Teacher retention is a global challenge, and many developed and developing countries are struggling to staff and retain teachers in schools, particularly in low-performing, remote, and less desirable areas. In most of these countries, Tanzania in particular, the efficacy of fiscally inclined teachers’ retention strategies continues to be dubious. The aim of this study is to explore teachers’ perceived school level challenges and the support of retaining teachers in remote secondary schools in Tanzania. The study is inspired by a supportive management theoretical framework, particularly Organizational Support, Leader-Member Exchange and Coworkers’ Exchange. It is motivated by a pragmatic knowledge claim. Data were sequentially collected in three phases using interviews and survey questionnaires. A sample included 258 secondary schools teachers from 28 remote schools in the Dodoma region in central Tanzania. Mixed methods data analysis techniques were used. The current study identifies younger males of a well-educated and experienced teaching workforce as being the chief staffing in remote Tanzanian secondary schools. Such a teaching workforce is challenging to retain in remote areas, as it is rarely satisfied with the teaching career and highly susceptible to frequently changing employers and working contexts. Moreover, findings show that teachers perceive problems related to housing, social services, conflicts in schools, the inability to influence changes in schools, the teaching and learning situation and limited opportunities as the chief reasons for not remaining in remote schools. Furthermore, findings show that teachers perceive meaningful retention support as being contextually definitive. The catalyst is high quality exchanges amongst teachers which spearhead the development of intra- and extra-role practices, school citizenship behaviours, intraschool social capital (an investment), all of which could bind teachers together, enhancing performing and supporting each other beyond formal contracts. Such a situation triggers teachers’ beliefs that changes, improvement, adaptability and survival within difficult remote environments is possible, and this consequently influences the intention to voice and/or conversely, to exit. Teachers’ empowerment, justice practices and working voicing arenas are important practices for enhancing retention support, especially in remote areas.

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed method study was to determine novice teachers’ perception of factor(s) that influenced their intent to remain in the teaching profession in a large suburban/urban school district located in the Southeast Region of the United States. The research examined the relationship between the independent variables—(a) perceived effectiveness of induction program, (b) quality of mentor-ship, (c) perceived effectiveness of professional development, (d) teacher Preparation, (e) job satisfaction, (f) administrative support, and (g) teacher self-efficacy—and the dependent variable: teacher retention. The novice teacher surveys included 31 items based on a 7-point response Likert scale, followed by individual interviews with nine open-ended questions. The researcher analyzed a total of 48 surveys and seven interviews from 16 identified schools located in the school district. Both data sources collected from the mixed method study revealed that the novice teachers viewed administrative support, job satisfaction, and teacher self-efficacy as the variables with the most significant influence on their intent to remain in the teaching profession. These factors proved beneficial to the school district and schools as a tool to guide the efforts of increasing teacher retention and developing new teachers. Additionally, the novice teachers’ perception also highlighted the need for more structured support for the district and school’s induction program, mentoring program, professional development and teacher preparation for increasing teacher retention. The implications of this study were to identify what influenced novice teachers to remain in the teaching profession in the identified school district. As a result, the district could decrease teacher retention rate and thus curtail the cost of continually hiring and training new teachers.

abstract: New teachers quit the profession at high levels, particularly in rural and urban schools. These high rates of turnover create staffing issues, particularly in high-needs areas like math and special education. High levels of stress and dissatisfaction with the profession have been cited as common reasons teachers exit the profession within the first few years. However, positive interventions from the field of positive psychology as well as mindfulness have been used in the workplace and have been found to support increasing wellbeing as well as reducing stress. This study defines workplace wellbeing as a construct of positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning/purpose, achievement and health within the workplace. In this mixed methods quasi-experimental study, 26 new teachers within a large suburban schools were sorted into experimental (n=13) and a control (n=13) groups. The experimental group was provided with a mindfulness training (in-person or virtually) as well as was asked to journal twice a week about three things that went well during the week, why those things went well, and what impact that had on students. The experimental group was invited to share their journals with their Teacher Induction and Support Program (TISP) coach in-person during their weekly confidential meetings. The control group was asked to write down any three things that occurred over the week (positive, negative, or neutral) and was also invited to share this with their TISP coach. Participants completed journals for the months of November, December, and January. All participants took a workplace wellbeing survey (developed by Peggy Kern and used with permission of Dr. Kern) at October, December, March and June. Additionally, five participants from the control group and five participants from the control group were interviewed about their experiences as new teachers and their experiences using the interventions. Participants in the control group experienced decreases in their workplace wellbeing throughout the year whereas participants in the control group experiences steady or increases to their workplace wellbeing, particularly in the areas of positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and self-efficacy. Participants in the experimental group also reported mindfulness practices increased their confidence and promoted positive emotional regulation that supported a positive classroom, despite challenging student behaviors. While this study uses a small sample size, these findings were confirmed in qualitative data, quantitative data, and are consistent with findings in related literature. While the findings are consistent with findings in related studies utilizing positive interventions and mindfulness within the workplace, these findings run counter to studies on the emotional experiences of teachers which assert that teacher’s (particularly new teachers) experience high levels of negative emotions and stress, particularly during the middle of the year. The findings from this dissertation suggest positive interventions and mindfulness may bolster new teacher’s workplace wellbeing and self-efficacy during the first year. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018

