Educational Leadership Impact on Early Career Teacher Retention:  Making Meaning of School Principal and Classroom Educator Perceptions

Teacher retention, specifically early career teacher retention, is a prominent issue facing educational leaders. This dissertation addresses the impact high early career teacher attrition has on student academic achievement, establishes the purpose of my qualitative research study, and clarifies the problem of study. Integrated into Chapter 1 is a conceptual framework that outlines leadership and non-leadership factors impacting early career teacher retention. The literature review in Chapter 2 examines current teacher attrition trends as well as practices and policies implemented to improve teacher retention. Literature included in the review is peer reviewed and published between 2012 and 2024. Articles produced from the search criteria were derived from the Virginia Tech remote library's Education Research Complete from EBSCO host, ERIC from EBSCOhost, Educators Reference Complete from Gale, and Teacher Reference Center from EBSCOhost in addition to articles referred to me by Virginia Tech faculty. The connection between leadership practices or behaviors and new teacher retention is supported by current literature. Teacher retention is discussed as a global and national issue as well as an issue facing educational leaders in the state of Virginia. Monetary and non-monetary costs of teacher attrition are discussed in addition to the monetary and non-monetary factors impacting teacher retention. School leadership and the connection to mentorship literature are analyzed to determine the connection between leadership behaviors and new teacher retention. Using the identified research questions in Chapter 1, I outlined my research methodology and framework for my qualitative research study in Chapter 3. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence educational leadership has, specifically building level principals, on early career teacher retention decisions. The study specifically focused on the secondary level in a medium sized school division in southwest Virginia. I wanted to gain a better understanding of how principals at the secondary level positively contribute to the retention of early career teachers within their schools. New teacher, beginning teacher, novice teacher, and early career teacher are used interchangeably throughout this dissertation. Chapter 4 presents an analysis of individual semi-structured early career teacher interviews and principal interviews. Chapter 5 presents implications and meanings generated from this research study. Meanings made and implication from early career teacher interviews and principal interviews are presented in this study. This study has value in its potential to inform school policy makers, drive future leadership practices, or influence the practice of future school leaders.