Background: For decades, teacher shortages brought concern in educational systems throughout the United States. As more classrooms were left without teachers, prior researchers focused on strategies and policies to address the problem of teacher turnover and attrition. States such as Wisconsin had fewer qualified candidates to fill positions and saw a 35% decrease in teacher education programs in the past decade. Purpose: This study sought to examine how the induction process was related to teacher attrition for experienced or veteran teachers (five or more years of experience). In addition, the study sought to determine factors that contributed to professional satisfaction or dissatisfaction as related to teaching longevity. By examining these components collectively and including conversations with current teachers, the researcher presented a holistic view of why veteran teachers make the decision to leave the profession. Setting: Northeastern Wisconsin public school districts serving populations from kindergarten through 12th grades in urban, suburban and rural locations. Subjects: The participants were five veteran teachers with five or more years of experience who left the profession before retirement. Research Design: Qualitative phenomenological study Data Collection and Analysis: The participants were interviewed about their induction processes, professional satisfaction and professional dissatisfaction during their teaching careers. The data were analyzed for commonalities and emergent themes among the shared teaching experiences of the participants to determine the reasons they left the profession. Findings: Common themes were identified through the participants’ interviews. The findings showed the induction process for veteran teachers did not meet the needs of these participants. Further, professional satisfaction during their teaching careers were related to intrinsic motivating factors such as improving and aiding in student academic achievement, collegial support, and “making a difference.” The findings indicated the former teachers’ professional dissatisfaction stemmed from challenging behaviors, lack of support, overwhelming responsibilities, monetary deficiencies, and lack of respect for the profession. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that veteran teachers leave the profession as a result of a combination of challenges during their teaching assignments. The study also uncovered that the participants of this study contemplated their decisions to leave their positions years before actually departing the profession.

High attrition during the first few years of teaching is a long-standing dilemma. Research findings vary somewhat according to specific studies, but it is estimated that about 30% of new teachers do not teach beyond two years, and within the first five years of teaching 40-50% leave the profession.Traditionally, discussions of new teacher induction have not considered the role of the school principal as significant (Carver, 2003). However, Brock & Grady (2001) found that beginning teachers identified the school principal as the most significant person in the school, as well as a key source of support and guidance. A recent exploratory case study of the supportive behaviors of four principals resulted in a structural framework of recommended practices (Carver, 2002); however, the importance of those behaviors in the retention of first-year teachers has not been studied.This mixed methods research study examined the relationship between principal support behaviors and the likelihood of first-year teachers remaining in the teaching profession. Q sorts, detailed questionnaires, and follow-up interviews were conducted with first-year and fifth-year teachers.Findings indicated that principal support was important to some first-year teachers in making retention decisions; additionally, specific principal behaviors that have the most influence on the likelihood of first-year teachers remaining in the profession were identified. Analysis resulted in the development of a list of 10 principal support behaviors that are most likely to influence first-year teachers to remain in teaching. These findings could prove beneficial in stemming the attrition rate of new teachers.

Teacher attrition is a problem with a number of implications, not the least of which is the teacher shortage. Almost half of all new teachers leave the profession within the first five years, creating a difficult model where more teachers leave the teaching profession compared to teachers entering the profession. Part of the problem is a result of career progression. However, most of teacher attrition is a result of factors such as inadequate pay, administrative support, workplace conditions, student related issues, and collegiality with peers. Without a thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to teacher attrition it is impossible to create an environment where "No Child is Left Behind". Although teachers do not enter the profession with the notion of getting rich, they do need to make enough money to support themselves and their families. Furthermore, professional status in America is closely tied to socioeconomic status. Therefore, while salary may be the largest component of teacher attrition, school and district characteristics, teacher qualifications, and demographics also affect a teacher's decision to leave the profession.

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Teacher Job Satisfaction and School Leadership by Saroya N. Pendleton-Brown MSA, Fayetteville State University, 2011 BBA, Baker College, 1993 AAS, Jordan College, 1991 Doctoral Study Completed in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education August 2019 The problem in a middle eastern school was the high annual rate of teacher attrition, which is above 25% per year. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher perceptions of the attrition rates as they relate to the school leadership style at this study site. Herzberg's theory of motivation, which provides insights regarding job satisfaction, served as the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions were developed to examine teacher perceptions about administrative influences on teachers' job satisfaction and the programs and services they believe may enhance morale. A case study design was used to capture the insights of 10 purposefully selected teachers from the target school to conduct semi-structured interviews. Emergent themes were identified through open coding, and the findings were developed and checked for trustworthiness through member checking and a process to identify convergence and divergence. The findings revealed that participants preferred leadership styles that were supportive, and they placed a high value on teacher input. A professional development program was designed to educate participants on the connection between leadership styles and teacher attrition. This program may contribute to positive social change by guiding educational leaders to establish an enhanced learning environment that is responsive to the social, cultural, and ethnic differences of the teachers in the middle east.

