in the field of teachers employed at Chicago Public Schools. The researcher administered a survey to teachers working in Chicago and its neighboring suburbs, and their responses revealed their perceptions about their preparation program and their real-world experiences in the classroom. The results indicated that new teachers need coursework in the areas of classroom management, social-emotional skill integration, and cultural competence. The expectation is that the findings will support the creation of a uniform policy for all universities to implement nationwide. Such a program could result …

The School Principal And Teacher Retention, Jonathan D. Becker, Lauren Grob

MERC Publications

This report comes from the MERC Teacher Retention study. This study was designed to identify patterns of teacher retention in the MERC region and to determine the school and system-level factors driving them. The study also provides an overview of state and regional policies and programs relevant to teacher retention, and includes evaluations of existing policies and initiatives to determine efficacy and cost benefit. This policy brief examines the role of leadership, and specifically the school principal, in retaining teachers. The brief includes a review of studies that used survey scales to measure leadership and then disaggregate and re-aggregate the …

Will They Stay Or Will They Go? Analysis Of The 2019 Doe Working Conditions Survey, Jonathan D. Becker, Valerie Robnolt, Kasey Dye, Erica Ross

MERC Publications

This report is part of the MERC Teacher Retention study. This study was designed to identify patterns of teacher retention in the MERC region and to determine the school and system-level factors driving them. The study also provides an overview of state and regional policies and programs relevant to teacher retention, and includes evaluations of existing policies and initiatives to determine efficacy and cost benefit. Teacher shortages continue to be a problem in the United States. While a range of policy solutions have attempted to stem the loss of teachers, at the base of many of these efforts is the …

Novice Teachers' Sensemaking In An Era Of Accountability: Implications For School Leaders, Hays K. Moulton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research study was to examine how novice teachers make sense of the realities of their chosen profession, given their initial motivations for entering the profession. My research into teacher motivation and retention provided evidence that teachers did enter the field for altruistic reasons and that as many as 50% of all new teachers in urban schools did not last beyond five years. When they begin teaching, they find a field that is heavily impacted by strict accountability standards and required mandated testing. I used Sensemaking Theory and Self-Determination Theory to examine how beginning teachers make sense …

Teacher Retention In A Rural East Texas School District, Gary J. Miller

School Leadership Review

This qualitative study investigated what factors kept teachers committed to teaching in one rural east Texas school district despite the perceived educational inequalities of rural districts compared to suburban and urban districts. When it comes to teacher retention, rural school leaders cite school environment and community lifestyle compatibility as the primary reasons for staying. Despite the considerable number of rural school districts throughout the United States, research continues to largely ignore the unique relationships found in rural locales. Rural school districts offer many advantages over their suburban and urban counterparts; it is a matter of identifying what is important to …

An Innovative Approach To Teacher Retention, Marc Dixon, Ruthe Francis

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Among the many challenges educational leaders are facing, teacher attrition is most paramount. Not only are teachers with less than five years of experience leaving the field at alarming rates, but the number of teachers with twenty or more years of experience has also decreased by 10% since 2000. Teachers who leave the field often site a lack of support as their primary source of frustration. While school districts across the nation have made efforts to address teacher attrition, induction programs are often managed at the district level and completed solely out of compliance.

After reviewing the literature on teacher …

Exploring The Impact Of A Professional Identity On Teacher Retention: A Phenomenological Study, Elizabeth A. Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is a great deal of research literature available on the causes for and the impact of teacher attrition and research on professionalism, there is little research to prove what connection, if any, exists between the two. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to determine whether the development of a strong professional identity could positively impact teacher retention in a specific school. The research was conducted by first gathering baseline data from teachers who took 2 established surveys, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and the Professional Self-Identity Questionnaire (PSIQ). Focus group interviews with volunteer teachers followed. Survey …

Organizational Conditions That Promote And Impede Research Engagement: The Principal’S Perspective, Renee Treat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher explored perceptions of the research-practice gap in education, the process through which central actors make decisions related to teacher retention and development, and the organizational conditions that promote and impede research-engagement in this qualitative study. The researcher limited the study to the role of the campus principal and used purposive sampling to select participants from 3 diverse districts in the state of Texas. Because there may be discrepancies between leaders’ perceptions and behaviors, the researcher conducted interview sessions with principals and principal supervisors and conducted observation sessions in principals’ natural work environments. The study results showed that good …

The Impact Of Teacher Mentoring On Novice Educator Retention In High Poverty Schools, Gabriel D. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

Retaining novice teachers in today’s educational system is proving to be extremely difficult. In schools of poverty, this challenge is much more difficult. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the effectiveness of a district-mandated teacher mentoring program in a Central Arkansas School District in regards to skills, dispositions, and retention. Eight novice teachers who work in high poverty schools were interviewed as part of this study. Through transcription and analysis, themes were established to gain a clear understanding of the novice teachers’ thoughts and perceptions of the teacher mentoring program. The results indicated a strong presence of …

The Resiliency Of Veteran Preschool Special Education Teachers, Monisola Komolafe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceived factors that led to the resiliency and retention of veteran preschool special education teachers in public schools in California.

