A Case Study of Shifting to a Four-Day Student School Week as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention

<p>This study examines the lived experiences of elementary teachers in a rural school district in Northwest Georgia that shifted to a four-day student week, Tuesday-Friday, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools shut down due to COVID-19 in March 2020, it launched a new wave of educators walking out the door nationwide, further impacting an already existing problem of teacher shortages. Situated literature has traditionally pointed to a four-day student schedule due to budget cuts and financial gain. This study provides insight from teacher and school leader perceptions through interviews on how shifting to a modified calendar impacted their job satisfaction related to teacher retention. Mondays for teachers included engaging in professional learning communities, time to plan, collaborate with colleagues, and continue professional development. The findings revealed mixed outcomes connecting to time alleviated and time constraints. It also provided lessons learned through the calendar shift and suggestions to various stakeholders specifically relating to teacher retention.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Year

2023

Author dc:creator

• Hyde, Melanie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Cindy Reed
• Dr. Arvin Johnson

• four-day student week
• COVID-19
• burnout
• teacher retention
• job satisfaction
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/42

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:educleaddoc_etd-1044