Teacher Leadership, Wellbeing, and Intent to Leave in US Rural Schools: Evidence from the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey

Abstract

Leadership in rural schools is well studied. However, few studies have investigated how teacher leadership influences rural teacher job satisfaction, burnout, and attrition. This study aimed to fill the research gap by analyzing data from the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), focusing on U.S. rural teachers. Using a sample of approximately 8910 rural teachers selected through a two-stage sampling process, this research examines the associations between teacher leadership, teacher wellbeing, and their intent to leave. The survey, administered by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), included measures of teacher leadership (instructional and non-instructional), job satisfaction, burnout, and intent to leave. The authors found that (a) rural teachers with higher levels of teacher leadership reported higher levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of burnout, (b) rural teachers with higher levels of job satisfaction or lower levels of burnout are less likely to leave or move, and (c) instructional and particularly non-instructional teacher leadership are indirectly linked to teacher intent to leave or move through job satisfaction and burnout. The discussions, conclusions, and implications for school policy and school leadership are presented.