Exploring Relationships Between Career Retention Factors and Personal and Professional Characteristics of Illinois Agriculture Teachers

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 our teacher preparation programs, number SBAE annually leaving profession further exacerbates problem. While reasons why leave are well-documented, little research examined career retention factors and they stay. purpose study was to determine relationships between selected specific demographic characteristics teachers. Using census design, we administered an electronic questionnaire all 432 Illinois perceived levels occupational commitment, work engagement, work-life balance their relationship nine characteristics. We found no significant differences among under investigation sex, marital status, parental possessing CASE certification, length teaching contract, employed agriculture department. However, did discover that commitment significantly higher both who were fully-state certified those with advanced degree. Further, findings indicate late-career possess engagement than novice or mid-career professional life stages. A large, positive commitment. Two small, negative existed achieve Recommendations practitioners researchers provided.