One of the most powerful deterrents to teacher retention appears to be isolation, the fact of being geographically separated from communities to which they feel akin or from the amenities and services to which they are accustomed. This 1978 study, conducted with the limited objective of ascertaining teachers' opinions of the ways in which aspects of rural service affect the rate of staff retention, focused on questionnaire responses from 335 teachers in 26 elementary and secondary schools in Western Australia and from 79 teachers who had resigned or moved to a different school during the previous 2 years. Data revealed that teachers were disadvantaged by country service in the following ways: the cost of living was often greater; more was spent on automobile and traveling expenses; financial incentives were unfavorable; the standard of housing was poor; there was less professional contact and support; further study, required for promotion, was restricted; social life was often restricted; moves were disruptive to teachers' families; and receptions from some local residents were apathetic. Factors that encouraged teachers to stay included school facilities, staff relationships, the challenging nature of the job, climate, and recreational facilities. Tabular data are presented which compare retention rates for various types of schools and characteristics of teachers and present teachers' attitudes to staff retention rates and factors that would influence their length of stay at a school. (NEC)