dr. jennifer t. butcher, phd dissertation defense, dissertation chair, dr. william allan kritsonis

8/14/2019 Dr. Jennifer T. Butcher, PhD Dissertation Defense, Dissertation Chair, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis

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An Examination of FactorsRelated to the Job Satisfactionand Retention of Alternatively

Certified Teachers

A Dissertation Defense

by

Jennifer T. Butcher

Dissertation Chair: William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.Prairie View A & M University

Educational Leadership

March 2009



Committee Members

William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.

Chair

Donald R. Collins, Ph.D.

MemberDavid Herrington, Ph.D.

Member

Ronald Howard, Ph.D.

Member



Dissertation DefenseFormat

I. Statement of the Problem

II. Theoretical Framework

III. Purpose of the StudyIV. Research Questions

V. Method

VI. Quantitative Major Findings

VII. Qualitative Major Findings

VIII. Review of Literature

IX. Recommendations



Statement of the Problem

Due to the influx of new teachers fromalternative certification programs, it isimportant to address the problems of

attrition and identify strategies thatfocus on the retention of alternativelycertified teachers. There is a need todetermine if current alternativecertification programs and schooldistricts are providing the training,support, and continued monitoring of alternatively certified teachers (Hill &Barth, 2004).



Theoretical Framework

One theory guiding this study is derived fromthe economic labor market theory of supplyand demand.

In the same vein, Frederick Herzberg’stheory of motivation and job satisfactionwhich was developed from his studies of engineers and accountants complements the

supply and demand theory.



Theoretical FrameworkSupporting Literature

Numerous authors have described theapplication of the supply and demand theoryto the specifics of teacher labor markets in

detail (Haggstrom, Darling-Hammond, &Grissmer, 1988; Boardman, Darling-Hammond,& Mullins, 1982). The supply for teachers is related to the number of

qualified individuals willing to teach at a given level

of overall compensation. The demand can be defined as the number of

teaching positions offered at a given level of overallcompensation.



Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was two-fold.

To examine factors related to the jobsatisfaction and retention of alternatively certified teachers.

To examine factors related to

alternatively certified teachers’ decisionto enter and remain in the teachingprofession.



Research Questions

Quantitative

1. What is the profile of alternatively

certified teachers in the selected urbanschool district included in this study?

2. To what extent do alternatively certifiedteachers feel supported as novice public

school teachers by the district andadministrators?



Research Questions

Quantitative

3. To what extent do alternatively certified

teachers feel committed to remain inthe teaching profession?

4. Is there a relationship betweenalternatively certified teachers’

perception of support and theircommitment to remain in the teachingprofession?



Null Hypothesis

H01: There is no statistically significant

relationship between alternatively

certified teachers’ perception of support and their commitment toremain in the teaching profession?



Research Questions

Qualitative

1.What do alternatively certified

teachers report to be the reasonsfor entering the teachingprofession?

2. What do alternatively certifiedteachers perceive to be thefactors that assisted in theirdevelopment as teachers?



Research Questions

Qualitative

3. What do alternatively certified teachers

perceive to be the factors that hinderedtheir development as teachers?

4. What do alternatively certified teachersreport to be the reasons that they have

remained in the teaching profession?



Research Questions

Qualitative

5. What do alternatively certified teachers

report about their early educatorpreparation experiences?

6. What strategies do the selected urbanschool district employ to identify and

utilize factors that encourage teacher job satisfaction and retention?



Method



Method

Quantitative Data was collected in the formof a researcher developed questionnaire andsurvey.

Descriptive statistics were used to acquire aprofile of participants of the study.

Pearson’s Correlation was used to examinewhether a statistical significant relationship

existed between alternatively certifiedteachers’ perception of support and theircommitment to remain in the teachingprofession.



Method

Qualitative data was collected in the form of structured personal interviews.

Member checking was utilized to give theinterview participants an opportunity to reviewand clarify their responses to the interviewquestions.

Data was reduced and extracted by clusteringand coding.

Data was used to identify emergent themes.



Method

Subjects of the Study (Quantitative) Alternatively Certified Elementary Teachers

Grades Kindergarten through fourth grade One major urban school district in Texas 85 alternatively certified teachers

responded out of 150

57% rate of return



Method

Subjects of the Study (Qualitative) 5 alternatively certified elementary teachers

2 Human Resources directors 8 elementary administrators 5 elementary mentors



Method

Instrumentation Researcher developed questionnaire was used to

collect data related to the demographics of respondents in the study.

