Lehigh University Lehigh Preserve Theses and Dissertations 2013 Exploring Teacher Turnover in American- Accredited Schools in South America Steven Marc Desroches Lehigh University Follow this and additional works at: http://preserve.lehigh.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Desroches, Steven Marc, "Exploring Teacher Turnover in American-Accredited Schools in South America" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1473. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Lehigh Preserve. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Lehigh Preserve. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Exploring Teacher Turnover In American-Accredited Schools in South America by Steven Marc Desroches A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of Lehigh University In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education Department of Educational Leadership Lehigh University April, 2013 © Copyright by Steven Marc Desroches 2013 ii Approved and recommended for acceptance as a dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Doctor Education). _______________________ Date ________________________________ Dissertation Advisor _________________________________ Accepted Date Committee Members _____________________________________ Dr. George White Iacocca Professor of Education Lehigh University Chair ____________________________________ Dr. Jill Sperandio Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Lehigh University Committee Member _____________________________________ Dr. Iveta Silova Associate Professor & Program Director of Comparative and International Education Lehigh University Committee Member ______________________________________ Dr. Steven Mancuso High School Principal, American Community School Amman, Jordan Committee Member iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in completing this doctoral work is beyond description. My thanks and gratitude goes out to all those individuals who provided support, motivation, and kept me on the right track. A few key individuals deserve special acknowledgement. First, I would never have completed my studies without the encouragement and understanding of my wife Soraya and our three children Ximena, Naomi, and Xavier. Their countless sacrifices over the years allowed me to balance fatherhood and studies. I would also like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to Dr. George White for his patient guidance, insights into academic writing, and leadership as my advisor. His unfaltering communication and constant support helped me to never feel alone despite the isolation of distance learning. Next, I would like to acknowledge the members of the Faculty of Education at Lehigh University and their many contributions to my work. I especially want to recognize committee members Dr. Jill Sperandio and Dr. Iveta Silova for their guidance, valuable insights, and generous donation of time. Particular thanks also goes to Dr. Ron Yoshida for his contributions and constant feedback in the early stages of my research. This study would not have happened without the contributions and previous investigations of Dr. Steven Mancuso. His work on teacher turnover and retention in international settings served as inspiration and as an exemplary model to guide my work. iv I am truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to count on his expertise and knowledge of the topic as a member of my dissertation committee. Thanks also go to colleagues Zeb Johnson and Dr. Michael Adams for providing moral support and wisdom throughout the journey. Finally, to my parents, family and friends, who believed in me and always supported my dreams. Thank you. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Page ................................................................................................................. i Copyright Page ........................................................................................................ ii Certificate of Approval ............................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents .................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ........................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ......................................................................................................... xiv Abstract ................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I Introduction Background ............................................................................................................. 3 Rational of Study ..................................................................................................... 10 Significance of Study .............................................................................................. 11 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 13 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER II Review of the Literature Introduction ............................................................................................................. 18 U.S. Research .......................................................................................................... 19 Teacher Characteristics .................................................................................. 19 vi Organizational Conditions ............................................................................. 21 School Characteristics .................................................................................... 21 National Research from Other Countries ................................................................ 22 Limitations with U.S. and National Research from Other Countries ...................... 25 International School Literature ................................................................................ 27 Host Country Characteristics .................................................................................. 42 Summary ................................................................................................................. 48 CHAPTER III Methodology Population ................................................................................................................ 53 Sample ..................................................................................................................... 57 Instrument ................................................................................................................ 58 Data Collection ........................................................................................................ 67 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER IV Results Overview ................................................................................................................. 73 Teacher Responses .................................................................................................. 74 School Head Responses .......................................................................................... 77 Question 1 ............................................................................................................... 78 Question 2 ............................................................................................................... 81 Gender ............................................................................................................ 81 vii Marital Status ................................................................................................. 84 Spouse as Teacher .......................................................................................... 84 Highest Degree Obtained ............................................................................... 86 Nationality ..................................................................................................... 85 Age ................................................................................................................. 89 Dependent Children ....................................................................................... 90 Years of Teaching Experience, Years Overseas, Years at Current School ... 92 Wanderlust ..................................................................................................... 94 Question 3 ............................................................................................................... 96 Salary ............................................................................................................. 97 Benefits .......................................................................................................... 100 Effective Leadership ...................................................................................... 101 Influence in Decision-Making ....................................................................... 103 Student Discipline .........................................................................................