Year of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

John Matt

Commitee Members

William McCaw, Erica Allen, Kirsten Murray, Daniel Lee

Keywords

Education, Montana, Retention, Rural, Teachers, Turnover

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

School districts across the United States are grappling to fill, and to keep, their classrooms operating with qualified teachers, especially in rural communities. To ensure a quality education for the millions of students in the nation in the coming years, educational leaders and government officials need to evaluate what can be done to increase the number of teachers staying in their positions. Schools must be better equipped to understand what contributes to high turnover rates and the inability to retain their teachers. It is necessary to create conditions that will keep fully trained and qualified teachers in the field. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine and discover the factors contributing to high turnover rates of teachers in rural communities as well as to take a closer look at school climate and its impact on retention. The study helped unveil the contributing factors and lived experiences of teachers who chose to leave a teaching position. Teacher shortages have become a well-documented problem, but many in the education community continue to characterize the shortages as one, nonspecific, national crisis. Because of this, broad solutions are proposed to address the shortages, and they do not target the specific needs of states, districts, and schools. This study focused specifically on rural Montana elementary teachers who chose to leave a teaching position between 2017 and 2022. The central question asked: What is the lived experience of teachers who decided to leave a teaching position? The interviews conducted with 12 elementary teachers created significant statements about teacher turnover. The composite description revealed ten themes about how participants experienced teacher turnover and retention. This study adds a greater understanding about how and why teachers are leaving their positions at such alarming rates, particularly in rural Montana elementary schools. Leaders and policymakers would be well served to focus their efforts on the areas of participants’ expressed concerns which include administration, lack of support and appreciation, low pay, a toxic school climate, health and safety, an increased workload, and lack of teacher voice.

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