Researcher developed survey was used to collectdata related to the attitudes of alternatively certifiedteachers in regards to their retention in the field Five point Likert type instrument

Researcher developed interview guide was used tocollect data from selected alternatively certified

teachers, mentors, administrators, and HumanResources directors

Pilot study was conducted using individuals thatwere not included in the study



Major FindingsQuantitative Research

Question 1What is the profile of alternativelycertified teachers in the selected

urban school district included inthis study?




Question 1Demographic Characteristics of Alternatively Certified Teachers

Gender Years of Teaching Experience Grade Level Taught Career Goals Reason for applying for alternative certification Prior Teaching Experience Undergraduate Degree Undergraduate Major Undergraduate University Attended

Graduate Degree Graduate Major Graduate University Attended




Question 1Gender

Female 83.5%

Male 16.5%




Question 1 Teaching Experience

Years0-5 51.7%

6-10 35.3%

11-15 7.1%

16-20 2.4%

More Than 20 3.5%




Question 1Grade Level

Kindergarten 30.6%

First Grade 20.0%

Second Grade 24.7%

Third Grade 17.6%Fourth Grade 7.1%




Question 1Career Goal

Remain a Classroom Teacher 34.1%

Educational Support System 41.2%

Administrator 20.0%

Remain in education until 4.7%

finding another job




Question 1Reason for Applying for Alternative Certification

Retirement 1.2 % Job Layoff 4.7 % Job Dissatisfaction 15.2 %

Love of Teaching 42.4 %Something that was 16.5%always desired

Passion for working 17.6%with childrenOther 2.4%




Question 1Prior Teaching Experience

None 14.1% Trainer at previous job 14.1%

Teaching in a religious 27.1%

sectorDaycare Teacher 14.1%

Other 30.6%




Question 1Undergraduate Degree

BA 68.2%

BS 31.8%




Question 1 Undergraduate Majors of Respondents

22 different majors reported

Top 3 Undergraduate Majors (28.2%) respondents majored in Psychology

(9.4%) respondents majored in Communications (9.4%) respondents majored in Business

Universities Attended for Undergraduate Degree 30 universities reported

Top 3 Universities attended for undergraduate degree (27.1%) respondents attended University of Houston

(11.8%) respondents attended Sam Houston State University (8.2%) respondents attended Stephen F. Austin University




Question 1Graduate Degree

None 82.3%

MEd 5.9%

MA 5.9%

MBA 3.5%

MS 2.4%




Question 1Graduate Major

None 82.3 %Curriculum and 4.7%

InstructionCounseling 3.5%Social Work 1.2%Physics 3.5%Business 2.4%Administration

Criminal Justice 1.2%Educational 1.2%Administration




Question 1University Attended for Graduate Degree

None 82.3% Texas Southern 1.2 %

Prairie View A&M 7.0%University of Phoenix 3.5%University of Texas 1.2%

Arlington

Center of Advance 1.2%Research Mexico City

University of Central 1.2%Florida

Lamar 1.2%Georgetown University 1.2%

i f i



Review of LiteratureQuantitative Research

Question 1It is extremely difficult to create aprofile of the typical alternative

certification candidate. Alternativecertification program participants are adiverse group of individuals who defygeneralizations (Humphrey and

Weschsler, 2007).

j i di




Question 2To what extent do alternativelycertified teachers feel supported

as novice public school teachers bythe district and administrators?

M j Fi di




Question 2 71.7% of the respondents agreed that the district

offered professional development opportunitiesspecifically designed for new alternatively certified

teachers. 85.9% of the respondents agreed that the quality of the

professional development offered to new teacherssupported the quality of instruction provided to theirstudents.

78.8% of the respondents agreed that as a new teacherthey met with their mentor at least once a week.

83.4% of the respondents agreed that their mentorprovided emotional support during the first year.

M j Fi di




Question 2 78.8% of the respondents agreed that their mentor

provided instructional support during the first year.

84.7% of the respondents agreed that the mentoring

program at their school was beneficial. 84.7% of the respondents agreed that the principal at

their school supported and encouraged alternativelycertified teachers.

78.8% of the respondents agreed that as a new teacher,

the principal met with them to discuss their progress.

R i f Lit t




Question 2 Staff development must be

implemented by each school system in

order to maintain a skilled andknowledgeable staff (Rebore, 2007).

The benefits of mentorship programsnot only reduce attrition rates among

new teachers, but also improveteaching capabilities (Mullinix, 2002).

