Date of Award
4-21-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Chad Becker, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Leslie Loughmiller, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Okema S. Branch, Ed.D.
Abstract
Teachers are the very foundation of a successful educational program. High rates of teacher attrition threaten the core mission of small, private, non-Catholic, faith-based secondary schools—to transform students spiritually, intellectually, and personally. It is vital that the faculty at these schools is comprised of quality teachers who return year-to-year to deepen relationships with students and continue the momentum of student transformation. The problem addressed in this single, instrumental case study is the high rate of teacher attrition that exists within small, private, non-Catholic, faith-based schools. The purpose of this study was to examine practices and policies that support teacher retention within small, private, non-Catholic faith-based secondary schools. The study was guided by the research question: What work conditions at small faith-based secondary schools support strong teacher retention? The research study was conducted at a small, non-Catholic, faith-based, private high school in rural Texas. Data was collected through on-site teacher interviews and observations and an off-site document review. The results revealed that school culture, administrative support, teacher voice, and student discipline played major roles in the teachers’ decisions to return year-to-year. Additionally, the results indicated that teacher workload and compensation did not significantly impact teachers’ plans to return. These results offer a foundation of understanding the work conditions that influence teacher retention in small, private, non-Catholic, faith-based secondary schools and set the stage for further research.