Factors in the retention of male teachers in North Carolina schools

Robert Eugene Freeman, Fayetteville State University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that have motivated male teachers to stay in North Carolina classrooms. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (2003) has stated there will be a need to recruit an estimated 9,000 teachers to fill the shortages in North Carolina classrooms in the coming school year. The reasons for this increased demand for teachers include: school growth, the number of teachers retiring each year, the number of teachers leaving the profession for other career fields, and class size reduction. Variables that have influenced veteran male teachers to remain in the classroom can be identified. The factors can be categorized according to motivation or hygiene factors as defined by Frederick Herzberg in his Motivation-Hygiene Theory (1966). A random sample of 784 male middle and high school teachers from counties within the Fayetteville State University area were given the Godwin Teacher Retention Survey (2001) to determine which motivator or hygiene factors had more holding power. Five hypotheses were tested using data from the male teachers' responses by career status, level of degree, minority status, and size of the geographical area of the teachers' schools. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that motivating factors have more holding power for both beginning and veteran teachers to remain in the profession than hygiene factors. Urban male teachers scored significantly higher on items of hygiene factors than rural male teachers. There was a statistically significant difference between the veteran and beginning male teachers related to hygiene factors. No statistically significant difference was found between master's and bachelor's level teachers on motivation. Minority male teachers' scores on items of hygiene factors did not differ significantly from non-minority male teachers' scores on items of hygiene factors. Knowledge of job satisfiers and job dissatisfiers can provide insight into what could be done to strengthen the profession and to make teaching a more satisfying career. The goal of this study was to contribute to the professional literature in the area of factors that influence male teachers to stay in teaching.

Subject Area

School administration

Recommended Citation

Freeman, Robert Eugene, "Factors in the retention of male teachers in North Carolina schools" (2005). ETD Collection for Fayetteville State University. AAI3287781.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/dissertations/AAI3287781

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