Exploring Sustainable Supports for Retaining Early Career Teachers
Date
2024-09-23
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0009-0005-7376-6300
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Early career teachers are leaving the profession at alarming rates globally due to increasing intensification and complexity of workloads, difficulty maintaining work-life balance, and workplace stress (Ingersoll, 2012; Kutsyuruba et al., 2019; Kutsyuruba et al., 2021; Warsame & Valles, 2018; Whalen et al., 2019). The broad purpose of this study was to improve instructional leadership and teaching and learning outcomes while addressing a pressing issue within the education sector – high attrition rates among early career teachers. An action research approach was employed to investigate sustainable strategies that school leaders can use to retain and support early career teachers through evidence-based strategies and actionable insights. The study focused on how school leadership can explore practical strategies of networks and mentorship experiences to contribute to collective change, improved practice, and retention of early career teachers. Participatory action research as a practitioner-based methodology reflected a commitment to involving participants in the research study and was used to gather and analyze data from four early career teachers with less than five years of teaching experience in an urban school division. Data were collected through two cycles of action research using a range of collection methods: surveys, concept mapping, interviews, focus groups, and interventions. A deductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. The study generated actionable strategies to support and retain early career teachers by increasing their teaching and learning capacity through interventions that addressed their learning gaps. Based on the research study’s findings, school-based leaders can enhance practice by establishing networks and mentorship structures in various contexts. These efforts focused on improving teacher practice by targeting specific areas for growth, creating a culture of support and giving voice to early career teachers. The study contributed to the broader discourse on instructional leadership and resulted in improved employee engagement and early career teacher growth. Mentorship programs, structured professional learning communities, and professional development initiatives provided a relevant and comprehensive approach to support and retain early career teachers by providing frameworks that could be adapted and applied to various educational contexts.
Description
Keywords
early career teachers, retention, instructional leadership, mentorship, professional learning communities, trust, employee engagement, positive psychology, action research
Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Educational Administration
Program
Educational Administration