Positive Influences on Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study on the Contributing Factors to Teacher Retention in Rural North Dakota

Abstract

In the United States, a considerable amount of educators leave the field within the first five years of employment. Midwestern rural schools experience a slightly higher turnover percentage than do their urban counterparts. Due to this shortage of teachers, many districts have employed strategies to recruit and retain effective teachers. Although many studies focus on the reasons teachers exit the profession, this study identifies the positive factors of why teachers remain in a rural North Dakota school. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach which generated common themes among long-staying teachers in a rural district. Both the social constructivism and teacher career cycle theoretical frameworks were utilized to support the researcher’s understanding of rural teachers' feelings, perceptions, and experiences. The positive attributes of working in a rural community are the personal relationships teachers make with students, families, and colleagues and the strong support from administration and mentorship from colleagues.