Why Do They Stay? Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Job Satisfaction and Retention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify intrinsic and extrinsic variables that influence teacher job satisfaction and retention. A survey was sent to 300 randomly selected Missouri public elementary schoolteachers in grades K–5 having 5 or more years of teaching experience. The results from 201 respondents suggest that three intrinsic motivators (personal teaching efficacy, working with students, and job satisfaction) were perceived to significantly influence satisfaction and retention, while two extrinsic motivators (low salary and role overload) did not have any effect. Using multiple linear regression and qualitative analysis, the findings show that teachers who experienced satisfaction at their school and/or satisfaction with the profession of teaching were more likely to remain. No relationship was found between satisfaction with the job of teaching, suggesting that retention was determined by teacher satisfaction with the profession and not with work-related duties. One of the core challenges facing primary and secondary education is retaining qualified teachers. Twenty to thirty percent of beginning teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years (American Federation of Teachers, 2001; Darling-Hammond, 2003). According to the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), teacher attrition problems cost the nation in excess of $7 billion annually for recruitment, administrative processing and hiring, and professional development