Retention Matters: A Phenomenological Study of Factors Contributing to the Retention of Alternatively Licensed Teachers in Northeast North Carolina

This study addressed the persistent challenge of retaining alternatively licensed teachers in rural Northeast North Carolina, where chronic vacancies, high poverty, and geographic isolation have made alternative licensure pathways essential for sustaining the educator workforce. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of alternatively licensed teachers in Tier One counties and to understand the factors that influence their decisions to remain in the profession. The study originally sought participants from five counties but ultimately included teachers representing five public school districts across four of those counties, reflecting the region’s complex district structure in which one county operates multiple districts.Guided by the Professional Capital Framework, this study explored three research questions: (1) What human capital factors contribute to the retention of alternatively licensed teachers in rural Northeast North Carolina? (2) How do alternatively licensed teachers use social capital to influence their retention decisions in these rural settings? and (3) What role does decisional capital play in alternatively licensed teachers’ retention decisions? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight alternatively licensed teachers, and phenomenological coding and thematic analysis were used to identify patterns across participants’ experiences. Findings revealed that retention was influenced by three primary factors: self-directed professional learning, support from informal mentors, and access to consistent guidance throughout the licensure process. Participants expressed that their commitment to students and community often outweighed systemic barriers such as low pay, limited resources, and bureaucratic challenges. The study concludes that teacher retention in rural areas is a systemic issue requiring a coordinated response that strengthens mentoring, streamlines licensure support, and values the human, social, and decisional capital that alternatively licensed teachers bring to the profession. Keywords: alternative licensure, teacher retention, rural education, professional capital, phenomenology