What are the reasons mid-career teachers continue teaching?

The resignation of teachers during their mid-career teaching years is a loss for both schools and students. Turnover has a significant financial impact on school districts. High turnover negatively affects student achievement and the highest turnover tends to be in schools where poverty is prevalent and students of color attend. The cost of advertising, hiring, training and the necessary substitute costs to meet interim needs utilize funds that should be allocated to support students. Mid-career teachers leaving the classroom are often replaced with inexperienced or uncertified staff as the number of available and certified candidates dwindles. In a review of teacher retention data, 70% of teachers remain teachers after five years, and 61% at 10 years. At 19 years, only 50% of teachers are still teaching. Mid-career teachers are ending their teaching careers and few studies address how to support their teaching careers. Teacher retention is a national concern, as 90% of open teaching positions are created by teachers who have left teaching. The profession of teaching, once designed to be a lifelong career, now has fewer teachers remaining until retirement. The purpose of the present qualitative study was to expand on teacher retention research by exploring mid-career teachers’ reasons and intent for commitment to continue teaching. The analysis was completed using job embeddedness theory in relation to teacher retention. Twelve mid-career teachers from two comparable city school districts participated in semi-structured interviews. Themes identified through analysis of interview data revealed that mid-career teachers consider their relationships with students, collaboration with coworkers, and opportunities to evolve as teachers are most important to their retention as teachers. Although identified in prior research as essential for teacher retention, supportive leadership did not emerge as a factor for mid-career teacher retention. Understanding mid-career teachers' perceptions of links, fit, and sacrifice concerning teaching can help schools target ways to improve teacher retention. Results from this research can be utilized by schools and districts to improve teacher retention.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Maynard, Kirsten

Contributors dc:contributor

• Oh, Eunjung Grace
• Huang, Wenhao David
• Kang, Hyun-Sook
• Nelson, Jennifer

• Teacher Retention
• Mid-career Teachers, Professional Development
• Teaching Career
• Intent To Teach
• Desire To Teach
• Job Embeddedness
• Teacher Turnover
• Turnover Intention
• Feeling Valued
• Supportive Motivation
• Teaching Preference

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Kirsten Maynard

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125534

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F125534