Male Teachers' Exit Decisions: A Qualitative Interview Study Examining the Experiences of Male Teachers Who Left Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS)

Authors

Tierney E. Hunter, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Major/Program

Educational Leadership

First Advisor's Name

Kristen Wilcox

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Ethan Kolek

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Third Advisor's Name

James Burns

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Benjamin Baez

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Keywords

teacher attrition, teacher retention, lack of male teachers, men who left the teaching profession, masculinity, models of masculinities

Date of Defense

4-1-2022

Abstract

This qualitative interview study utilizing phenomenological methods investigates the experiences of three male teachers who exited Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS).

The goal was to identify their rationales for resigning from M-DCPS. Using phenomenological methods, this study reduces individual experiences with the phenomenon of being a male teacher to a description of the essence of the participants’ experiences. The participants were chosen from M-DCPS because it is the fourth largest school district in the country, and it is grappling with teacher attrition just as many other large, diverse, urban districts in the nation. Three participants who shared the characteristics of self-identifying as male and who had left M-DCPS were included in the study.

This study relied on the participants’ recollection of their experiences, taking into account their perceptions of particular experiences in their teaching careers and how they made sense of those experiences. This study examined two sources of data: (a) questionnaires which provided information on participant demographics, educational backgrounds, teaching certifications, years of teaching experience, and employment histories; and (b) two in-depth interviews per participant. The spacing of each interview, with each participant, was three to seven days a-part.

This study sought to address the call for more male teachers in school districts across the United States. Through rich storytelling, the findings provide insight into the essence of three male teachers’ experiences. While not generalizable, the findings from these participants, in this study, in a large diverse urban district, hold implications for other school districts’ policies and practices with regard to retaining male teachers.

Identifier

FIDC010691

Recommended Citation

Hunter, Tierney E., "Male Teachers' Exit Decisions: A Qualitative Interview Study Examining the Experiences of Male Teachers Who Left Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS)" (2022). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4970.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/4970