Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Taeyeon Kim

Department

Educational Administration

Date of this Version

Spring 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Comments

Copyright 2024, Nicole Burton. Used by permission

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the issues of teacher attrition. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, from January to November 2021, there was a 40% increase in the quit levels of teachers within the state and local education agencies (John, 2022). While prior research has examined early-career teachers leaving the profession, mid-career teachers have largely been left out of the conversation. This narrative inquiry investigates the reasons that mid-career teachers are leaving the profession. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four mid-career teachers hailing from the Midwest region. Interviews focused on understanding how teachers have experienced stress and burnout in the profession and the turning point that led them to change careers. Research participants shared visual artifacts depicting the crucial turning point in their career. Analysis of interviews and visual artifacts indicate how the current teaching culture and stressors have influenced teacher burnout, ultimately leading to teacher attrition. Insights and perspectives from participants also provide strategies to mitigate teacher burnout and attrition. The implications arising from this study have the potential to inform policy and practice.

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