An Investigation of the Experiences of New Teachers and Their Reasons to Stay in the Classroom

Author

Jessa N. McEntireFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2020

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Education

First Advisor

Allan Bellman

Second Advisor

Renee Cunningham

Third Advisor

Joel Amidon

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

New teacher attrition rates have increased over the years. Twenty percent of new teachers will leave the profession after three years. That number increases to forty-four percent after five years of teaching. For those just entering the profession, these numbers can be daunting. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for this departure and what actions schools employ to help lessen this attrition rate. After screening four teachers to gain a general insight into their experiences, eight teachers with a similar educational background were selected for additional interviews. This study was intended to determine how much of an induction program their school gave them as well as other factors they or the school may have done to help them adjust to full-time teaching. After interviewing the teachers, nine categories stood out. Four of these related to induction programs, four related to relationships and community, and the last was determining whether they were staying at their school. From the results, it can be determined that while a successful induction program is important, more important is the teacher’s integration into the school and community.

Recommended Citation

McEntire, Jessa N., "An Investigation of the Experiences of New Teachers and Their Reasons to Stay in the Classroom" (2020). Honors Theses. 1543.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1543

Accessibility Status

Searchable text

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.