There has been little research on what is necessary for a mentoring relationship to be considered successful from the novice teacher's perspective. Although researchers have asserted that mentoring promotes new teacher retention and improves new teacher skills, new teachers are still leaving the profession, causing a shortage of teachers in school districts across the United States. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the meaning of a successful mentoring relationship from the perspective of 6 selected elementary teachers who have been in the teaching field fewer than 5 years and who have participated in a mentoring relationship for more than 2 years with the same mentor. Social cognitive theory was used to examine the mentoring relationship. Interview questions were used to examine participants' perceptions and experiences of their mentoring relationship and the impact of that relationship. Novice teachers participated in face-to-face, semistructured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. The Modified van Kamm method was used to analyze the transcribed interviews. These results were reviewed, coded, and organized into categories and themes. The findings indicated that the experiences which had the greatest impact on the 6 novice teachers were time spent with the mentor, communication, quality of the relationship, and support from the mentor. The implications for social change may include improved mentoring programs for school districts in order that new teachers remain in the teaching profession. These results can also be used to inform mentor teachers in developing improved and more effective mentoring relationships.

The purpose of the study is to identify the perceived successful practices that led to improved teacher recruitment, preparation and retention efforts within the nine universities of The Texas A&M University System brought about by the Regents' Initiative for Excellence in Education. The data for this study, gathered through interviews, document reviews and observation, revealed that the Regents' Initiative was considered by project directors to be a challenging but rewarding educational reform initiative. The lessons learned through the experience reflect the general findings common to the research literature on school-university partnerships. Research findings of this study revealed that the successful implementation of the Regents' Initiative involved strategies to overcome challenges and develop processes for recruiting, improving teacher preparation and teacher retention. Selecting the right person as the teacher recruiter was paramount to the successful attainment of A&M System university teacher recruitment goals. Operationalizing teacher recruiting included developing recruiting targets, organizing data management, tracking student recruits in the teacher preparation pipeline and periodically reporting progress to stakeholders. Quality improvement of teacher preparation involved recruiting higher achieving high school and community college students, setting higher standards for teacher candidate performance and aligning course curriculum within the college of education and with community college partners to the state standards. Institutional leadership was required to promote and build meaningful partnerships combining efforts to recruit, prepare and retain quality teachers in the profession. A&M System institutions developed a communications campaign to build legislative, institutional and public awareness and support of the Initiative. Institutional involvement was broadened by providing opportunities for interaction between arts and sciences faculty and college of education faculty through collaborative research grants, presentation conferences and symposia. Finally, the successes were celebrated with all stakeholders, and rewards were provided to those who made significant contributions to the effort.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe agriculture teachers on factors related to career retention and to explore the relationships between agriculture teachers? work engagement, work-life balance, occupational commitment, and personal and career factors as related to the decision to remain in the teaching profession. The target population for this study was defined as experienced agricultural educators who had completed a minimum of four years of teaching experience, who were currently employed in a secondary agricultural education classroom for the 2009-2010 school calendar. The accessible population consisted of those experienced agricultural educators in the southern region of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The study sought responses from a stratified random sample of those teachers to ensure geographical and gender representation equivalent that of the target population. This study employed descriptive-correlational research procedures. The instrument was constructed utilizing portions of the four studies to measure the variables of interest. Independent samples t-tests revealed there were no statistical differences between genders on any responses. A regression analysis revealed a 25% variance in occupation commitment attributed to work-life balance and work engagement. Note: This student obtained a joint doctoral degree from Texas A&M University and Texas Tech.

