Special Education Teacher Retention and Attrition: A Critical Analysis of the Research Literature
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.
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Discipline issues, weak teacher-student bonds, insufficient student progress, and varied student needs have each been tied to higher attrition.
“Student discipline problems, poor teacher-student relationships, lack of student progress, and diversity of student needs have been directly linked to increased teacher attrition (Billingsley, 2004; Billingsley & Cross, 1991).”
From Too Stressed to Teach? Teaching Quality, Student Engagement, and IEP Outcomes (2017) · cites this paper as Billingsley, 2004
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References 64 · Cited by 590
- Authors
- Billingsley, B. S.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Tech (US)
- Corresponding author
- Billingsley, Bonnie S.
- Venue
- The Journal of Special Education
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2004-05
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-55
- ISSN
- 0022-4669 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-4764
- OpenAlex
- W2099268041
- Cited by
- 590
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 85.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Special Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Professional Development and Motivation
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › Education in Rural Contexts
- Keywords
- special education teachers, teacher retention, teacher attrition, teacher shortage, teacher qualifications, work environment, teacher characteristics, students with disabilities
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