Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
3-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Teresa Starrett
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Karan Duwe
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Jillian Skelton
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine new teacher attrition in relation to perceived administrative support. Teacher attrition remains a persistent challenge in U.S. public education, particularly among novice teachers within their first 5 years of service. High turnover rates negatively affect school stability, instructional continuity, and student achievement, underscoring the need to better understand factors influencing teachers’ decisions to remain in or leave the profession. The problem addressed in this study was the limited understanding of how novice teachers perceive administrative support and how these perceptions influence their willingness to stay in the teaching profession. The researcher collected data through an electronic open-ended questionnaire and individual semistructured interviews. The sample consisted of 20 novice educators with 0–5 years of experience who were enrolled in an alternative certification teacher or principal preparation program in a regional education service center in West Texas. Participants represented multiple school districts and teaching contexts. The researcher analyzed data using thematic coding to identify patterns and shared experiences related to administrative support. Findings revealed that participants’ perceptions of administrative support significantly influenced their job satisfaction, sense of belonging, and intentions to remain in the profession. Key themes included administrative support and responsiveness, professionalism and work environment, teacher empowerment and autonomy, professional growth and development, school culture and morale, and relational trust. The study concluded that consistent, responsive, and relational administrative support plays a critical role in reducing novice teacher attrition. Implications for educational leaders include the need to prioritize mentorship, communication, professional growth opportunities, and supportive school cultures to improve teacher retention.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Avina, Amy, "New Teacher Attrition Rate in Relation to Lack of Administrative Support" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 996.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/996