Teacher Migration from High-Performing Middle Schools: A Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the dynamics of school climate and understand how it relates to teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards teacher migration. The research was conducted through the eyes of a sixth grade language arts/social studies' teacher. By spending extensive time and conducting multiple interviews with the teacher and other staff members, I was able to explore some of the reasons and conditions why teachers leave schools, particularly high-performing schools to teach in other high-performing schools. Attending weekly meetings at all levels and content areas with migrating teachers, combined with thirteen interviews and ample document collection, allowed me to further understand the gap that exists between what a high-performing school professes to be and how it actually is perceived by its own teachers. This gap is what proves to be disconcerting and frustrating for teachers who are satisfied with teaching but consider relocation to meet further personal and professional challenges.

Utilizing the social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura (1977), I researched the school world of a middle school teacher, observing how he and other individual teachers worked together as a group. Social cognitive theory examines the self and organizational efficacy of teachers and schools as transformative agents. Teachers with high abilities do not necessarily perform well collectively or as an organization if specific cognitive, behavioral, and environmental conditions are not in place to support their collaborative work efforts. The study of these three conditions within the school organization provided me with an in depth look at how teachers feel or believe themselves to be validated.

The research takes a look at a high-performing middle school from the inside out. High-performing teachers are leaving high-performing schools. This introspective study can help guide future research efforts towards examining the criteria that enables a school organization to understand the designation high-performing according to authentic and local site-based school needs, not only state performance standards. The study may contribute to our greater understanding of why teachers opt to migrate from successful schools.