Date of Award
6-19-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Jacques Singleton
Committee Members
Eric Gotte; Richard Casey
Abstract
The rising attrition rates of special education teachers, particularly within their first five years of teaching, are a growing concern. The early departure of these educators negatively impacts the academic achievement of students with disabilities, as well as the stability and longevity of these educators’ careers. Little research shows why these educators exit the profession in significant numbers. This qualitative phenomenological study utilized Billingsley’s model of factors influencing the career decisions of teachers as the conceptual framework. Research questions explored the perceptions of novice special education teachers regarding school leadership, professional development, and compensation and their influence on their career decisions. The semi-structured interviews with eleven novice special education teachers in the southwestern region of Tennessee were employed to understand this phenomenon. The findings revealed that school leadership support significantly and directly influenced novice special education teachers’ career decisions. Additionally, the findings suggested that professional development enhanced effectiveness and job fulfillment; however, it did not directly influence career decisions. Lastly, the findings indicated that compensation was insufficient in relation to workload; however, it did not heavily sway their career decisions. The findings highlighted the critical need to understand and address the factors negatively impacting job satisfaction, working conditions, and career decisions of novice special education teachers. School leaders should engage in professional development that deepens their understanding of special education and the responsibilities of educators serving students with disabilities. Additionally, targeted training for novice teachers should focus on their unique challenges and responsibilities. Lastly, financial incentives, such as bonuses and stipends, should be considered to reflect their additional responsibilities. Future research should investigate the experiences of novice special education teachers from other regions in Tennessee to reveal these challenges within a broader context. Furthermore, research should conduct case study research to capture the participants’ lived experiences of novice special education teachers. Keywords: special education teacher retention, special education teacher attrition, burnout, school leadership support, professional development, salary/compensation
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Norris, Angela L., "A Phenomenological Study of the Factors Influencing Novice Special Education Teachers’ Career Decisions" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1175.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1175
