Date of Award
1-23-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Mahauganee Bonds
Second Advisor
Timberly Baker
Committee Members
Carroll Bronson; Jennifer Kephart
Abstract
The qualitative case study examined the lack of knowledge about a teacher's decision to stay in the profession, during a post-COVID time period, within St. Louis, MO metropolitan public schools, by answering three research questions: RQ1: What are the factors that mid-career teachers describe that influence their decisions to stay in the education profession despite the threats of burnout and other challenges? RQ2: How have individual retention factors impacted mid-career teachers’ decisions to stay in the profession despite difficulties? RQ3: How do mid-career teachers respond to working conditions in the education field? The study discovered four findings related to why mid-career teachers stay in the profession: professional development sustains retention, collegial belonging buffers burnout, visible student impact to renew purpose, and teacher-family connection to increase longevity. Next, the study found how retention factors impact mid-career teachers: increased motivation when positively influencing students, positive relationships to withstand burnout, and enjoyment that drives staying. Furthermore, the study found that mid-career teachers respond to working conditions with the pursuit of professional betterment. Career phases do impact the retention factors of mid-career teachers in the area of motivation and administrative support. Career phase also had an impact on emotional support, when understanding how retention factors impact their decision to stay. Finally, a negative case analysis was discovered when a lack of fit within the community was discovered, which led to the important observation of participants discussing the politicization of education. The study had several implications and recommendations as a result of the findings.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Wilcox, Rachael E., "A Case Study of Why Mid-Career Teachers Stay in Education" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1149.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1149
