Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Doctor Denise Nixon

Keywords

Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, Four Capital Theory, Social Capital, High School, Administration, School Culture, School Climate, Staff Culture, Administrative Support

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand teacher retention from the experience of teachers in a school with high retention rates for two or more consecutive years. Furthermore, this study described teacher retention in a school with high retention, and how the high retention rate has influenced teachers decision to remain in that school. The theory guiding this study is the four capital theory as it includes the social, human, structural and positive psychological capitals and provided insight on how these relate to teacher retention. The central research question for this study is: what are the experiences of K-12 teachers who have been retained in a school with high retention rates (at least 80%) for at least two consecutive years? Each of the four sub questions address one of the four capitals of the four capital theory. The data was collected through interviews, physical artifacts, and letter writing. The study included eleven participants who are currently employed in a school with retention rates at 80% or better for four consecutive years. All of the participants have worked at the site for at least three years, and were chosen with maximum variation. Data was analyzed using open coding and Moustaka’s phenomenological reduction. The findings from this study indicate that while all the capitals are important, the most important by a large factor is the social capital. Thus, leading to the conclusion from this study, that administration in schools need to focus on the social capital, with intention, in their building to improve teacher retention.

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS