Attempting to balance all the aspects of teaching can be overwhelming and challenging without the appropriate measures for novice teachers. The purpose of the mixed-methods study was to examine the challenges and opportunities in teacher retention of K-12 novice teachers in a rural, south Mississippi school district. Novice teachers may struggle…

In this longitudinal interpretative case study, researchers examined the beliefs and practices related to democratic citizenship and critical multiculturalism of five beginning social studies teachers from their teacher preparation through their fourth year in the classroom. Using Banks's typology of citizenship as a theoretical framework, they…

Starting a career in music education is difficult; there are many challenges that first-year band directors face. These challenges can include praxis shock, isolation, stress, and high workloads. First-year band directors may need mentoring support as they transition into the profession. There are different types of mentor programs that a school…

This study explored K-12 teachers' perceptions of using artif icial intelligence (AI) in the classroom, aiming to understand their preparedness for professional development focused on AI integration. This paper presents findings from 141 in-service teachers enrolled in graduate programs at a Southern University, highlighting their views on AI,…

Adaptive teaching is a pedagogical approach which encourages teachers to adapt their teaching practices to deliver custom learning experiences by addressing students' individual needs and differences. This article describes how one beginner geography teacher adapted instructional practices to meet her students' learning needs. First, we provide a…

Professional development, typically initiated by administrators to improve student achievement outcomes, is often irrelevant to the needs of early career music teachers. As music teacher educators, we were concerned about issues of importance to early career music teachers as they entered the music teaching profession. We explored conversation as…

Rebecca Ashe, a first-year mathematics teacher at North Hills High School, considered herself well-prepared after her university preparation. She is energetic and dedicated to her students, providing real-world examples in her classes from past experiences as an engineer. After 3 months in the classroom, however, Rebecca had become disheartened…

Alternative teacher certification routes in the United States gained recognition in response to the teacher shortage since the 1980s. However, the unique challenges these teachers face result in concerns of quality and retention. The purposes of this study were to (a) investigate novice alternatively certified teachers' (ACT) perspectives on…

While there has been an increased focus on inquiry-based learning in teacher preparation programs, little is known about the influences of these programs on teacher development over time. Using activity theory as its theoretical framework, the researcher employed a longitudinal interpretative case study design to examine the development of three…

This article focuses on Mr. Kurt, a white, first-year English teacher in an all-white context who has chosen to teach his students about whiteness, white supremacy, white privilege, and the many ways institutionalized racism is enacted in daily life. I center this article on classroom scenarios that highlight the challenges embedded in dealing…

In "Will Schools Change Forever," Waite and Arnett contend our educational system, and our society as a whole, have been confronted with two pandemics, COVID-19 and systemic racism (2020). Both of these pandemics have acerbated challenges schools must address and have exposed chronic inequities in educational systems. Our inquiry is case…

There are several factors that contribute to the shrinking supply of teachers. Fewer individuals are pursuing teaching as a career; in the United States, for example, teacher education enrollments plunged 35% between 2009 and 2014 (Berry & Shields, 2017). In direct relation to the decrease in students entering preservice teaching, fewer…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Opening Doors: Strategies for Advancing Racial Diversity in Wisconsin's Teacher Workforce." The report is the second of a pair of Wisconsin Policy Forum reports that address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in Wisconsin's teacher workforce. The impetus for this research is both…

Engaging students in curriculum is recognized as important to their academic growth and sense of belonging in school. Using a narrative inquiry approach, we conducted participant observations and interviews, and interacted in the classroom community to learn about complexities of building relationships with students of diverse social and cultural…

In June 2020, the Wisconsin Policy Forum published "A Teacher Who Looks Like Me: Examining Racial Diversity in Wisconsin's Teacher Workforce and the Student-to-Teacher Pipeline." The impetus for that research was both the long-standing racial disparities in educational outcomes that have persisted in Wisconsin for decades and a growing…