Teacher attrition has been a problem for school systems for more than 30 years. Large numbers of new teachers leave the profession within their first 5 years of service, creating a significant cost associated with hiring and training of replacement teachers. Attrition is problematic for a middle school in the state of Georgia. New teachers at the school have disclosed that induction did not meet their needs. In addition, the district has experienced budget cutbacks and demographic shifts in the student population, increasing the rate new teachers have left the school. The purpose of this study was to explore and give voice to the new teachers' perceptions about the profession, their preparation for classroom teaching, and their understanding of the school's climate and culture. Using Herzberg's theory of motivation, a qualitative case explored perceptions of 10 teachers who had fewer than 5 years teaching experience. The research questions were focused on perceived satisfaction with teaching, preparedness for classroom teaching, and satisfaction with the climate and culture of the school. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using an interview protocol. Findings revealed that novice teachers were satisfied with the teaching profession, but satisfaction changed over time as they became more immersed in the daily routines necessary for students and classroom management. The data showed that novice teachers were dissatisfied with the climate and culture of the school. In response to the findings, a professional development support group project for novice teachers was developed. This project contributes to positive social change by providing a safe and trusted environment for new teachers to help each other manage challenges and assimilate into their new school environment.

Burnout is a tripartite syndrome consisting of the constructs of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment (PA) (Azeem & Nazir, 2008; Law, 2010; Yong & Yue, 2007). Teachers in the midst of burnout are in a “state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally demanding” (Harrison, 1996, p. 25). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between middle school teacher burnout and perceived principal support. The combination of the constructs of burnout and principal behaviors (i.e., supportive, directive, and restrictive) provided the theoretical framework for the study. Participants included 282 middle school teachers from 9 schools in East Tennessee. Instruments utilized were the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators Survey (MBI-ES), the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire—Revised for Middle Schools (OCDQ-RM); and a researcher‑created demographics questionnaire. Schools were also coded as either rural or non‑rural, and this classification was used as demographic information. Analyses included the calculation of Pearson r correlations and a three-stage hierarchical multiple regression. Of the participants, 43.6% rated themselves as experiencing high levels of EE and 45.4% reported low levels of personal accomplishment. In straight correlations, the EE factors of burnout were significant between gender of teachers, those who taught courses that were tested (i.e., math, reading/language arts, science, and social studies), and those who held higher degrees. For teacher behaviors, those reporting collegial and disengaged behavior had a direct relationship between all factors of burnout, as were principal behaviors categorized as supportive and restrictive. This study, however, focused on the hierarchical multiple regression to determine whether principal behaviors had a greater effect on burnout than did other variables. From the findings, the researcher realized directive principal behavior had no significant effect on any of the factors of burnout; however, those teachers with principals who they perceived as supportive were less likely to exhibit EE or DP. Restrictive principal behavior was the only factor in the regression that was significant for all factors of burnout, indicating that employees of these principals exhibited higher levels of EE and DP and lower levels of PA.

This narrative research study investigated the identity development process of a group of beginning teachers participating in Teach For America (TFA). The participants (n=3) were middle or high school teachers who had taught in high needs, low income urban school settings. They had also blogged on the “Teach For Us” blog hosting site about their experiences in the classroom as beginning teachers. Through the lenses of Sfard and Prusak’s (2005) narrative theory of identity and Mead’s (1934) social theory of identity and the role of the “Generalized Other”, narrative research techniques were used to analyze the stories found in their blog postings. Their stories show that these teachers were ill prepared for the realities they would face and that teaching in a challenging, high poverty, urban school setting was at times overwhelming. The duality and struggle between their Generalized Other concepts of a TFA corps member and who they were becoming as a teacher was found throughout their stories. The stories also show that over time, each became more confident in their abilities and in who they were becoming as a teacher. With this growth came more job satisfaction, yet each decided to leave their TFA placement schools after their second year to pursue other options. Themes include the struggles the teachers faced their first year, the transformation that occurred during their second year, the conflicts between their TFA identity and their teacher identity, the impact of high stakes testing and racial issues, and the cathartic nature of blogging.

Efficacy is created early in a career and not easily influenced over time yet states and school districts loose tremendous amounts of money annually educating and training teachers who elect to leave the profession as a result of low self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived levels of self-efficacy of middle school Language Arts and reading teachers at various stages in their teaching careers in an attempt to inform the practices of teacher preparation. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale along with a Teacher Demographic Survey was used to identify how preparation method, content area, and years of experience might relate to self-reported teacher self-efficacy scores. Findings suggest preparation method does play a significant role in self-efficacy of teachers specifically regarding classroom management. Content area of instruction did not reveal a significant difference among participants scores while years of experience did. Participants‘ self-efficacy increased as the total number of overall years teaching experience increased. Nevertheless, when focusing on the number of years at one location, this finding did not hold true. Teacher self-efficacy scores increased only until the 10 year and beyond mark then decreased. Demographic factors such as participant age, sex, ethnicity, and school location were not identified as predictive variables of a teachers‘ self-efficacy. Findings suggest school factors at the 6-8 grade levels may impact teacher efficacy scores. Implications and recommendations to schools districts and teacher preparation programs are offered.