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- Shifting Gears: Why Mid-Career Teachers Decide It's Time to Take an Exit
Clinical Trial
Shifting Gears: Why Mid-Career Teachers Decide It's Time to Take an Exit
Teacher attrition in public education in the United States is a critical issue. It is not a new phenomenon; however, teacher shortage rates are rising rapidly. Rural schools are finding it especially difficult to recruit and retain quality teaching staff. Our qualitative study will explore the factors that contribute to mid-career teacher attrition in rural schools in South Carolina. Utilizing in-depth interviews with former South Carolina teachers who have left education within the last five years along with interviews with administrators and data from education organizations, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of why teachers choose to leave. The findings of our study will contribute to existing research pertaining to the current teacher shortage and inform public school stakeholders as they work toward finding solutions.
Eligibility Criteria
- For this study, our primary participants will include six to eight former mid-career teachers who previously taught in rural settings in South Carolina. We will concentrate on teachers with five to fifteen years of experience who have voluntarily left their teaching positions within the last five years. Our supporting participants will include four to six administrators and education organization professionals.