With an increasing demand for technological literacy in American schools, more schools are incorporating technology education into their curriculum. This has resulted in an increased need for technology education teachers to develop and teach new technology education curriculum. Despite a demand that increases every year, the actual number of technology education teachers employed is decreasing. This has resulted in a significant shortage of technology education teachers.
The purpose of this study was to address the technology education teacher shortage by examining the factors that influence technology education teachers to accept and stay in teaching positions. The population for the study consisted of technology education teachers and administrators who held elected positions within state technology education associations, including board members and regional/district representatives. A survey instrument was developed and administered in web format to answer the research questions of the study. The survey asked participants to indicate their level of agreement on 28 factors influence on whether a technology education teacher accepts a teaching position and stays in a teaching position. A five point Likert scale was used to determine level of agreement.
Data were collected and used to determine the factors that influence technology education teachers to accept and stay in teaching positions. The results of the study indicated that technology education teachers and administrators agree on the factors that influence a technology education teacher to accept and stay in teaching positions. Results also revealed that the factors believed to most influence a technology education teacher to accept a teaching position included having resources available for the classrooms and labs, having resources for professional development, and a collaborative work environment. The factors believed to most influence a technology education teacher to stay in a teaching position included having resources for professional development, providing yearly raises for all teachers, and a collaborative work environment. Discussions included recommendation for the development of technology education teacher recruitment and retention programs, as well as policies that positively impact recruitment and retention.
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