Teacher Turnover Factors and School-Level Influences: A Meta-Analysis of the Literature

Teacher turnover remains a challenge in education. We reviewed 85 studies conducted in the United States and around the world to better understand teacher turnover causes. We initially screened 290 articles published from 1994 to 2024. The most known factors of teacher turnover were sought through analysis of last 30 years quantitative research. Our study addressed the reasons behind teacher turnover and how each factor affects teacher turnover. The analysis was conducted to quantitatively determine suggested factors of teacher turnover and retention. The Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review of the Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement were used to follow literature review guidelines. The findings revealed the critical factors of teacher turnover and supported expanding a conceptual framework for teacher turnover causes in various contexts. The framework highlights the interactions among personal factors, workplace characteristic factors, and job characteristic factors. The findings highlight that leadership quality, teachers’ years of experience, student characteristics, school level, and teacher ethnicity are significant predictors of teacher turnover.