Courtney Golden
Published: 2021
Total Pages: 0
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"The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine relationships between six supportive work conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and teacher retention in a school district in south Mississippi. This study examined work conditions including work environment, job fit, compensation and benefit, leadership support, assessment systems, and induction programs to the retention of teachers by experience, levels of education, career plans, gender and ethnic groups using a Teacher Retention Questionnaire. Also, this study examined the challenges and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teacher retention from data collected through teacher interviews via Google Meet. A total of 104 of 300 potential subjects participated in the study, constituting a 34.6% response rate for the questionnaire; 18 participants were interviewed. The results indicated no statistically significant difference of work conditions by ethnic group, years of experience, gender, level of education, and career plans. The study revealed that teachers perceived an increase in compensation and leadership support as the greatest impact on teacher retention. Teachers faced challenges such as teaching virtually, classroom management, limited resources, and lack of parent involvement. While, the COVID-19 pandemic brought on increased stress because of feeling unsafe, 89% of teachers reported not knowing anyone in the participating school district who left the profession as a result of the pandemic. By examining the work conditions and the impact of COVID-19, school leaders may improve teacher retention.