Date of Award
11-1-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Leslie Loughmiller, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Sarah Everts, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Rinyka Allison, Ph.D.
Abstract
Early childhood education (ECE) educators’ roles in promoting the positive development of children are consistently deemed essential in research. Research also presents the severe problems of burnout and turnover in the ECE field. Specific factors such as low compensation, lack of professional development opportunities, and high-stress environments are causing continued rates of burnout across the early education arena, resulting in ECE educators leaving the field. Therefore, it is important to understand the reasons ECE educators are leaving so these challenges are recognized and remedied. A qualitative descriptive case study was used to examine the issue of ECE educator turnover due to burnout. Participants in the study consisted of ECE educators who had previously worked in an ECE program in the Midwest, and recently left this employment of their own accord. Data collected through semistructured interviews gathered the participants’ perspectives to better understand what motivated them, what challenged them, and what influenced their decision to leave. This data provides identification of the factors that ECE leaders should recognize, understand, and address to increase ECE educator retention.