Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Sharon E. Farrell

Keywords

burnout, turnover, two-factor theory, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, student indiscipline

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education

Abstract

This embedded single-case study aimed to discover the influence of high teacher turnover in a school district in Kansas. The theory guiding this study was Herzberg's two-factor theory, as it addressed job satisfaction that determines teachers' intent to either remain in or leave the teaching profession. Individual interviews, focus groups, and document analysis were employed to answer the central research question investigating the effect of teacher turnover on student performance. Data were collected from 10 participants in a sample pool of over 480 teachers and administrators in the selected Kansas school district. Data analysis employed axial coding, triangulation, and theme development to identify trends in factors that cause teachers to leave the school system or the teaching profession altogether. Findings of the study indicate that high teacher turnover, although a problem in the school system, does not have much of an influence on student performance unless it happens in the middle of the academic year. Further findings indicate that the turnover itself is influenced by a combination of student indiscipline and a perceived lack of support to teachers on the part of the administration, both at the school and district levels.

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