analysis of factors related to teacher attrition

This study examined factors related to attrition of public school teachers. Two hundred fifty-six Palm Beach County, Florida, public school teachers responded to a questionnaire that solicited information concerning demographics, satisfaction with aspects of teaching, attitudes toward teaching and suggestions for increasing retention. The respondents were divided into three groups: those planning to leave teaching in the Palm Beach County schools within 5 years (departers--16.4%), those undecided about leaving (undecideds--37.0%), and those planning to remain (remainers--46.6%). Significance of differences among the three groups was tested using chi-squared and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were significant differences (p <.05) among the three groups with respect to having previously considered leaving teaching and being dissatisfied with teaching as a career. There were also significant differences (p <.05) among the three groups concerning the following: satisfaction with general working conditions, school learning environment, intellectual challenge of the job, support received from administration, opportunities for advancement, influence over school policies and practices, student motivation, parental support, student discipline/behavior, extent of department chairperson's help, determining the content of inservice programs, setting policy on grouping students by ability, establishing curriculum, and amount of administrative assistance provided to improve instructional effectiveness and/or classroom management. The departers were significantly different (p <.05) from the undecideds and/or remainers regarding the above factors, and expressed the most dissatisfaction with them. The undecideds differed significantly (p <.05) from the remainers only on topics of parental support, extent of department chairperson's help, and amount of influence they had in establishing curriculum. The remainers were more satisfied with all of the questionnaire items related to attrition than were the other groups. Increasing salaries and pay incentives, giving teachers more authority/support in the classroom, and improving general working conditions were suggested by respondents as the most effective steps for decreasing attrition. There were significant differences (p <.05) among the three groups of respondents regarding their first, second and third most important suggestions. Although a formal, predictive model for hiring does not exist, data from this study could be used as a beginning or such a model.