Why Do Unhappy Teachers Stay? A Qualitative Analysis of What Keeps Unhappy Teachers from Leaving

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Holding On: Teacher Retention Amid Stress and Strain

Abstract

Many teachers continue teaching even though they feel dissatisfied with the profession. We surveyed 199 teachers who were considering leaving teaching but had no concrete plans to leave to understand what kept them from leaving and what type of organizational commitment they felt. Most gave reasons aligned to continuance commitment, or a need to stay in the field, such as needing the retirement benefits or income, not being qualified for other jobs, and caregiving responsibilities. These findings underline the importance of improving the field of teaching and point to factors that need to be strengthened to better support teachers, such as financial planning support; more leadership roles in teaching; opportunities to grow skills beyond the classroom; and higher salaries.

Authors

• Sophie Gullett, The New Teacher Project

• Nancy L. Leech, University of Colorado - Denver

• Carolyn A. Haug, Colorado Department of Education

• Marisha Lamont-Manfre, University of Colorado - Boulder