Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the rate of turnover among child care teachers and two work environment factors: (1) teacher participation in decision making; and (2) managerial support for teaching. The size of the child care centers, teachers' salaries and benefits were also examined in relation to turnover. Data collection and analysis. A mailed survey was completed by 48 directors and 291 of the 525 child care teachers employed in these centers. The two survey instruments were adapted from the "Early Childhood Work Environment Survey" (Jorde-Bloom 1989). The rate of return for this sample of employer-sponsored child care centers in California was 70.6 percent. Relationships were analyzed by fixed-order regression and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. Further analysis included the One-way Analysis of Variance with Scheffe post hoc follow-up, and the Chi Square test for independent samples. Summary of findings. The strongest predictor of turnover among child care teachers was salary. This finding supports the study by Whitebook, Howes and Phillips (1989). Salary and benefits were significantly related to the teachers' perception of managerial support for teaching. Small centers hired more part-time teachers, paid lower salaries, and had a higher rate of turnover than large centers. Conclusions. (1) The strength of the relationship between salary and turnover diminished the possible importance of other work environment variables. (2) Offering health and retirement insurance improved teachers' perceptions of managerial support for teaching. (3) Managerial support for teaching was an important, but not sufficient reason for teachers to remain at their centers. (4) Participatory decision-making and managerial support for teaching were less important as incentives to reduce turnover than teachers' salaries and benefits. Recommendations. (1) Efforts to provide higher salaries and improved benefits should continue. (2) Future research about child care teachers should include: (a) the relationship between salary and teacher's perceptions of managerial support for teaching; (b) the level of salary needed to improve the work environments and reduce turnover; and (c) an investigation of the economy of scale and internal organization of large child care centers.