Explaining Teacher Turnover: School Cohesion and Intrinsic Motivation in Los Angeles

Lifting achievement in many schools depends on reducing the exit of effective teachers. We examine the extent to which teacher perceptions of school cohesion and intrinsic motivators stemming from two theoretical traditions contribute to the intent to leave one’s school. We find that elementary teachers report higher levels of organizational cohesion within their schools along with stronger intrinsic motivation compared with peers teaching at the high school level, drawing on data from 548 teachers in Los Angeles schools. Teacher perceptions of school cohesion are moderately correlated with intrinsic motivators. However, views of strong leadership and teacher cohesion, not one’s own intrinsic motivation, more strongly predict the likelihood of remaining at one’s school, based on structural equation estimation with IRT-adjusted measurement models. We discuss implications for shaping interventions to strengthen the social cohesion of schools rather than simply rewarding individual teachers.