School districts face a number of barriers to staffing schools. In districts where teacher vacancies and shortages exist, beginning teachers are often hired to fill positions. In Durham Public Schools, a large number of beginning teachers hired in the 2023-2024 school year were seeking alternative routes to licensure, referred to as AL1s.…

This qualitative narrative study explored the teacher induction experiences of new teachers, who have only taught between one to five years, in a complex area in the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE). Past research has shown that teacher induction programs can play an important role in retaining and supporting new teachers in staying in the…

The purpose of the study was to help beginning teachers transition to their new role as a teacher by identifying factors that had the greatest impact. Perceived obstacles as well as factors that helped the beginner teacher navigate through the entry year were explored. Factors that helped contribute to the beginner's sense of belonging to the…

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study was designed to determine, from the perspective of beginning teachers, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affected their intentions to remain in teaching. There were two additional goals in conducting the study: (a) to determine the key practices, supports, or events that played a role in…

Learning to teach is multifaceted and dynamic resulting in a turbulent, fast-changing era of professional life for early career science teachers (ECSTs). Teaching practice is uncertain and tensions are endemic to the profession (Ball, 1993). This dissertation connects to and extends current research of the challenges ECSTs face and how those…

The purpose of this study was to investigate novice middle school teachers' perceptions concerning classroom management. Classroom management is a crucial component of teaching. However, it has consistently been a difficult area for novice teachers or teachers having less than three years of teaching experience (Albright, 2017; Kelly et al., 2015;…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the self-efficacy of novice teachers in urban elementary schools from November to February and document a set of challenges that influenced their self-efficacy. Three elementary first-year teachers in a Midwestern urban school district participated in four research segments that each included…

Although scholarship has shown that new teachers struggle to make the transition to in-service teaching and enact the progressive practices that they learned during pre-service preparation, little research has explored how first-year teachers develop a justice-oriented practice during this transition. This project centers on a critical learning…

This dissertation explores teacher preparedness to engage with a diverse Westo, Georgia, student population effectively. The study emphasizes the pivotal role played by teacher training and ongoing professional development in shaping this preparedness. Employing a quantitative research approach, the investigation evaluates the preparedness levels…

Teachers typically do not enter the profession with an inkling that they will become involved in recurring conflict. In fact, Collinson and Cook (2007) suggested that teachers often prefer working alone and in their own classroom, at least in part because they are often conflict-avoidant. Whereas schools were comparably conflict-free 30 years ago…

This study utilized narrative inquiry to learn the stories of early career teachers of students with disabilities as they navigated teaching during a global pandemic. Five early career teachers participated in a series of three semi-structured virtual interviews. Interviews were transcribed then analyzed using a six-phase approach to thematic…

Novice reading teachers often struggle to provide high-quality reading instruction. The reasons for their difficulties include "transition shock," challenging school contexts, lack of proper preparation, and poor support. One way to improve the quality of novice teachers' reading instruction is through improving their access to high…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how to effectively support novice teachers through comprehensive induction programming that ultimately leads to increased student learning and teacher job satisfaction. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of novice teachers and how they perceived that they benefited from…

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…

A well-prepared oral healthcare workforce is essential to the overall health of the general population. A knowledgeable and qualified workforce would be non-existent without strong academic programs and faculty to prepare oral health professionals. For over 20 years, the dental and allied dental educator workforce has been a concern for the oral…