Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Educational Psychology & Program Evaluation

Committee Director

Shana Pribesh

Committee Member

Jori Beck

Committee Member

Kristin Gansle

Abstract

Teacher retention remains a persistent concern in the United States, with nearly 13% of classrooms unfilled by licensed teachers. Grounded in self-determination theory and basic psychological needs theory, this mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the relationship between teacher autonomy, motivation, and intentions to leave, while also exploring the contextual factors that shaped teachers’ perceptions of autonomy within their work environments.

In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 123 elementary and middle school teachers across three school divisions in Southeastern Virginia. Measures included teacher autonomy, work motivation, and intentions to leave one’s school or division and the teaching profession. Quantitative analyses included multiple linear regression, independent samples t tests, and analyses of covariance. In the qualitative phase, eight teachers participated in semi structured interviews designed to further explain the quantitative findings. Interview data were analyzed using provisional coding, in vivo coding, focused coding, and thematic analysis.

Quantitative findings indicated that perceived autonomy emerged as a significant individual predictor in both regression models, although the overall model predicting teachers’ intentions to leave their school or division did not reach statistical significance. Motivation was not a significant predictor in either regression model. Years of teaching experience also significantly predicted intentions to leave the profession. No statistically significant differences in autonomy or motivation were found between teachers in relatively high and low retention school contexts. Qualitative findings indicated that teachers experienced autonomy as multidimensional, shaped by instructional decision making, curriculum flexibility, professional responsibilities, and teacher voice. Teachers also described structural and relational conditions that constrained autonomy, including compliance-driven expectations, workload demands, inconsistent administrative support, and limited professional trust. At the same time, teachers emphasized their commitment to students and described efforts to preserve meaningful autonomy within their practice.

Findings suggest that autonomy plays an important role in retention decisions, while motivation remains closely tied to teachers’ commitment to students. Teachers’ professional experiences are shaped by interacting structural, relational, and contextual conditions. These results highlight the importance of fostering environments in which teachers experience meaningful autonomy and professional support.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

ISBN

9798197809469

ORCID

0009-0008-0399-9071

Download

Share

COinS