Staying, moving, or leaving : exploring how authentic leadership, school culture and climate, and attributes of trust and efficacy affect teacher longevity

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how a principal with authentic leadership qualities, who builds a strong school culture based on trust and efficacy, affects teacher retention. A sampling of 16 secondary teachers participated in individual interviews. The interview questions were structured, and follow-up questions were asked based on the participants' responses. Notes were taken during the interviews to gather information about the participants that was not revealed through their responses. The questions focused on the participants' teaching careers and the paths they took to become a teacher. The questions were also designed to explore one of three teacher paths. The first was a stayer, or a teacher who chose to stay in the same position for more than five years. The second was a mover, or a teacher who was in search of a more compatible teaching environment and left one school to find another. The third was a leaver, or a teacher who decided within the first five years of teaching to leave the profession in pursuit of a different career path. The findings revealed that an authentic leader, who built a school culture based on trust and efficacy, had an impact on teachers when it came to their decisions to either stay, move, or leave. The responses from the teachers led the researcher to gain insight into the importance of a strong school culture and climate built on trust with a leader who has authentic leadership traits when it comes to teacher retention.