Project report
Factors Affecting Teacher Retention in Early Childhood Education
Gabrielle Lautiy ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a research project protocol describing a study of early childhood educators in California. The study aims to examine whether education level, salary, and paid time off influence whether educators plan to stay in the field for the next three years. Surveys were distributed to family care workers, childcare teachers, and center directors in San Bernardino County. The document presents the study design and hypotheses but does not report findings or results.
Key points
- Study examines three factors hypothesized to affect teacher retention: education level, salary, and sick/vacation time
- Participants were early childhood educators in three roles: family care workers, childcare teachers, and center directors
- Data collection involved surveys distributed by email, mail, phone, and in paper or online format
- Study predicts salary will be the most influential factor on retention decisions
- Participants were offered a ten-dollar incentive to Lakeshore Learning Center
Limitations
This is a study protocol or progress report with no results presented; it cannot tell us what the actual findings were regarding factors affecting teacher retention. The document does not indicate whether the study was completed or what the final sample size or response rate was.
Abstract
We are working with early childhood educators: family care workers, early childcare teachers, and directors of early childcare centers. Participants were to be currently employed in one of the three types of early childhood education positions previously mentioned and be at least eighteen years of age. The purpose of this project is to assess whether three categories: level of education, salary, and having sick and/or vacation time influence retention, specifically whether or not participants see themselves working in the field of early childhood education within the next three years. We contacted early childhood educators, in family care and childcare centers, in San Bernardino County, California through email, mail, and phone calls. Participants were asked to complete a survey depending on which of the three types of educators they were, the surveys were distributed either by qualtrics survey link or paper copies. The surveys assessed barriers they may have potentially faced in trying to obtain higher education. This paper looks at responses to questions 1, 2, 15, 20, 33, and 33a on the survey. Upon completing the survey, participants will receive a ten-dollar credit to Lakeshore Learning Center. We believe that all three of the factors will have an affect on retention rates. Additionally we predict that salary will be the most influential factor on whether or not the early childhood educators see themselves working in the field three years down the line.