Methodology: This study utilized a phenomenological design to gain insight into the perceived factors influencing veteran preschool special education teachers’ resiliency and career decision to continue teaching in the field of special education for at least 10 years. Using snowball sampling, 12 preschool teachers employed in public schools in Solano County with at least 10 years of experience were selected to participate in the study. Qualitative data …

Contributing Causes For Retention Or Turnover Of Black Teachers In Minnesota Metropolitan Area Public Schools, Chris Bellmont

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching, above all else, is about relationships and engagement. Students need to see teachers, especially in their affinity group, as successful and guiding role models. American schools have spent 20+ years implementing strategies that seek to match student and teaching staff demographics. Through examination of lived experiences and related artifacts, the counter-stories within this study created the space for trends and recommendations to be identified. This phenomenological case study attempted to explain the cause for Black teachers in the United States to be more likely to leave a school than their White counterparts. Through a series of interviews with nine …

Teacher Retention Rates: Variables That Play A Role In Low-Performing Schools With High Minority At-Risk Populations, Christine Gray

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Educational leaders are concerned about teacher retention rates. More teachers are leaving the profession and fewer colleges are enrolling students into their teacher preparation programs (Sawchuk, 2016). This study focused on potential correlations between the dependent variable of teacher retention and 3 independent variables: induction and mentoring programs, incentives, and a school’s socioeconomic status. The author conducted the study in a school district in Florida that contained low-performing schools with high-minority at-risk populations. Data collection involved emailing a survey based on Giacometti’s (2005) instrument to 1,359 members of the district’s teacher’s union, with 401 completing the survey. The author used …

Teacher Retention: Advice From Missouri's Top Districts, Joshua Flores

Educational Specialist Scholarly Papers

Teacher attrition, particularly within the first five years of teaching, is a persistent problem that negatively impacts schools, school districts, and communities across the globe. Missouri, in particular, is one state that reports higher rates of teacher attrition than the national average. This beginning exploratory analysis of a few of Missouri’s top teacher retaining districts looks to offer suggestions, recommendations, and strategies aside from raising salaries or increasing benefits packages that schools, their leaders, and districts can implement to bolster teacher retention.

An Examination Of Individual Teacher Engagement And School Climate Characteristics That Influence Highly Effective Veteran Teachers To Remain Teaching In Low-Performing Schools., Terrie Elizabeth Blackman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been established that attrition of both novice and veteran teachers, but particularly novice teachers, is an ongoing challenge in the United States. The literature confirms that teacher attrition is most prevalent in schools that are hard to staff. Researchers described these schools as urban schools serving high numbers of under-privileged, minority students typically taught by new, inexperienced, and often ineffective teachers. Having large numbers of beginning teachers and increasing numbers of veteran teachers exiting teaching is disruptive to the social, emotional, and academic well-being of the students and prevents schools and school districts from reaching state-mandated student academic …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Impact Of Leadership Style On Teacher Retention In A Title I School Campus In Texas, Twanna L. Mead

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This dissertation is intended to complement the conversation in the social sciences about the challenging role of campus principals and the influence they have on teacher retention and job satisfaction. School principals are held accountable for creating positive change within the campus, therefore they supervise the operational and instructional supervision of the faculty and staff.

This study explores the distinct role of principal leadership and its requirements. Leadership in a Title I school, involves demands that related to the school’s success. Leadership style has the power to arouse or impede teacher success. School leaders must know how to operate the …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Student Teachers' Skill In Classroom And Behavior Management, Laura Heitritter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Because many new teachers leave the field within the first five years of their first teaching job, a looming teacher shortage calls for further examination. An often-cited reason is new teachers’ perception of unpreparedness for handling classroom and behavior management tasks; thus, teacher preparation programs are under national pressure to design programs that produce well-prepared, effective teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a difference in the classroom management performance of student teachers who are earning only a general education teacher license and those who are earning dual licensure in general and special education. The …

A Study Of In-School And Out-Of-School Life Experiences Affecting Veteran Teacher Retention In A Southeastern School District, Rosa Ana Jonson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to investigate the in-school and out-of-school life experiences affecting veteran teacher retention in a southeastern school district. The study sought to gain a better understanding of the factors that affected the decisions of teachers to remain with the district for more than 5 years. All of the teachers who had been working in the district for at least 5 years were potential research participant The survey was distributed to 75 teachers, and 24 teachers responded. The teachers were asked to respond to an online survey regarding their perceptions of their in-school and out-of-school experiences. …

Factors That Influence Teachers To Remain In Priority Schools In Arkansas, Heather R. Allison

Student Theses and Dissertations

Teacher retention is a pressing issue for school districts throughout the nation. Attrition, combined with an older teaching population and increasing student enrollment, is causing a teacher shortage (Suell & Piotrowski, 2007). This teacher shortage is exacerbated in low-performing school. Many studies have been conducted to determine why teachers are leaving the classrooms of low-performing schools, but very few have examined the subject of why they are staying. This study attempted to identify teacher demographics and factors that exist in teachers who have five or more years of experience working in a Priority School in Arkansas. The results of the …