M j Fi di




Question 3To what extent do alternativelycertified teachers feel committed

to remain in the teachingprofession?

M j Fi di




Question 3 92.9% of the respondents agreed that they are committed

to teaching as a career. 89.4% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfied

with their teaching career.

82.3% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfiedwith the degree of administrative support they receive attheir school.

77.6% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfiedwith the duties required for their work.

83.5% of the respondents agreed that they intend to stay inteaching more than five years.

R i f Lit t




Question 3Teachers’ feelings aboutadministrative support, resources

for teaching, and teacher inputinto decision making are stronglyrelated to their plans to stay in

teaching and to their reasons forleaving (Darling-Hammond, 2007;Ingersoll, 2001).

M j Fi di




Question 4 Is there a relationship between alternatively certified

teachers’ perception of support and their commitment toremain in the teaching profession?

Null Hypothesis:

H01 : There is no statistically significant relationship betweenalternatively certified teachers’ perception of support andtheir commitment to remain in the teaching profession. Pearson’s r = .236 is significant at the p<.05 level of

significance. Correlation is significant at the .05 level (2-tailed). Therefore,

the null hypothesis is rejected. There was a statistically significant relationship between

alternatively certified teachers’ perception of support andcommitment to remain in the teaching profession.

R i f Lit t




Question 4Lack of administrative support canimpact a teacher’s decision to

leave the profession (Busch,Pederson, Espin, andWeissenburger, 2001).

M j Fi di



Major FindingsQualitative Research

Question 1What do alternatively certifiedteachers report to be the reasons

for entering the teachingprofession?

Major Findings




Question 1 Always wanting to teach

“Some always wanted to be a teacher, but forfinancial reasons did something else or family toldthem that it was not the best profession” (HR1).

Parents and family members were teachers “I have always had a desire to become a teacher.

This desire may have been influenced by having amother in the profession; however, I have alwaysviewed teaching as an opportunity to make adifference” (T2).

Review of Literature



Review of LiteratureQualitative Research

Question 1Studies demonstrate that people do notstart looking for new jobs because of money; rather they seek careers inorganizations that increase their sense of value and offer them an opportunity forempowerment, career mobility, personalgrowth, and opportunities to acquire newskills. This may include alternativelycertified teachers (Rosenow, 2005).

Major Findings




Question 2What do alternatively certifiedteachers perceive to be the factors

that assisted in their developmentas teachers?

Major Findings




Question 2 Observance of teachers

“My development as a teacher has been mainly from myclassroom experience and observance of my fellowteachers” (T4 ).

Professional development “Staff development is provided in areas such as classroom

management, subject area, dealing with specialpopulations, technology, and communication with parents”(ADM2).

Mentor program “Mentors are chosen based on strength. I match mentors

with mentees according to grade level and subjectstaught” (ADM1).





Question 2 Staff development must be implemented by

each school system in order to maintain askilled and knowledgeable staff (Rebore,2007).

Teacher mentors should be selected basedon their ability to develop curriculum,personal interests, educationalphilosophies, and compatible personalities(Mullinex, 2002).

Major Findings




Question 3What do alternatively certified

teachers perceive to be the

reasons that hindered theirdevelopment as teachers?

Major Findings




Question 3 Lack of classroom management Not having contact with children prior to

the first year teaching “They did not have the student teaching

experience. They lack studentmanagement. They did not have theopportunity to watch veteran teachers. They

did not have the opportunity to accumulateprior classroom observation hours whilethey were in college” (ADM2).

Literature Review



Literature ReviewQualitative Research

Question 3Alternatively certified teachers’

limited preparation impacts their

sense of efficacy as well as jobsatisfaction (Easley, 2006).

Major Findings




Question 4What do alternatively certifiedteachers perceive to be the

reasons that they have remainedin the teaching profession?

Major Findings




Question 4 Love for children

Love for teaching

“I have a love for teaching, and I find joy inthe students I work with every day. It’samazing to see their light bulbs go off andto see them grow” (T1).

Found their niche Rewarding field





Question 4 The main contributors to highlevels of teacher job satisfaction

are working with childrenparticularly where teachers candevelop strong professional

relationships (Spear, Gould, andLee, 2000).

Major Findings




Question 5What do alternatively certifiedteachers report about their early

educator preparation experiences?

Major Findings




Question 5 Enrolled in Alternative Certification Program

“I think that they should complete all class work andreceive certification before being placed in aclassroom. The state should have set standards for all

programs. The basic classes should be likeuniversities. They should have more classroommanagement and lesson cycle informationincorporated in their program. They should receive allnecessary training before being placed in theclassroom to deal with children” (ADM 5).

