American schools and higher-education facilities are seen as some of the most prestigious establishments across the globe. However, the American educational system is far from being effective, and the high turnover of new teachers is a considerable issue to be addressed. It has been estimated that up to 30% of novice teachers leave the profession (Sutcher et al., 2016). More than half of the leaving teachers quit their jobs within five years (Mack et al., 2019). This trend has been persistent since the 2000s and contributed to considerable understaffing in schools (Boe et al., 2008). The problem is specifically pronounced in urban settings and underserved neighborhoods (Albright et al., 2017). It has been estimated that unless the current situation is addressed, the turnover rate among novice educators can double by the 2020s (Hussar & Bailey, 2014; Sutcher et al., 2016). The quality of educational services decreases, which has diverse negative effects on students and their academic performance. Numerous policies and programs have been introduced to decrease early career teachers’ attrition by schools and districts (Redding et al., 2019). However, the turnover rate is still alarming and shows the ineffectiveness of the existing projects.
In addition to the decreasing quality of education that has a negative organizational impact, the educational system is facing direct economic and social consequences related to the trend. It has been estimated that the high turnover among novice educators costs Texas approximately 505 million U.S. dollars annually (Shakrani, 2008). Increasing costs lead to higher tuition fees and a larger budget burden for federal and state governments. It is also found that students whose teachers leave during a year receive lower grades on tests as compared to their peers who do not experience such issues (Redding & Henry, 2018). As a result, these young people may be less successful in and committed to gaining higher education and accessing better employment.
In order to develop an effective strategy to address the high turnover among new teachers, researchers have implemented various studies aimed at exploring the reasons for leaving the profession. Some of the identified causes of attrition include insufficient administrative support, family reasons, low salaries, and inappropriate working conditions (Sutcher et al., 2016). In terms of their quantitative study, Mack et al. (2019) found that central reasons for attrition are demographic, occupational, and health-related. However, there is little consensus regarding the most influential factors, and the matter is still under-researched.
For example, Heikonen et al. (2016) state that the sense of professional agency in new teachers is directly linked to their desire to quit. New educators’ inability to manage student-teacher interactions properly forces these professionals out of the educational field. Redding and Smith (2016) also found that alternatively certified educators were more likely to leave the profession than their peers who gained university-based education, while the latter practitioners tended to move schools. Ryan et al. (2017) reported that test-based accountability policies contribute to occupational stress and new teachers’ intent to leave. On the contrary, administrative support has proved to play an important role in early career teachers’ retention (Redding et al., 2019). New teachers who receive psychological and administrative support and participate in mentorship projects are more likely to work for a longer period. Therefore, it is critical to explore the exact reasons new teachers have to leave the profession, which will help in understanding the nature of the problem.
References
Albright, J. L., Safer, L. A., Sims, P. A., Tagaris, A., Glasgow, D., Sekulich, K. M., & Zaharis, M. C. (2017). What factors impact why novice middle school teachers in a large midwestern urban school district leave after their initial year of teaching. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 12(1), 1-16.
Boe, E. E., Cook, L. H., & Sunderland, R. J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Examining exit attrition, teaching area transfer, and school migration.Council for Exceptional Children, 75(1), 7–31. Web.
Heikonen, L., Pietarinen, J., Pyhältö, K., Toom, A., & Soini, T. (2016). Early career teachers’ sense of professional agency in the classroom: Associations with turnover intentions and perceived inadequacy in teacher–student interaction.Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 45(3), 250-266. Web.
Hussar, W. J., & Bailey, T. M. (2014). Projections of education statistics to 2022. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Web.
Mack, J.C., Johnson, A., Rincon, A.J., Tsatenawa, V., & Howad, K. (2019). Why do teachers leave? A comprehensive occupational health study evaluates intent‐to‐quit in public school teachers. Journal of Education, 3(2), 1-13. Web.
Redding, C., Booker, L. N., Smith, T. M., & Desimone, L. M. (2019). School administrators’ direct and indirect influences on middle school math teachers’ turnover.Journal of Educational Administration, 57(6), 708-730. Web.
Redding, C., & Henry, G. T. (2018). Leaving school early: An examination of novice teachers’ within- and end-of-year turnover.American Educational Research Journal, 56(1), 204-236. Web.
Redding, C., & Smith, T. M. (2016). Easy in, easy out. American Educational Research Journal, 53(4), 1086-1125. Web.
Ryan, S. V., von der Embse, N. P., Pendergast, L. L., Saeki, E., Segool, N., & Schwing, S. (2017). Leaving the teaching profession: The role of teacher stress and educational accountability policies on turnover intent. Teaching and Teacher Education, 66, 1-11. Web.
Shakrani, S. (2008). Teacher turnover: Costly crisis, solvable problem. Web.
Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in teaching? Teacher supply, demand, and shortages in the US. Web.