REFLECTING WITH TEACHERS WHO WERE HIGHLY SUPPORTED IN THEIR FIRST YEARS OF TEACHING: WHAT STRATEGIES HELPED THEM REMAIN IN THE PROFESSION

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Reitman Final Dissertation.pdf (3.32 MB)

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2018-05

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Abstract

Success and satisfaction in the teaching profession are goals; teacher turnover and burnout being constant problems. This study explored factors of support to determine why teachers remain in teaching. Sixty teachers took part in a federal grant, the AIMS (autism, inclusion, math, science) Scholar Program, designed to provide transitional support for newly hired teachers. The participants were queried in order to ascertain sufficient data to identify the salient triggers of pre-attrition related casual agents. The grant was tailored for teachers completing university teaching programs. Enrolled students were from all areas of California, with most being in the southern part of the state. One hundred percent of the participants were still teaching at the time of the research. This dissertation was designed to discern how support early in their careers enabled these teachers to thrive. Open-ended survey questions and in-depth interviews provided insight into why these teachers stayed in the profession and have plans to continue to teach for many years to come. Classroom observations yielded data to support their effectiveness in the classroom. This study was primarily based on teacher perceptions of teacher professional competence and their own performance in the classroom. There is a need to determine the relationship between teacher professional competence as measured by student achievement, student self-esteem, and parent perceptions of teacher competence as they relate to attrition. Six themes were determined as support strategies that helped this group of teachers remain in teaching. It is suggested that these 6 themes be integrated into all support programs to ensure teacher retention.

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teacher retention, teacher induction, teacher attrition, beginning teachers

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http://hdl.handle.net/11414/3348

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Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Dissertations