Working as a substitute teacher Volunteered in an after school program Taught pre-school





Question 5Considering that No Child Left Behind iscalling for a qualified teacher in every

classroom, a concern withnontraditional teachers is that they areactually the teacher of record who maynot yet have a high degree of

confidence in their teaching ability(Desjean-Perrotta, Flores, andSteinmetz, 2004).

Major Findings




Question 6What strategies do the selectedurban school district employ to

identify and utilize factors thatencourage teacher job satisfactionand retention?

Major Findings




Question 6 Mentors/Campus Mentor Programs

“The district assigns experienced teachers to mentorour incoming teachers. I feel this is a good program,because it gives the new teachers someone to leanon for guidance” (M1).

Staff Development “The district offers several professional development

opportunities that have benefited me in severalways. I have attended training on classroom

management, learning styles, and organization. These types of workshops have helped metremendously” (T3).





Question 6Studies found that districts that

provided established pre-service,

induction and staff developmentprograms that factored in theprofessional background and personalhistories of alternatively certified

teachers tended to retain more of theseteachers (Wang, 2007).

Recommendations



Recommendationsfrom the Study

Alternative teacher certification programsshould provide opportunities for classroomobservations and field experiences in teaching

environments prior to entering the classroomas the teacher of record. Alternative teacher certification programs

should provide training preparedness in theareas of designing classroom instruction,

assessment, and classroom management.

Recommendations




Principals should provide opportunitiesfor alternatively certified teachers to

observe novice teachers. Principals should conduct a needs

assessment of first year alternativelycertified teachers to determine their

confidence of preparedness for theclassroom.

Recommendations




Principals should ensure that mentoringsupports are in place for alternativelycertified teachers, and provide time for

collaboration between mentors andmentees.

Principals should provide professionaldevelopment opportunities for

alternatively certified teachers inclassroom management, technology,and areas based on needs assessment.

Recommendations for



Recommendations forFurther Study

A study could be conducted with middleschools and/or high schools in

examining factors related to the jobsatisfaction and retention of alternatively certified teachers.

A study could be conducted in

examining the impact of mentoring onthe retention of alternatively certifiedteachers.

Recommendations for



Recommendations forFurther Study

A study could be conducted inexamining the impact of student

academic achievement on the retentionof alternatively certified teachers.

A study could be conducted evaluatingselected Alternative Certification

Programs and teacher retention.



References

Boardman, A., Darling-Hammond, L., and Mullin, S. (1982). A frameworkfor the analysis of teachers’ demand and supply. Economics of Education Review, 2(2), 127-155.

Busch, T.W., Pederson, K., Espin, C.A. & Weisenburger, J.W. (2001). Teaching students with learning disabilities: perceptions of a first-year

teacher. Journal of Special Education, 35, 100-104.Darling-Hammond, L. (2007b). Evaluating no child left behind. The Nation,

11-18.Desjean-Perrotta, B., Flores, B., and Steinmetz, L. (2004). Teacher

efficacy: A comparative study of university certified and alternativelycertified teachers. Action in Teacher Education, 26(2), 37-46.

Easley, J. (2006). Alternative route urban teacher retention and

implication for principals’ moral leadership. Educational Studies,32(3), 241-249.Haggstrom, G., Darling-Hammond, L., and Grissmer, D. (1988). Assessing

teacher supply and demand . Santa Monica, CA: RAND.



References

Humphrey, D. and Wechsler, M. (2007). Insights into alternativecertification: Initial findings from a national study. Teachers CollegeRecord, 109 (3), 483-530.

Ingersoll, R. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: anorganizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3),499-534.

Mullinix, B.B. (2002). Selecting and retaining teacher mentors.Washington, DC. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No.ED477728).

Rebore, W. (2007). Human resources administration in education. Boston,MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Rosenow, D. (2005). Stress, burnout and self-esteem among educators. Journal of Border Educational Research, 4, 87-90.

Spear, M., Gould, K., and Lee, B. (2000). Who would be a teacher? Areview of factors motivating and demotivating prospective and

practicing teachers (Slough, UK, NFER).

An Examination of Factors



Related to the Job Satisfactionand Retention of Alternatively

Certified Teachers

A Dissertation Defenseby

Jennifer T. Butcher

dr. jennifer t. butcher, phd dissertation defense, dissertation chair, dr. william allan kritsonis

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