Causes and Effects of Teacher Attrition in Camden School District – New Jersey

Abstract

The devastating effects of teacher attrition in United States and other parts of the world have crippled effective teaching and learning in schools. The current Covid-19 pandemic has even worsened the plight of students and teachers as majority of teachers are not technology proficient. The purpose of the study was to explore the causes and effects of teacher attrition educators in Camden, New Jersey. The conceptual framework of the current study was based on Herzberg’s 2-factor theory. The current study research questions were based on the factors that contribute to teacher attrition and how it affected instruction. Data were collected from at least 5 active teachers, and a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach was utilized to investigate the causes of attrition in the district. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, and the data analyzed to identify recurring themes. The findings revealed three fundamental causes of teacher attrition: Poor working conditions, lack of professional development, and poor leadership.