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Combating Special Educator Attrition: Mentor Teachers’ Perceptions of Job Satisfaction, Resiliency, and Retention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2019

Samantha Mrstik ,
Cynthia Pearl ,
Rebecca Hopkins ,
Eleazar Vasquez III  and
Matthew T. Marino
Samantha Mrstik*
Affiliation:
Georgia Gwinnett College, USA
Cynthia Pearl
Affiliation:
University of Central Florida, USA
Rebecca Hopkins
Affiliation:
University of Central Florida, USA
Eleazar Vasquez III
Affiliation:
University of Central Florida, USA
Matthew T. Marino
Affiliation:
University of Central Florida, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: smrstik@ggc.edu
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Abstract

Special educator attrition is a major problem in the United States (US) and in many countries worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the experiences of 5 highly successful special education teachers serving students with autism spectrum disorder in the central Florida area of the US with particular attention to factors associated with teacher retention. A phenomenological research design was employed to identify factors leading participants to persevere where others have not. A representative sample was included of multiple teachers in classrooms of varying grade levels and school districts across central Florida as part of a funded project by the Office of Special Education Services and the U.S. Department of Education. Findings include that teachers of students with ASD who are involved in extracurricular activities may show a lowered burnout rate.

Keywords

autismsecondary educationspecial educationteacher burnoutteacher retention
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , July 2019 , pp. 27 - 40
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019 

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Footnotes

†

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Michael Arthur-Kelly.

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