Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Susan Stanley

Keywords

special education, career longevity, attrition, retention, self-determination theory, autonomy, competence, relatedness

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand factors that influenced the motivation of special education teachers toward longevity in public K-12 schools located in the United States. This study attempted to answer the following research question: What do special education teachers perceive motivational factors toward longevity in a K-12 public school? The theory that guided this study was Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory as it relates to what motivated teachers to continue to teach long-term in K-12 public schools. A total of 11 special education teachers with ten or more years of experience participated in individual interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups to collect data. Analysis of the data was completed with the self-determination theory’s premise that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness need to be met for a person to feel fulfilled in life. Participants were located in the Midwest, the Pacific costal region, and the Southeast areas of the United States. Data were analyzed through memoing and coding participants’ responses in all three data collection methods. The findings of this study show that outside influences, job durability, and proper management were all factors that led to longevity in teaching for the participants of this study.

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