TDNet Discover

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the language and potential influencing factors on teacher retention among educators working in both charter schools and Seventh-day Adventist schools across selected regions in the United States. For the utility of this study, the analysis focused on how institutional policies, governance structures, and policy language influence teacher retention within Seventh-day Adventist and charter school contexts. The theories guiding this study were institutional theory, which explains how formal rules and structures shape behavior, and critical discourse analysis, which examines how policy language shapes meaning and practice. This study used a qualitative comparative design to examine how retention-related policies and discourse operated across two governance models. The primary research question was: How do institutional policies and organizational discourse shape teacher retention in charter schools and Seventh-day Adventist schools? The study analyzed policy documents and governance materials from selected charter and Seventh-day Adventist schools, using qualitative coding informed by institutional theory and critical discourse analysis to examine how teacher retention was framed. Results showed that teacher retention was shaped by the interaction of organizational expectations, structural conditions, and policy language across both contexts. Charter school policies emphasized accountability and performance, often constraining autonomy, while Seventh-day Adventist school policies emphasized mission alignment and relational commitment, often expanding role expectations. These patterns demonstrate that retention is shaped by the alignment of institutional structures and discourse.