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The purpose of the study is to examine the motivations of international teachers, especially those who hail from North America, to either sign, complete, renew, or move on after their contracts end within the Middle East and North Africa region. This research aims to equip school leaders with tools to recruit and retain the most highly qualified and effective teachers and inform leadership about actionable steps they can take regarding the recruitment and retention of teachers. Two significant questions drive this study: RQ1: What factors influence international teachers, specifically those from North America, to initially sign contracts in the Middle East and North Africa region? RQ2: Upon the end of the contract, what impacts international teachers' decisions to leave the position or renew the contract? This study used a qualitative research methodology and implemented a phenomenological research design. The Giorgi method of phenomenological analysis revealed three major themes based on semistructured interviews: factors within the school's control, factors beyond the school's control, and factors simultaneously within and beyond the school's control. These factors shift from when a teacher signs a contract to their decision about renewing at a school. In the initial recruitment phase, schools must focus on the following factors: school culture, the culture of the country, school leadership, and the job description/position offered. During the renewal phase, factors that strongly contribute to teachers' decisions include school governance, school culture, quality of life, financial package, and the culture of the country. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]