Date

11-11-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Alex Oldham

Keywords

Attrition, hermeneutic phenomenology, place attachment theory, rural special education, querencia, retention, special education

Disciplines

Education | Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to interpret the lived experiences of rural, local special education teachers who continue to teach in their rural hometown communities in the United States. The problem was that rural and small-town communities continue to lose almost 30% of special education teachers each year to turnover. Despite identifying challenges and strategies to increase the number of special education teachers, vacancies remain critically high across most rural communities in the United States. This study was guided by place attachment theory, which explores an individual’s relationship with places and how people tend to anchor themselves in secure, familiar environments where they were previously nurtured. The central research question explored the lived experiences of rural, local special education teachers who continued to teach in their hometown. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological research study used semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. The 10 participants were local special education teachers who had lived in the same community for at least four years. The researcher conducted a thematic analysis of the information gathered from the interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. The researcher conducted follow-up interviews to allow for member checking and follow-up questions, as needed. The study’s findings highlight the role of rootedness, community embeddedness, and place attachment in supporting rural special educator retention.

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