The primary purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude of the teacher shortage in the Mississippi Delta region, and to investigate the factors which seem to influence the attrition and retention of teachers. This study employed a nonexperimental quantitative investigation designed to analyze survey data. The sample for this study included selected K-12 teachers employed in school districts in the Mississippi Delta region, and two non-Delta school districts. 436 teachers participated in the study. The study was designed to answer questions on the commitment level of currently employed teachers in the Mississippi Delta region. Data were collected using a 4 - point Likert response scale. All data were entered and analyzed using a SAS Multiple Regression (stepwise) program. In addition, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means in each section and to report observed variance in the different parts. A t-test was performed to analyze the differences in the responses of the Delta and non-Delta schools in terms of commitment levels. With the level of significance for inclusion established at p<0.05, the researcher was able to determine that age, years of teaching experience, and salary were insignificant. Results also revealed number of years teaching in the district and race were found to be statistically significant. The researcher did not find any differences in commitment levels or any other variables in the responses of the Delta and non-Delta teacher participants.

An investigation on how educators experience their workloads against the background of teacher shortage. This research study seeks to explore educators’ experiences of the effects of educator shortage on the academic performance of Grade 12 learners in the Butterworth Education District, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The research study was a result of the South African literature in education which over- emphasises the poor quality of teacher development as though it is the only cause of the poor academic performance of learners in South African Senior Secondary Schools. For example, the Centre for Education Policy Development Evaluation and Management (CEPD) (2000, p.130) asserts that “Training for educators and managers has been spotlighted in the Curriculum Review Report”. Through this study the researcher wanted to explore other possible explanations for the poor academic performance of the Grade 12 learners in the Butterworth Education District. The research study seeks to investigate whether educator shortages in Senior Secondary Schools could be responsible for the poor academic performance of learners in Grade 12. It was imperative therefore to look into the views and experiences of educators in this regard, with the object of finding the extent of educator shortages in schools, and the possible measures to address the situation, if it is a reality in schools. Six schools were selected, with each providing five participants who made a sum of 30 educators who volunteered to participate in the study. The study was an interpretive survey, where the qualitative methodology was used. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews. A tape recorder was also used to ensure that participants were not misrepresented in the analysis and discussions of the findings. The data was presented, analysed and discussed according to the patterns and themes derived from the sub-research questions. It emerged from the study that there are educator shortages in most senior secondary schools in the Butterworth Education District. This was due to the policies and reports which were contrary to one another. Contradictory reports were produced by three highly respected research institutions the National Teacher Educator Audit (NTEA) there was an oversupply of educators in South African schools (Hofmeyr and Hall 1996). On the other hand the research was conducted by the Pre-Service Education and Training (PRESET) and In-service Educational Service and Training (INSET) published that there is serious educator shortage in South Africa. There was a lack of insight from the Management of the National Department of Education, together with the Provincial Managers of education. These managers of the DoE failed to note that the decisions that they had made in 1994, of ensuring that all learners between ages of 7 and 15 should be taken by parents to school, would negatively affect the future of education if it was not properly planned for. This call for all learners of the above mentioned ages to go to school was made in line with the South African Schools Act No. 84 0f 1996. The implication of the Governments call to send more learners to school, whether parents had money or not, was that more educators had to be employed in the future but that did not happen. Instead, a once-off policy of severance packages was implemented by the government, which led to a lot of good educators taking their packages and leaving the profession. Literature reveals that Teacher Training Colleges were closed at about the same time. The literature also reveals that before the closure of Teacher Training Colleges there was a challenge of redeployment which was also not properly planned, implemented and monitored by the Provincial Managers of the DoE. The study reveals that poor planning of this process led to overcrowded classrooms, a phenomenon which was further exacerbated by the fact that the salaries of Principals and the HoDs in schools were linked to the number of learners the school had admitted. This had its own ramification like schools over-admitting learners because it meant more money for the principals and Heads of Departments. The study has revealed serious consequences which emanated from the educator shortage as a result of overcrowded classes. The literature also reveal that educators get employed and use the profession of teaching as a stepping stone for better paying professions. According to Peltzer, et al. (2005, p.35) “around 21 000 educators were leaving the system annually, although up to 30% of these were temporary teachers.” South Africa faces challenges with its pool of available educators. One of these challenges is that of attracting new educators into the teaching profession and another is the challenge of how to retain those already in the system (DoE, 2005 p.13). In the event that there are teacher shortage in the system the DoE is using the available educators to teach larger classes than they are capable. This causes problems when these teachers have to teach outside their areas of specialization. These consequences include the fact that educators are teaching more than six classes a day, and educators are overloaded; they do not have sufficient time to provide individual attention to the learners, mark leaner assessments, provide feedback on time, or do remedial work. The study also revealed that most educators are suffering from burnout and stress due to too much workload. The study has also shown that educators work even on Saturdays and holidays to try to finish the syllabus. As a result, there are very few young stars who aspire to making education their career. More educators are changing their careers because they know that life is about improved standards of living. The question is: What is the use of having all the good policies aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning if there are insufficient implementers (educators) of these policies in schools. The policies include School Based Assessment (SBA), Annual National Assessment (ANA), Systemic Evaluation, Common Tasks for Assessments (CATs), Whole School Evaluation (WSE) and the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS). Recommendations have been proposed on the strategies that the DoE may employ to address the educator shortage in schools and the quality of education.

