This paper explores why beginning teachers in Saskatchewan chose to enter the profession and the importance of these motivations in their first year as teachers. More specifically, using survey and interview methodologies, the purpose of this study was to: (1) investigate the entry motivations of Saskatchewan beginning teachers; (2) determine if…

In early 1999, when it was formally launched, the Massachusetts Signing Bonus Program (MSBP) for New Teachers attracted nationwide attention. The Bonus Program's efforts were greeted with acclaim and its favorable attention continued into the second year. When problems began to appear in 2001, however, only local eyes were watching. No national…

Teacher attrition, particularly of beginning teachers, is concerning. Extensive research has been conducted on teacher attrition and teacher characteristics; however, less research exists on teacher retention and related teacher belief systems. This study examined the beliefs of a particular subset of teachers--teachers who have stayed in the…

Many would say that while there are two ways to enter the teaching profession--traditional and alternative--there seems to be a common way to leave it: quickly. Across the board, more than half of beginning teachers leave teaching before their fifth year, and that percentage is even higher in urban public schools and for those prepared by some…

This longitudinal study is set in the national and international contexts of early professional development, teacher careers, and teacher retention. It provides qualitative insights into key factors shaping beginning teachers' early professional learning (EPL) journeys and considers the impact of policy initiatives on new teachers in Scotland.…

New or beginning teachers are well received by the education profession, yet for a large portion of new teachers the assessment of how successful their transition into the first year of teaching tends to be overtly negative. Research reports indicate that the often traumatic and difficult nature of new teachers' experiences is not a new phenomenon…

Almost half of new teachers leave the profession within their first year. New teachers need support, mentoring, encouragement, and, most importantly, hope in order to survive the challenges of their first years of teaching. "Burned In" features essays from today's most visionary educators, including Jim Burke, Peter Elbow, James Loewen, Gregory…

Researchers explored the problem of teacher retention, especially among beginning teachers, and noted a lack of consensus on why teachers leave teaching and how to retain the teachers. Private school studies include Catholic school data, but few researchers isolated the data or used data-gathering instruments to examine Catholic school issues,…

This study is motivated by an ongoing debate about the kinds of schools that make for the best field placements during pre-service preparation. On the one hand, easier-to-staff schools may support teacher learning because they are typically better-functioning institutions that offer desirable teaching conditions. On the other hand, such field…

In this article, the author details the findings of a study of completers during their last semester of a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in special education. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to understand how the extent to which the program was implemented, the participants' background and career trajectories, and the…

Background: The need to support new teachers in urban public schools is well established, given current shortages and research that highlights serious issues with teacher retention. Debate continues about approaches to support for new teachers, including questions about the importance of developing an inquiry stance toward teaching. As more…

The literature on teacher retention is abundant, yet the focus on new teachers themselves is limited. This research study provides a detailed description of what beginning teachers reported made them want to stay at one middle school with a 100% teacher retention rate over four consecutive years. This study employed qualitative methodology.…

The purpose of this study was to examine how first-year mentoring activities would benefit second-year teachers who continue to participate in a structured mentoring program after having completed a first-year mentoring program. Sixty-nine potential participants were contacted about participating in this study. The population included teachers who…

This report presents the results of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's (NRCCTE's) five-year collaboration with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to develop an induction model for new career and technical education (CTE) teachers pursuing an alternative route to certification that increases their…

This report presents the executive summary of the report of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's (NRCCTE's) five-year collaboration with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to develop an induction model for new career and technical education (CTE) teachers pursuing an alternative route to certification that…