DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/6MPB-D066
Defense Date
2011
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Education
First Advisor
Nora Alder
Abstract
Due to teacher shortages, school districts have offered incentives and alternative licensure programs. Recently, however, school districts have shifted the focus from recruitment to one of teacher retention which places an emphasis upon beginning teacher induction programs. These programs help teachers improve in their craft of teaching, help teachers remain satisfied with their jobs, help teachers enculturate into the districts in which they work, and help to improve student achievement. This quantitative study examined fifth year teachers’ perceptions of their induction programs in terms of teacher retention. The 280 eligible teachers from three different school districts were asked to participate by completing an electronic survey, which asked questions regarding their experiences and perceptions of their induction program, and by participating in a focus group session. No statistical significance was shown between the different components of the induction program and teacher retention. However, by examining the means of responses given and the frequencies, reviewers may be able to glean information, indicating which components were more positively perceived by teachers. Findings suggest that learning styles, attitudes, and professional growth needs have more of an impact upon teacher perception of the value of the different components. In order to retain good teachers in the classroom, staff developers need to offer a wide range of professional growth opportunities. For the staff developer, designing an induction program which meets the needs and learning styles of all beginning teachers becomes problematic.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2011