The teacher shortage problem is a national and state concern. In 1998, the Texas State Board of Education Certification reported that school districts in Texas had to hire teachers to fill over 63,000 vacancies. Teacher resignations, other than retirement, contributed to over 46,000 teachers who left the profession about 19 % of the state's total teacher workforce. A significant number of Texas teachers left the profession in the first five years. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996) called the attrition of new teachers a chronic problem for American schools. Reducing the teacher shortage in Texas must begin with reducing the teacher turnover rate. Most studies concerning teacher attrition or turnover either address salary, or working conditions. Many of the studies deal with affective and subjective data regarding teacher turnover. The studies on teacher turnover often do not address quantifiable data collected uniformly across districts. Few studies address a comprehensive set of quantitative data to determine the variables associated with teacher turnover. This study addressed teacher turnover through quantitative research of data from the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) with multiple analysis to provide insights to teacher turnover conditions and trends. The population for the study included all 1042 Texas school districts, and 61 Charter schools. The Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) was used to determine the variables and supply data for the study. The study addressed only district data not individual school or campus data. The data captured for this dissertation were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlational methods, and regression tools of research.

The purpose of the study was to investigate why high school junior and senior students in the Jackson Purchase district of Kentucky choose to go or not to go into the profession of teaching Family and Consumer Sciences. The participants of the study were Family and Consumer Sciences teachers and junior and senior high school students enrolled in their classes. This study used a quantitative mode of inquiry. More specifically, two questionnaire instruments were developed and administered to participating teachers and students to answer the research questions. The questionnaire gathered data on the subject's perceptions of Family and Consumer Sciences education. In addition, demographics were derived from student participants. The study determined that students were predominantly college bound, mostly Caucasian, seniors, and female. The majority of students thought Family and Consumer Sciences was important and should be offered in high school. In addition, only 9.3% (10) have considered Family and Consumer Sciences education as a career, 63.7% have never thought of it as a possible career, and 17.8% indicated there was not enough available jobs. The study determined that most of the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher participants declared there was not a decline in enrollment in classes over the past ten years. Two of the seven teachers will be retiring within the next five years.

