Date

8-9-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Christine Saba

Keywords

attrition, Maslow’s hierarchy, retention, Title I, teacher turnover

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the elements contributing to teacher retention through the lived experiences of K-5 teachers at Title I schools in the Southern United States. The theory guiding this study is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as it applies to teacher retention. The central research question of this study is as follows: what are the experiences related to retention of K-5 teachers who teach in a Title I school? The sample size included 10 participants. The sample was a convenience sample of teachers from three Title I schools in an urban school district in the Southern United States. The data was collected through individual interviews, focus group interviews, and journal prompts. Interview responses were transcribed for data analysis. All data was analyzed through coding for commonalities and themes. Three themes emerged from the data: A Life of Good Works, Bear One Another’s Burdens, and Peace and Mutual Edification. Two outlier themes emerged from the data: Adversity and Natural Reasons. Trustworthiness, credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of the research were established.

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