The field of agricultural education has experienced a consistent labor shortage the past several decades. Consequently, many school districts struggle to fill their open positions, while others are forced to shut down their agricultural programs completely due to inadequate staffing. Teacher attrition has been identified as a predominant factor behind the teacher shortage. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify factors influencing mid-career school-based agriculture teachers' decision to stay in or leave the secondary agriculture teaching profession. Researchers developed and administered questionnaires, as well as conducted interviews, to gather data from current, mid-career agriculture teachers to answer the research questions. The researcher's discovered mid-career agriculture teachers are satisfied with their careers and significant differences do not exist in overall job satisfaction between those contemplating leaving and those who were not. However, differences existed between groups in areas related to recognition and school policy and administration. Additional findings suggest mid-career agriculture teachers value student and program successes, autonomy and variety, and stakeholder support. Moreover, the researcher's discovered mid-career agriculture teachers experience similar frustrations as teachers in other professional life stages; however, they seem to struggle more with balancing their personal and professional lives due to changing family dynamics.

Approximately half of a million educators move or leave the profession each year with an estimated 41% of all educators exiting within the first five years. Additionally, agriculture teacher preparation programs are not producing enough graduates to meet current demands with 1,476 agricultural teacher vacancies existing in 2016 and only 772 individuals completing an approved teacher preparation program to become fully licensed. While the lack of young people entering the teaching profession is concerning, researchers have suggested teacher attrition is the predominant reason behind the ongoing teacher shortage. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors influencing former agriculture teachers' decision to leave the classroom. Themes developed that stem from unrealized expectations for one's career and the belief that being an excellent agriculture teacher is incompatible with a satisfying personal life. A final theme indicated the need for additional support alongside a philosophical shift in the profession that dictates "more is not always better." Recommendations are made for further research along with ideological and practical shifts needed within the profession to improve teacher retention.

Teacher attrition is a significant problem nationally and a special challenge for school-based agriculture education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate contributing variables associated with former Illinois school-based agriculture teachers and their decision to leave the profession. A four-factor conceptual model is proposed as a framework for explaining agriculture teacher retention or attrition and includes the multivariate constructs of Personal Factors, Working Conditions, Teacher Development, and Compensation. Demographic characteristics are explored as well as differences between novice and experienced teachers and their perceptions of attrition influences. This study is unique in that it reports survey data from teachers who have left the profession (n = 91) and explores their reflective perceptions about reasons for leaving. Among all teachers, Personal Factors and Teacher Development were found to have the most impact on decisions to leave the profession. Compensation was found to be a more significant attrition influence for novice teachers than for experienced teachers. Recommendations for organizations hoping to promote agriculture teacher retention are discussed.

The shortage of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in the United States has been a chronic issue for decades. Besides not having sufficient graduates in our teacher preparation programs, the number of SBAE teachers annually leaving the profession further exacerbates the problem. While the reasons why SBAE teachers leave the profession are well-documented, little research has examined career retention factors and the reasons they stay. The purpose of our study was to determine the relationships between selected career retention factors and specific demographic characteristics of SBAE teachers. Using a census design, we administered an electronic questionnaire to all 432 SBAE teachers in Illinois to determine perceived levels of occupational commitment, work engagement, and work-life balance and their relationship to nine demographic characteristics. We found no significant differences among the career retention factors under investigation and sex, marital status, parental status, possessing CASE certification, length of teaching contract, and the number of teachers employed in the agriculture department. However, we did discover that occupational commitment was significantly higher for both SBAE teachers who were fully-state certified and those with an advanced degree. Further, our findings indicate late-career teachers possess significantly higher levels of occupational commitment and work engagement than those in the novice or mid-career professional life stages. A large, positive relationship was found between levels of work engagement and occupational commitment. Two small, negative relationships existed between perceived levels to achieve a work-life balance and both work engagement and occupational commitment. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers are provided.

This dissertation is dedicated to my family. Without the support, understanding, patience, and love of my wife, Sheryl, and my two amazing children, Adalyn and Weston, this dissertation would not have been possible. iii