Teacher Persistence and Work-Related Teacher Traits: Are Noncognitive "Soft" Skills Related to Teacher Persistence?

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Recruitment and Retention by Districts and Schools

Abstract

Teacher turnover is an enduring problem in K-12 education. We fit Cox regression models to test the relationship between teacher persistence and six different teacher traits, using data from a metropolitan district, which contain information on 6,117 applicants for teaching positions over a 66 month period, 414 of whom were hired. We situate the six traits in the existing literature and make inferences as to how each one is plausibly related to persistence. We find that, controlling for time of hiring, teacher background, and school building measures, cultural competency reduces risk of voluntary departures, while adaptability and communication/persuasion skills are related to termination in different ways. Our analysis has implications for cultivating work-related traits as a means to facilitate persistence.

Authors

• Katherine Merriweather, Austin Community College

• Argun Saatcioglu, The University of Kansas