The Pressures of the Profession: Why Do Teachers Choose to Stay or Leave

This qualitative study examines teacher satisfaction and teacher retention, and how that
affects teachers’ reasons to stay or leave the profession. The research question that guided my
study was: “How do the pressures of the profession affect teachers’ decisions to stay or leave?”
The sample consisted of 13 semi-structured interviews that lasted 40 to 60 minutes with teachers
who have taught in the United States for three or more years. Analytical memos were written
throughout the study that augmented the analysis by surfacing preliminary thoughts and ideas.
Data analysis utilized top-down and bottom-up coding that were then categorized to compose the
themes of the study. My findings on why teachers leave the profession include a lack of
professional respect, excessive energy output, and other life priorities. The findings on why
teachers stay include the double-edged nature of caring for students and a love for the profession
itself. The study provides recommendations for further studies on teacher satisfaction with a
focus on socioeconomic factors. In addition to further research, this study calls on students,
families, administrators, and anyone else working within schools to be more attentive of
teachers’ stories and the effects it has on their decisions to stay or leave the profession.