The Experiences That Teachers Perceive as Influential in Their Consideration of Leaving the Profession

High rates of teacher turnover and attrition (Diliberti & Schwartz, 2023), coupled by declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs (Partelowe, 2019) have created teacher vacancies and shortages in public schools across the nation (Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). Teacher turnover and attrition negatively impact student growth and achievement (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019) school culture (Donley et al., 2019), and comes at a considerable financial loss to districts as replacing teachers is more costly than retaining them (Barnes et al. 2007). Teacher turnover and attrition is more pervasive in schools with high poverty, high minority, and low performing students (Barnes et al., 2007). The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to understand the experiences that public-school teachers perceived as influential in their consideration of leaving the profession. Herzberg's (1959) motivation-hygiene theory on job satisfaction was the theoretical lens utilized to interpret and make meaning of teachers' experiences. Findings from this study confirmed that participants were dissatisfied with the following hygiene factors: working conditions; salary; personal life; bureaucracy; and the quality of supervision. The motivation factor that participants expressed satisfaction with was the work itself. It would be in the benefit of state and district policy makers to take note of these findings and consider them when making decisions regarding teacher working conditions, salaries, policies and programs, and quality of administration. Improvements to the factors that teachers are dissatisfied with may improve teacher retention, school culture and climate, student growth and achievement, and reduce financial losses associated with replacing teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]