TO LEAVE OR TO STAY - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY OF TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS

In this investigation we examined the career intentions of 96 teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Results indicated that 36.5% of the sample planned to leave the field during the upcoming year, and 10.4% were unsure about their future career plans. We found that ''potential leavers'' were not distinguished from ''stayers'' by personal characteristics such as experience, training, or competency, but by variables related to the organizational structure of the school setting, such as the type of service delivery model in which they worked, the adequacy of support, and the time available for developing curricula and completing paperwork. We discuss these findings in light of recent literature that has linked teacher motivation and commitment to the working conditions in today's schools.