Teachers' Intentions to Stay in Teaching: The Role of Values and Knowledge of Adolescent Development

Researchers examining teacher retention often focus on reasons why teachers exit the profession. In this study we argue for the inclusion of a psychological theoretical framework for understanding teacher retention. To this end, we used Eccles' et al., (1983) expectancy-value theory to explore 46 in-service teachers' valuing of teaching and knowledge of adolescent development as it relates to their intentions to remain in teaching. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that the enjoyment and importance teachers associated with teaching were related to understanding of development and intentions to continue teaching. Implications for teacher education and teacher retention are discussed, as well as directions for future research.