There is currently a shortage of African American vocational teachers. If the shortage is to be averted, vocational professionals must find ways to increase the number of African American teachers in vocational education (Arnold & Levesque, 1992; Martinez, 1991; Young, 1989). The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influenced African Americans to become vocational teachers and to identify experiences related to their progress in vocational teacher licensure programs. Factors identified as influencing African Americans to select vocational teaching careers were linked with factors found in the O'Neil, Meeker, and Borger (1978) Sex Role Socialization and Career Decision-Making model. This qualitative study consisted of structured interviews with 12 college students who were preparing to become vocational teachers. Students were interviewed at 6 campuses in 2 southeastern states. Students represented vocational programs in (a) agriculture education, (b) business education, (c) family and consumer sciences education, (d) marketing education, (e) trade and industrial education, and (f) technology education. Six of the students were from predominantly white universities and 6 students were from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The findings of the study revealed that the most significant influences behind respondents choosing vocational teaching careers related to teacher role models, family support, altruism, the intangible benefits of teaching, and love for vocational professions. Most of the factors identified related to factors found in the O'Neil et al. (1978) model. A factor, entitled the Spritual Factor, emerged in addition to those identified in the original O'Neil et al. model. Positive relationships with knowledgeable faculty, supportive peers, active participation in vocational organizations, and confidence in academic preparation, enhanced the progress of students in vocational licensure programs. All universities selected in the study shared similar elements. Students and faculty at HBCUs, however, tended to lean toward a student-centered focus while students and faculty at predominantly white universities tended to lean toward an academically-oriented focus. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to further explore pedagogical balance using multidimensional scaling and epistemic network analysis. Teacher shortages and attrition remain a critical issue for the future, and simulated classroom environments like simSchool can provide teachers additional training to help improve teaching confidence and teaching experience. Two different data sets were analyzed at various time before and after simSchool use to see how pre-service teachers rate themselves in 8 areas of teaching as defined by the Survey of Teaching Skills. Multidimensional scaling was utilized to see how teaching confidence and teaching experience align with no simSchool use, 90 minutes of use, and 8 hours of use. Epistemic network analysis was utilized to look at the cognitive structures of different groups to determine any differences. The findings are discussed with future research directions provided.

This dissertation explores the impact of digital innovation on diversifying recruitment in special education teacher preparation programs. Amidst a critical shortage of special education teachers in the United States, the current research addresses the dual challenges of recruiting diverse educators and mitigating systemic disparities affecting students with disabilities. Utilizing Cultural Historical Activity Theory, the study critically evaluates Project RISE, an online recruitment platform designed to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of special education teacher preparation programs. The dissertation comprises three articles. The first article is a systematic literature review synthesizing findings on the role of technology in recruiting diverse educators, highlighting the potential of digital platforms to engage historically excluded groups. The second article presents an empirical study assessing the usability and efficiency of Project RISE. The third article offers practical recommendations based on these findings, advocating for the integration of digital tools to streamline recruitment and support prospective educators from varied backgrounds. Key findings indicate while traditional recruitment methods are limited in reach and effectiveness, digital platforms like Project RISE can bridge the gap by offering transparent, user-friendly access to program information. The study underscores the importance of culturally responsive recruitment strategies and the need for continuous feedback from users to refine these digital tools. Overall, the dissertation contributes to the broader discourse on educational equity by proposing innovative solutions to diversify the SET workforce, ultimately enhancing the educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

A rural, mid-sized district is experiencing great difficulty in the recruitment and retention of substitute teachers despite increased recruitment efforts. Such difficulty has resulted in numerous disruptions to the educational process. Despite their integral role in the educational process, research on substitute teachers remains absent from the literature. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the job satisfaction of substitute teachers with regard to differences between the two subgroups of certified and noncertified substitute teachers. This study was based on the two-factor theory. The research questions addressed the overall job satisfaction of substitute teachers, whether teacher job satisfaction (DV) differed by subgroup membership (IV), and the motivation and hygiene factors of substitute teaching. Survey data collection involved a cluster sampling of substitute teachers (N = 315, n = 51) working in four rural school districts experiencing shortages. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and thematic analysis. Demographic subgroups that reported above average job satisfaction were females, those with 1-3 years of experience, and those with the highest level of education being a bachelor's degree. The analysis uncovered a statistically significant difference between noncertified and certified substitute teachers only in the subcategory of satisfaction with pay, with certified substitute teachers being less satisfied. The most commonly reported motivation factors were the students, coworkers, and the nature of work; the most commonly reported hygiene factors were pay, student behavior, and communication. The study contributes to social change by identifying dissatisfying aspects of substitute teaching so that administrations may take action to alleviate the shortage, providing students with improved educational experiences with substitute teachers.

