Reasons to stay: A phenomenological study of the perspectives and experiences of veteran early childhood teachers

The reasons why early childhood teachers leave the early childhood sector have been extensively studied, but very few studies have examined the reasons behind some teachers' retention in the field. This study investigated the reasons why veteran early childhood teachers remain in the classroom as an alternative approach to understanding manpower issues in the early childhood workforce. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand and interpret the lived experiences of veteran early childhood teachers who continue to work in a sector that is plagued by high teacher turnover and attrition. By gaining insights into their reasons to stay, this study aims to identify what veteran early childhood teachers perceive as motivation and support for their continued retention in the sector. Through the lens of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT, Deci & Ryan, 2017), the study examines the factors of motivation and conditions that contribute to veteran teacher retention in the early childhood sector.

A purposive sampling method was employed to identify 15 veteran early childhood teachers who had at least 10 years of experience working in the early childhood sector in Singapore. Data was collected through autophotography and semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi's (1978) strategy of descriptive phenomenological data analysis was applied to extract, organize, and analyze the data collected. Results suggest that the motivation for these veteran early childhood teachers to stay in the profession is largely intrinsic, and supportive relationships played a pivotal role in sustaining them to stay in the sector. Based on the data analysis, six key themes emerged in relation to teacher retention: (1) intrinsic rewards, (2) personal factors, (3) perceived organizational support, (4) satisfaction of the need for autonomy, (5) satisfaction of the need for competence, and (6) satisfaction of the need for relatedness. These veteran teachers also revealed the challenges they faced as well as strategies they adopted to overcome these challenges, resulting in their persistence and continued involvement in the early childhood field.