Date of Award

Summer 9-15-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Valerie Harlow Shinas

Second Advisor

Dr. Kabba E Colley

Third Advisor

Dr. Karen Anderson

Abstract

Teacher retention has become a growing concern across India and the world. In rural, tribal, and multilingual contexts, the challenge is even greater. This research, Creating Collaborative Strategies: The Influence of Principal Leadership in Teacher Retention in Rural Secondary Schools in Dhalai District, Tripura, Northeast India, explores how school leadership influences teachers’ decisions to remain in rural schools. The research focuses on Tripura, a small state in Northeast India known for its tribal diversity, geographic isolation, multilingual classrooms, and limited educational resources. The research is informed by a multi-theoretical framework: Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, Non-Economic Capital Theory, and Transformational Leadership Theory. Together, these lenses help explain how leadership, motivation, working conditions, and belonging shape teacher retention in rural tribal contexts. Using a qualitative case study design, this study gives voice to teachers and principals who navigate the daily challenges of rural and tribal schooling. The research identifies teacher retention as revolving around three interconnected layers: relational, structural, and personal. The findings suggest that teacher retention is a human, relational, and contextual issue shaped by the intersection of leadership, space, identity, equity, language, and community life. Relationally oriented leadership plays a significant role in teacher retention. This research also highlights linguistic and socio-cultural mediation as pedagogical labour, showing that teachers do far more than teach subject content; they help students move between home language, school language, and formal curriculum expectations. By understanding what helps teachers stay, this research offers practical insights for school leaders, administrators, and policymakers seeking to strengthen and sustain quality education in rural Tripura.

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