Selected North Carolina Beginning and Veteran Teachers’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Retention and Attrition

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine factors that impact teacher retention in public schools in the southeast region of North Carolina. Additionally, the purpose was to identify variables that influence beginning teachers’ decisions to leave and veteran teachers’ decisions to stay in the teaching profession. The 10 participants were former and current teachers employed in the State of North Carolina between 2008 and 2011. The research revealed that teacher support, working conditions, and student behavior were among the leading factors impacting beginning teachers’ decisions to leave the profession prior to tenure. The emerging issues in this study were consistent with other research findings from previous studies. The results from this study suggest that district leaders need to create mentoring programs for beginning teachers.