The purpose of this mixed-methods single case study was to identify the perceived influence of a teacher mentoring program on participants' professional development and retention in the education profession at a small school district in the Southeastern United States. This study sought the perspectives of mentors, mentees, and building…

There has long existed the argument that science teachers' self-efficacy directly correlates with instruction. Regarding self-efficacy for culturally responsive instruction (CRI), a promising equitable education approach, it is posited that lack of CRI exposure in coursework contributes to low self-efficacy and poor implementation. Yet, research…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the influence of principal leadership styles, including their character and behavioral traits, on new teacher motivation and retention in urban K-12 public schools. Specifically, this study examined the similarities and differences regarding what principals and novice teachers perceived…

The problem addressed in this qualitative study is the rise in teacher job dissatisfaction and low rates of retention, which has resulted in a significant increase in teacher vacancies in school districts across the United States. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the lived experiences of early-career secondary teachers with…

Some secondary school principals are complaining about teachers' reluctance to participate in any activities beyond classroom teaching. To understand this phenomenon, the study attempts to explore the inhibiting factors that hinder teachers in selected secondary schools in the Maseru district from supporting and engaging in teacher leadership (TL)…

The beginning years of a teacher's career are among the most challenging and complex. Content-specific induction programmes can help teachers navigate these early years of teaching and build their instructional practices. Although there is growing interest in studying new teachers' reform-based instruction, little is known about new science…

Understanding teacher candidates' (TCs') developmental needs and framing teacher preparation with those in mind can provide education programs with actionable ways to further TC development that generate positive outcomes for them and their students. This novel case study explored four initial certification TCs' teacher performance and stages of…

The early years of teaching are important for science teachers, but little is known about how science teachers develop professionally in their early years. This mixed methods study took a longitudinal view of the early years of teaching. Following 95 secondary science teachers over a 5-year period, this study examined the beliefs, pedagogical…

Substitute teachers organize the classroom and instruct students in the absence of the regular teacher. An expectation placed on substitute teachers is to ensure learning experiences continue (Duggleby & Badali, 2007); however, this charge may exceed the preparation. Three central research questions and four sub-questions guided this case…

Many novice teachers leave the field shortly after being hired due to student problematic behaviors. Utilizing effective strategies is not easy, given the disconnect between what the teachers and the students perceive as appropriate behavior. In this study, the researcher analyzed some strategies first-year teachers used to stop and/or deescalate…

Policymakers and researchers have dedicated increasing attention to the state of the kindergarten-through-grade 12 (K-12) teacher preparation programs (TPPs) amid concerns over potential teacher and staff shortages in many school districts and states. With many districts and states facing staffing challenges and declining levels of both interest…

The inclusion of a mentor teacher in a novice teacher induction program dramatically improves early career teacher feelings of satisfaction and desires to remain in the profession. Mentors require various tools and trainings to best develop resilient novice teachers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine mentoring experiences…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to delivering music content through distance learning, adding to what is often already a stressful and challenging time for first-year educators. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of six first-year music teachers who began teaching in Hawai'i during the COVID-19 pandemic. I…

This study explores how lived experiences contribute to pre-service and novice teachers' redefinition of prior professional and academic identities in developing a mathematics teacher identity. It focuses on participants preparing to teach or teaching students aged 13-18. A hermeneutic-existential phenomenology perspective compares participants'…

Research on beginning student teachers' motivations for becoming teachers has shown that they want to contribute to the lives of their students and to society; however, few of these studies have addressed beginning student teachers' views on what education is for in relation to the development of both their future students and society. To examine…