Date

9-25-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Rebecca Dilling

Keywords

Special education teacher retention, Rural education in California, Special education teacher shortage, Teacher retention in rural schools, Transcendental phenomenology, Herzberg's two-factor theory

Disciplines

Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the retention experiences of special education teachers who taught in rural elementary school districts in California. Retention was generally defined as a teacher who was influenced to stay with their district for a long time. The theory guiding this study was Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation-hygiene. This theory was particularly effective in addressing teacher retention because it provided a clear framework for understanding the factors that contribute to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This transcendental phenomenological study described the retention of special education teachers who taught in rural elementary school districts in California. The central research question for this study was: What are the retention experiences of special education teachers in rural California? The study included 12 special education teachers in a rural area of California. The data was collected through individual interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups. The data analysis consisted of transcription, coding, categorical aggregation, and theme development. Findings revealed that teachers remained in the profession primarily due to intrinsic motivators, while hygiene factors contributed to dissatisfaction but were not the sole drivers of attrition. These results suggested that addressing relational and structural dimensions may be key to improving retention in rural special education contexts.

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