Knowing What to Do: School Focus, Teacher Morale, and Teacher Turnover

Abstract

This study explored how schools’ focus – the collective perception among teachers of

clarity and consistency regarding school goals, expectations, and priorities – related

to schoolwide morale and school turnover rates. I examined the hypothesis that focus

attenuates the deleterious effects of student misconduct on teacher morale and the

contributory role of student misconduct leading to teacher turnover. In addition, I

examined climate strength regarding perceptions school focus as an indicator of focus

itself, as well a potential moderating effect of climate strength on the magnitude of

school focus-school morale and school focus-turnover relationships. Data from a

national sample of middle and high schools (N schools = 348, N teachers = 11,376)

were analyzed using school-level multiple regression models. Schools with higher

focus had significantly higher morale, independent of related perceptions of

administrative leadership. No significant relationship was found between school focus

and school turnover rates. The hypothesized moderating effect of focus on student

misconduct and morale was not supported, though there was a significant indication

that focus attenuated the positive relationship between student misconduct and

turnover. Climate strength of school focus ratings significantly correlated with focus

scores, but did not moderate relationships between focus and predicted outcomes.

Findings suggest that school-level focus does represent a characteristic of schools that

has a meaningful positive relationship with teacher morale but do not necessarily

clarify how that relationship manifests in schools or if that relationship presents an

avenue for intervention.