Date of Conferral

4-20-2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Belinda McFeeters

Abstract

The problem that was addressed through this study was the high teacher turnover, including traditionally certified, second-career teachers (TCSCTs), in United States classrooms, despite support and additional resources provided. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine TCSCTs’ perceptions on the reasons and their recommendations to remain in the classroom. Ingersoll's teacher turnover and retention framework was used to conceptually frame this study. Using a basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 TCSCTs. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The following themes emerged: TCSCTs remain in the profession primarily due to a sense of purpose in their daily work, meaningful relationships with students and colleagues, supportive leadership and a positive school culture, having a manageable workload, opportunities for professional growth, and an overall positive employee experience. In addition, TCSCTs recommended systemic improvements in leadership, mentorship, professional development resources, workload management, and compensation as key strategies for increasing teacher retention. Positive social change may be promoted by offering best practices for teachers, K—12 leaders, higher education leaders, and policymakers for sustaining long-term commitment and professional resilience of TCSCTs, which in turn might benefit students by having a consistent teacher presence and a teacher with prior career experience.

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