In Their Own Words: Centering Infant/Toddler Teachers' Voices on Turnover and Retention

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 11:45 am
  In Poster Session: Constructing Early Childhood Education: Ideologies, Influences, and Discourses

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how infant/toddler teachers (ITTs) navigate the emotional, physical, psychological, and instructional demands of their work and how perceived support influenced their decisions to stay or leave the early childhood education (ECE) workforce. Guided by Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and in-depth interviews with 19 ITTs across diverse ECE programs, four themes emerged: resource-driven coping, perceived support and the impact on retention, misalignment between expectations and resources, and teaching as identity, advocacy, and emotional legacy. Findings revealed how burnout and turnover stem from chronic resource depletion, not a lack of dedication. This study contributes to ECE workforce literature by foregrounding ITTs’ voices and offering implications for policy, leadership, and professional development aimed at improving ITT retention.

Author

• Christina E Laney, California State University - Long Beach