ERIC Number: EJ1122358
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-0541
EISSN: N/A
The Thornless Rose: A Phenomenological Look at Decisions Career Teachers Make to Remain in the Profession
Clark, Mindi S.; Kelsey, Kathleen D.; Brown, Nicholas R.
Journal of Agricultural Education, v55 n3 p43-56 2014
Attrition among the agricultural education profession is concerning as approximately 50% of agriculture teachers leave within the first six years of teaching. Therefore, the purpose of the phenomenological study, conducted from an emic perspective, was to explore and describe secondary agriculture teachers' experiences related to remaining in the profession past the point of retirement eligibility. Four themes emerged from the study: (a) Career teachers experienced a transformative shift in mid-career, leading to career sustainability; (b) Career teachers experienced an abundance of support from students, parents, administrators, and community; (c) Career teachers maintained a balance between work and personal life; and (d) Career teachers reduced their workload later in their careers to coincide with aging. The essence deduced from the data revealed that teachers balanced work, family, and community life, reduced known stressors, and found satisfaction that led to long-term engagement in the profession. The emergent metaphor of this phenomenon was the Thornless Rose and served as the structural framework for reporting the findings. The results of this study can serve as a transferrable means to help teachers remain in the profession.
Descriptors: Phenomenology, Decision Making, Teacher Persistence, Agricultural Education, Faculty Mobility, Attrition (Research Studies), Job Satisfaction, Experienced Teachers, Teacher Characteristics, Sustainability, Social Support Groups, Family Work Relationship, Teaching Load, Aging (Individuals), Stress Management, Teacher Burnout, Semi Structured Interviews, Data Analysis, Qualitative Research
American Association for Agricultural Education. P.O. Box 7607, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Raleigh, NC 27695. Web site: http://www.aaaeonline.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Oklahoma
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A