Perception and reality: the face of attrition

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate trends of retention in music education by determining how teachers’ perceptions and expectations may affect retention. The following research questions guided this study: What effect do teacher characteristics have on perceptions of support? and What effect do job responsibilities have on perceptions of support? To answer these questions, a unique survey was created and distributed using Qualtrics. Participants were alumni teachers of a mid-Atlantic university (N=83). Three common constructs found in previous research studies were chosen for inclusion on the survey, consisting of administrative support focusing on assistance that administrators provided in a school environment, peer support focusing on assistance provided by colleagues outside of a mentor program, and parent support focusing on parent involvement and assistance in music programs in a school environment. Researchers have found these support systems to be related to both teacher characteristics, such as age and gender, as well as job responsibilities, such as the number of classes taught. Consequently, these constructs became a primary focus for this research. Overall, participants indicated that of the three measured constructs of administrative, peer, and parent support, administrative support was the most important. Additionally, differences were found among genders with females rating administrative support more important and males receiving parent support more often. Itinerant status and degree level obtained were also examined using Mann-Whitney U tests, revealing no differences between participants based on these factors. Comparisons based on participants’ years of experience resulted in a difference in the ratings of peer support with no other differences being discovered. This study reinforces findings of existing research regarding teacher retention in music education while also highlighting focused areas for possible future research studies.