Exploring Special Education Teacher Motivation and Retention through Interpretive Research Approach

Special education in the United States has seen an increase in the number of students needing special education services, but the number of special educators needed to serve the students do not match the student numbers. For this reason, several studies have been undertaken to find ways and means to minimize special education teacher attrition, attract new teachers, and retain existing special educators. This study focused on exploring special educators’ motivations into the field and the reasons they stay on the job. Using a conceptual framework based on expectancy theory, this study sought to find the factors that drew and kept individuals into special education. A convenience purposive sampling was used to select 14 long-serving special educators. Data were collected from the participants through interviews. Some of the major findings relating to the reasons for choosing special education included being passionate about helping students with disabilities (SWD), getting a sustainable income, responding to a divine calling, and taking the opportunity to emigrate to the United States. Some major findings relating to the retention factors were to continue to make an impact in the lives of SWD, commitment to students and administrators, teacher appreciation, and the perception of feeling trapped on the job. Understanding special education teacher choice and retention is critical in developing policies and strategies for recruiting and retaining special educators. Special education teacher motivation changes over time, so it is important to have dynamic strategies and policies to track teacher motivation to act accordingly.

Author

• Mensah Bonsu, Kwame

• Special education teacher attrition
• Special education teacher motivation
• special education teacher retention
• Teacher shortage

Identifier

hdl:1920/14709

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:MARS:1920/14709