Special Education Teacher Retention and Attrition

TLDR

The shortage of qualified special education teachers threatens the quality of education for students with disabilities, and attrition contributes to this shortage. The study aims to provide a thematic analysis of research on factors influencing special education teacher attrition and retention. The author analyzes studies across four themes—teacher characteristics, qualifications, work environments, and affective reactions—and critiques definitional, conceptual, and methodological approaches. The review critiques current research approaches and outlines priorities for future studies on special education teacher attrition.

Abstract

The lack of qualified special education teachers threatens the quality of education that students with disabilities receive. Attrition plays a part in the teacher shortage problem, and efforts to improve retention must be informed by an understanding of the factors that contribute to attrition. Specifically, the author provides a thematic analysis of studies investigating factors that contribute to special education teacher attrition and retention. She addresses four major themes: teacher characteristics and personal factors, teacher qualifications, work environments, and teachers' affective reactions to work. Following this thematic review, a critique of definitional, conceptual, and methodological approaches used to study special education attrition is provided, as are priorities for future research.