For decades, district level administrators and policy makers have been searching for ways to combat the ever growing issue of teacher attrition. Each year teachers leave the profession prior to retirement age. This problem is even more prevalent in schools who serve low-income, high-minority students.
The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to determine the lived experiences that keep elementary school teachers teaching in low-income, high-minority schools, when so many of their peers choose to leave. For this study, six elementary level teachers, who have taught in the same low-income, high-minority school for five years or more, participated in one hour long semi-structured interviews. These interviews helped see through the lens of the participants, providing rich, real world experiences they used to sustain their positions when so many of their peers leave.
The results revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators played a role in the teacher’s decision to remain in low-income, high-minority schools. These motivators ranged from their professional work environments to past experiences as teachers and students. The information discovered during this study may help administrators and policy makers find ways to increase teacher attrition especially in low-income, high-minority schools