Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Mary Strickland

Keywords

full-range leadership, teacher attrition, teacher persistence, teacher retention

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the leadership styles of school administrators that influence teacher retention for secondary Christian school teachers, in a southeastern coastal state. The theory guiding this study was Avolio’s full-range leadership model, which provides the background to understanding how leadership styles of school administrators influence the retention rate of their teachers. The central research question was: What are the retention experiences of secondary Christian school educators who attribute their persistence to the leadership styles of school administrators? Data was collected from 11 secondary Christian school teachers to explore the persistence experiences of those teachers. The data from journal prompts, individual interviews, and focus groups helped to interpret the teachers’ experiences to draw an essence of their persistence experiences. The data revealed three themes, each with two subthemes. Professional confidence was strengthened through teacher autonomy and through genuine recognition. Professional support emerged through consistent leadership presence and administrators fostering teachers’ professional growth. Care for staff contributed to a culture of belonging and a sense of worth through intentional pastoral care. Five findings emerged from this study demonstrating how leadership practices support high levels of teacher retention. Retention was strengthened through teacher autonomy combined with clear expectations, a sense of community and belonging, visible and accessible leadership, intentional investment in professional growth, and principal support.

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