Should I Stay or Should I Go? Predicting Preschool Teachers’ Job Commitment

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Early Educator Persistence and Turnover (Table 8)

Abstract

Early childhood education is a critical period in a child's development that lays the foundation for future learning. However, teacher turnover in early childhood education (ECE) has detrimental effects on children’s school experiences and teacher satisfaction. The purpose of this poster session is to examine associations between preschool teachers’ job experiences and intentions to stay in their positions. We draw upon an analytic sample of 97 preschool teachers from the U.S. Pacific Northwest to examine associations between teachers’ classroom practices, job satisfaction, work engagement and connectedness, and their intentions to stay. The long-term objectives of this project are to examine aspects of working conditions that may contribute to educator retention in early childhood settings.

Authors

• Kathleen Artman Meeker, University of Washington

• Jennifer E. Cunningham, University of Washington

• Shivani Oberoi, University of Washington