The purpose of the study is to identify the perceived successful practices that led to improved teacher recruitment, preparation and retention efforts within the nine universities of The Texas A&M University System brought about by the Regents' Initiative for Excellence in Education. The data for this study, gathered through interviews, document reviews and observation, revealed that the Regents' Initiative was considered by project directors to be a challenging but rewarding educational reform initiative. The lessons learned through the experience reflect the general findings common to the research literature on school-university partnerships. Research findings of this study revealed that the successful implementation of the Regents' Initiative involved strategies to overcome challenges and develop processes for recruiting, improving teacher preparation and teacher retention. Selecting the right person as the teacher recruiter was paramount to the successful attainment of A&M System university teacher recruitment goals. Operationalizing teacher recruiting included developing recruiting targets, organizing data management, tracking student recruits in the teacher preparation pipeline and periodically reporting progress to stakeholders. Quality improvement of teacher preparation involved recruiting higher achieving high school and community college students, setting higher standards for teacher candidate performance and aligning course curriculum within the college of education and with community college partners to the state standards. Institutional leadership was required to promote and build meaningful partnerships combining efforts to recruit, prepare and retain quality teachers in the profession. A&M System institutions developed a communications campaign to build legislative, institutional and public awareness and support of the Initiative. Institutional involvement was broadened by providing opportunities for interaction between arts and sciences faculty and college of education faculty through collaborative research grants, presentation conferences and symposia. Finally, the successes were celebrated with all stakeholders, and rewards were provided to those who made significant contributions to the effort.

Glenda E. Koshy ABSTRACT This study examined factors related to the intent of special education teachers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to remain in the profession. A modified Working in Schools: the Life of a Special Educator (WSLSE) survey, developed by Miller, Brownell, and Smith (1999), was utilized to explore the relationships between factors associated with Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model (1977) and the special education teachers' intention to remain in the field of teaching students with ASD. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model (1977) includes the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and the Individual domain. Multiple regressions conducted as the method of data analysis revealed that factors associated with the Exosystem, Macrosystem, and lastly, the Individual domain all had statistically significant relationships with the outcome of teachers' intent to remain in the field of teaching students with ASD. Additionally, it was found that there were individual predictor variables that had statistically significant relationships with teachers' intentions to remain in the profession. Specifically, the significant predictor variables were married, recognition, and relationships. Therefore, special educators who were married had a greater intent to remain in the field of teaching students with ASD. In addition, special education teachers who receive recognition more often as well as educators who have relationships with the parents of their students and with community agencies have greater intentions of remaining in the field of teaching students with ASD. Recommendations for policy makers as well as larger organizations and systems, including state and local education agencies, universities with teacher preparation programs, and K-12 public school systems are provided to assist in the development and implementation of programs designed to prepare and retain quality special education teachers of students with ASD

The object of this investigation is to report a study of mathematics teacher retention in the Texas Education System by generating a model that allows the identification of crucial factors that are associated with teacher retention in their profession. This study answers the research question: given a new mathematics teacher with little or no service in the Texas Education System, how long might one expect her to remain in the system? The basic categories, used in this study to describe teacher retention are: long term (10 and more years of service), medium term (5 to 9 years of service), and short term (1 to 4 years of service). The research question is addressed by generating a model through data mining techniques and using teacher data and variables from the Texas Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) that allows a descriptive identification of those factors that are crucial in teacher retention. Research on mathematics teacher turnover in Texas has not yet focused on teacher characteristics. The literature review presented in this investigation shows that teacher characteristics are important in studying factors that may influence teachers' decisions to stay or to leave the system. This study presents the field of education, and the state of Texas, with an opportunity to isolate those crucial factors that keep mathematics teachers from leaving the teaching profession, which has the potential to inform policy makers and other educators when making decisions that could have an impact on teacher retention. Also, the methodology applied, data mining, allows this study to take full advantage of a collection of valuable resources provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), which has not yet been used to study the phenomenon of teacher retention. / text

The purpose of this study was to explore how public elementary school principals develop teacher leadership capacity within their schools, as well as the effect of this effort on a school's performance. After examining a variety of sources, such as journal articles and web-based search engines, the researcher determined that there was scant information explaining the process principals undergo to create teacher leadership roles in an effort to develop a high-performing school. To accomplish the goals of this study, salient reports in the field of teacher leadership were reviewed. The insights afforded from these reports guided the researcher in developing a field-based investigation focusing on school leaders and teachers employed in three high-performing elementary schools in central Florida. The researcher explored features of teacher leadership that were evident in high-performing schools and sought to discover the characteristics principals seek in selecting new teachers. Also investigated were the teacher leadership opportunities created by the principals and the ways in which these roles helped to sustain the elementary schools' high performance. Furthermore, recent school-based decisions made by the school leaders were studied. Throughout the data, school administrators provided opportunities for teacher leadership within their schools, primarily by forming school-based committees. The results showed that principals solicited opinions from teachers, especially when it came to curriculum and instructional concerns. In addition, when sharing best practices or participating in staff-development opportunities with colleagues, teachers felt satisfied with their work environments. School leaders and teachers understood the roles they played in the overall success of their schools. Based on the results of this qualitative study, principals can build leadership capacity at schools by first establishing a culture of trust, honesty, and professionalism between themselves and the teachers. Next, school leaders provide and support opportunities for leadership by aligning teacher strengths and roles. The researcher recommends that future research in teacher leadership examine whether the principal's impact on teacher leadership has an affect on retention at the school level.