Skip to main content
Log in

School organizational factors relating to teachers’ intentions to leave: A mediator model

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Structural equation modeling was used to examine a conceptual model specifying hypothesized linkages among teachers’ perceptions of school organizational factors, including classroom context and role stress, and commitment, satisfaction, and intentions to leave. Respondents to survey questions designed to capture the above constructs included 177 teachers in seven high schools in a southern coastal region of California. Structural equation modeling results indicated that all three study predictors (class size, student behavior, and role stress) affected intentions to leave, and satisfaction and commitment mediated the relationship between the school organizational factors and intentions to leave.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (1996). Full information estimation in the presence of incomplete data. In G. A. Marcoulides & R. E. Schumaker (Eds.), Advanced structural equation modeling: Issues and techniques (pp. 243–278). Mahweh: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (2003). AMOS 5.0 [computer software]. Chicago: SPSS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beehr, T. A. (1995). Psychological stress in the workplace. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beehr, T. A., Walsh, J. T., & Taber, T. D. (1976). Relationship of stress to individually and organizationally valued states: Higher order needs as a moderator. Journal of Applied Psychology, 61, 41–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 238–246.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 588–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M., & Chou, C. (1987). Practical issues in structural equation modeling. Sociological Methods and Research, 16, 78–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bluedorn, A. C. (1982). A unified model of turnover from organizations. Human Relations, 35, 135–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collinson, V. (1996). Reaching students: Teachers’ ways of knowing. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collinson, V. (2013). Teacher-principal collaboration: Partnerships or power plays? In S. Conley & B. S. Cooper (Eds.), Moving from teacher isolation to collaboration (pp. 183–201). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conley, S., Bacharach, S. & Bauer, S. (1989). The school work environment and teacher career dissatisfaction. Educational Administration Quarterly, 25(1), 58–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conley, S. & You, S. (2009). Teacher role stress, satisfaction, commitment, and intent to leave: A structural model. Psychological Reports, 105, 771–786.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conley, S. & You, S. (2014). Role stress revisited: Job structuring antecedents, work outcomes, and moderating effects of locus of control. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 42(2), 184–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143213499264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conley, S., & You, S. (2017). Key influences on special education teachers’ intentions to leave: The effects of administrative support and teacher team efficacy in a mediational model. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(3), 521–540. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143215608859.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dee, J. R., Henkin, A. B., & Singleton, C. A. (2006). Organizational commitment of teachers in urban schools: Examining the effects of team structures. Urban Education, 41(6), 603–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding, L., Velicer, W. F., & Harlow, L. L. (1995). Effects of estimation methods, number of indicators per factor, and improper solutions on structural equation modeling fit indices. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2, 119–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elangovan, A. R. (2001). Causal ordering of stress, satisfaction and commitment, and intention to quit: A structural equations analysis. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 22(4), 159–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, W. (1996). Images of teaching and proposals for reform: A comparison of ideas from cognitive and organizational research. Educational Administration Quarterly, 32, 209–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, N. L., George, M. P., Gersten, R., & Growenick, J. R. (1995). To leave or to stay? An exploratory study of teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 16, 227–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gersten, R., Keating, T., Yovanoff, P., & Harniss, M. K. (2001). Working in special education: Factors that enhance special educators' intent to stay. Exceptional Children, 67(4), 549–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L. & May, H. (2014). What are the effects of teacher education and preparation on beginning teacher attrition? Research Report (RR#82). Philadelphia: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania.

  • Jackson, S. E., & Schuler, R. S. (1985). A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 36, 16–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (1998). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koustelios, A., & Kousteliou, I. (1998). Relations among measures of job satisfaction, role conflict, and role ambiguity for a sample of Greek teachers. Psychological Reports, 82, 131–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lachman, R., & Diamant, E. (1987). Withdrawal and restraining factors in teachers’ turnover intentions. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 8, 219–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R. P., & Ho, M.-H. R. (2002). Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses. Psychological Methods, 7(1), 64–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Steers, R. M. (1982). Employee-organization linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism, and turnover. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrachione, B. A., Petersen, G. J., & Rosser, V. J. (2008). Why do they stay? Elementary teachers' perceptions of job satisfaction and retention. The Professional Educator, 32(2).

  • Porter, L. W., Steers, R. M., Mowday, R. T., & Boulian, P. V. (1974). Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover among psychiatric technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59(5), 603–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, P., & Imber, M. (1992). Teachers’ perceptions of the fairness of their workload and their commitment, job satisfaction, and morale: Implications for teacher evaluation. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 5, 291–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rinke, C. R. (2008). Understanding teachers' careers: Linking professional life to professional path. Educational Research Review, 3(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rizzo, J. R., House, R. J., & Lirtzman, S. I. (1970). Role conflict and role ambiguity in complex organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 15, 150–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenholtz, S. (1989). Teachers’ workplace: The social organization of schools. New York: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenholtz, S. J. (1991). Teachers' workplace: The social organization of schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenholtz, S. J., & Simpson, C. (1990). Workplace conditions and the rise and fall of teachers' commitment. Sociology of Education, 63(4), 241–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2015). Job satisfaction, stress and coping strategies in the teaching profession--what do teachers say? International Education Studies, 8(3), 181–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. H., & Lind, J. M. (1980). Statistically based tests for the number of common factors. Paper presented at the Annual Spring Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Iowa City, IA.

  • Von der Embse, N. P., Pendergast, L. L., Segool, N., Saeki, E., et al. (2016). The influence of test-based accountability policies on school climate and teacher stress across four states. Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 492–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wayne, S. J., Shore, L. M., & Liden, R. C. (1997). Perceived organizational support and leader-member exchange: A social exchange perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 40(1), 82–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, L. J., & Hazer, J. T. (1986). Antecedents and consequences of satisfaction and commitment in turnover models: A reanalysis using latent variable structural equation methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(2), 219–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was partially supported by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sukkyung You.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 3 Descriptive statistics of items used

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Conley, S., You, S. School organizational factors relating to teachers’ intentions to leave: A mediator model. Curr Psychol 40, 379–389 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9953-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9953-0

Keywords

Navigation