The purpose of this research study was to gather data on a sample of technology teacher candidates in order to determine how many graduates with a technology teaching endorsement actually entered the teaching profession. In addition, data were collected to investigate the attrition rate of the same pool of candidates. For those who left the education profession, the study also examined how long these individuals taught before leaving as well as investigated the reasons these individuals decided to leave the technology teaching profession. For those who have remained in the teaching profession this study also explored their reasons for remaining in education. In addition, data were collected regarding how many technology teaching candidates remained within the state of Utah as well as how many have accepted positions outside of the state of Utah. To accomplish these tasks, a survey instrument was designed to gather employment data from Technology Teacher Education (TTE) graduates of Brigham Young University over the last 14 years. There were 189 technology teacher education graduates from 1994-07. Contact information was located and compiled for 148 of the 189 graduates; therefore, the results of this survey were calculated using the 148 graduates with current contact information. Of the 148 potential participants in this study, 110 (74%) of the TTE graduates responded. From the responses of the 110 TTE graduates the following was determined. There were 85 of those who responded that entered the teaching profession; 84 of those graduates entered within two years of graduation. Of the 85 graduates entering education, 54 stayed in the state of Utah and 31 left the state to teach. There were 67 of 110 responders to the survey (60%) that reported they entered education within two years and have remained in education since graduation. One teacher out of the 85 entered education after attending graduate school. The survey indicated that 17 of the 85 teachers exited education which is equal to 20% of the responding educators leaving education. Of the 17 educators who left the profession six left the first year, and 13 of the 17 left sometime during the first three years. Of the 17 educators that left education, four returned to the profession.

A major component of the screening process for prospective teachers is the licensure examination. The examination serves two important functions: (a) sorting and screening candidates and (b) defining the knowledge base for professional practice. The first function receives the most attention from policymakers and serves the symbolic purpose of creating selectivity for entry into the profession. Initial entry typically is controlled by raising or lowering examination passing requirements which simply allows more or fewer persons to pass (Darling-Hammond, Wise & Klein, 1995). The second function presumes that a single instrument exists that not only contains the essential knowledge required for professional practice, but accurately identifies those most qualified to teach.The Virginia Board of Education (VBOE), like several other state boards of education, has authorized validation and standard-setting studies related to its teacher licensure examination policy, and the most recent studies have occurred in the past 20 years. The first study was authorized in April 1981 for the potential use of the National Teachers Examination (NTE). Following completion of validation studies for the Specialty Area Tests and the Core Battery Tests, the NTE was adopted as Virginia's licensure examination which was made effective on July 1, 1986. Ten years later (effective July 1, 1996), the VBOE agreed that prospective teachers would be required to take Praxis I Academic Skills Assessments. Praxis I would replace the NTE Core Battery, however, and the original NTE Specialty Area Tests would be retained. The decision to change teacher licensing examinations was precipitated primarily by the announcement by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that it would introduce new tests and eventually discontinue the NTE Core Battery. The passing requirements for Praxis I (as established in 1995) exceeded those of all states administering the test and were as follows: reading and mathematics - 178, and writing - 176. Review of test data obtained after the effective date of this policy revealed that the passing percentage for all test takers in 1995-96 was reading 72; mathematics 62; and writing 58. For minorities, the passing percentages were 34, 18, and 18, respectively. When these results were compared to test taker performance one year later (1996-97), there were modest percentage increases for all test takers: reading - 74; mathematics - 66; and writing - 63. For minorities, passing percentages were 36, 35 and 28, respectively. Despite these increases, 26 percent of all test takers failed the reading test; 34 percent failed the mathematics test; and 37 percent failed the writing test. The long-range effects of the Praxis I passing requirements on test takers are unknown; however, one of the near-term effects likely will be a reduction in the passing rate for a significant number of persons, particularly racial minorities.This study examined current Virginia teacher licensure policy, its intent, and near-term effects of examination results on teacher availability and minority representation. / Ph. D.