Teacher Perceptions of the Causes and Effects of Attrition
Loading...
Links to Files
Permanent Link
Collections
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2013-07
Type of Work
Department
Program
Masters of Education
Citation of Original Publication
Rights
Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine causes of the phenomenon of teacher attrition and its
impact on schools. Evaluating perceptions of why teachers leave the profession as well as
understanding the impact of teacher attrition may help school systems better retain high-quality
teachers. Based upon a review of literature about the impact of attrition on schools, the
researcher developed a survey for teachers to rate the degree to which they felt factors included
in nine survey items contributed to attrition and the degree to which they felt factors included in
seven survey items were impacted by attrition. Descriptive analyses of teacher perceptions
related to attrition were computed and comparisons of results obtained through analyses of
variance were made to determine if the mean ratings were statistically equivalent across the
survey items reflecting first the reasons for and then the impact of attrition. Results indicated
that the survey items were not perceived as equally important in terms of contributing to or the
degree to which they are impacted by attrition. A major finding of the study is that one of the
major reasons teachers leave the profession is their perception of receiving inadequate pay for
the job. However, salary limitations are not the only cause for teacher attrition. Heavy
workloads and lack of support from parents and administrators also were rated as contributors to
attrition. More research to determine how teachers’ perceptions can best inform policy to reduce
teacher attrition is warranted.