Why Are You Still Here?: Retaining Teachers in Times of Adversity: Analysis of Tenured Elementary Classroom Teacher Narratives Using Hope Theory

This qualitative study examined factors influencing teacher retention in the post-pandemic context using hope theory. Participants were tenured elementary teachers who intended to remain in the profession. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using deductive coding aligned with Snyder’s components of hope: goals, pathways, agency, and support. Findings indicated that all components of hope were present across narratives of increased and diminished hope. Teachers shared long-term goals, described strategies for navigating barriers, emphasized professional agency, and highlighted collaborative grade-level teams. Implications highlight the value of strengthening goal-setting practices, flexible pathways, collaboration, and autonomy to support teacher retention during ongoing and future challenges.