1

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

Introduction

In Chapter 1 of this research study, I provide the background, problem statement,

purpose, and research questions. Additionally, I describe the nature of study and present

operational definitions, assumptions, the scope and delimitations, limitations, and the

significance of the study. A critical factor of consideration pertaining to any potential

impact of COVID-19 on this research is further explained in the operational definitions as

well as limitations. The study explored novice educators’ experiences, and the findings

can aid district and state leaders who focus on legislation and policy on teacher retention

rates. Additionally, the findings may provide district leaders insight on induction

programs and hiring practices.

As the United States is scrutinized for poorly funded education systems, teacher

retention rates continue to show deficits within school districts across multiple settings

(National Center for Education Statistics, 2023a; Papay & Kraft, 2017). Researchers have

identified several factors influencing retention, such as evaluation, salary compensation,

and lack of administrative support (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023a;

Papay & Kraft, 2017). Retention rates among novice educators indicate significant

struggles across the nation’s education systems. Several studies have indicated that

between 46% and 50% of novice educators leave their employment setting within the

first 5 years in public school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023a; Papay &

Kraft, 2017; U.S. Department of Education, 2017). The National Center for Education

Statistics (2023b) published data from all states and territories of the United States
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regarding perceptions of staff shortages, percentage of public schools that have

challenges filling vacant positions, percentage of difficulties filling nonteaching

positions, and some of the reasons why challenges continue to exist. The survey consisted

of 115 responses from the considered eligible schools. Results were provided for

individual states as well as regionally. Public schools reported that 45% perceived that

they were understaffed going into the 2023–2024 school year. This was a slight decrease

from the reported 53% in 2022.

The Midwest and the South had very little decrease, with only 3–5% below their

2022 report. The Northeast and the West showed the most decrease with at least a 10%

drop. While this statistic is considered noteworthy, the findings of the perception of

challenges of hiring teachers showed only one 1-point drop from all public schools. The

Midwest reported a 2-point increase from 81% to 83% in difficulties filling teaching

positions with fully certified teachers. The South maintained at 82% from the years 2022

to 2023. The three contributing factors to districts' challenges were too few candidates

applying, lack of qualified staff for open positions, and inability to secure hires based on

compensation, including benefits (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023b).

The National Center for Education Statistics data from the 2022–2023 school year

also indicated that of all of the reporting schools and school districts, 53% believed that

they were short-staffed entering the school year. Regionally, the West reported having the

highest perception rate of believing they were understaffed at 60% of respondents

indicating “yes” on their survey. The Midwest and the South were within one percentage

point from one another, at 52% and 51%, respectively, reporting the perception of being
 3
understaffed. Trailing the four regions was the Northeast with 49% of respondents

reporting that they perceived their schools or districts as being short-staffed. Similar to

the previous year, public schools in all of the regions, with the Midwest being the highest

at 75%, indicated that there were too few candidates applying for the open staff positions,

with the next factor being the lack of qualified candidates who were applying for open

positions. The National Center for Education Statistics does not have any years before the

2022–2023 findings published on its site. However, there was an additional study that

was specific to principals, which was called Teacher Attrition in Mobility and had results

for the 2021–2022 teacher follow-up survey to the national teacher and principal survey.

Similar to the results in the prior paragraph, novice educators with 3 years or fewer were

also reported as being in categories of stayers, movers, and leavers. This report, published

in the 2020–2021 school year, indicated that among teachers with experience of 3 years

or less, 78.5% were stayers, 8.6% were movers, and 12.9% were leavers.

According to the most recent publication of the U.S. Department of Education

(2017a), 48 states reported teacher shortages in math, 46 states reported teacher shortages

in special education, 42 states reported teacher shortages in science, and 41 states

reported teacher shortages in foreign language in the school year 2017–2018. Retention

creates significant concerns for school districts concerning resource allocations and

increased funding for recruitment, hiring, and training for new hires (Amorim Neto et al.,

2018). Similarly, Papay et al. (2017) argued that district transfers and value-added

initiatives impacted teacher retention rates in low-performing and high-performing

districts. Educators transfer within districts and outside districts for unknown reasons.
 4
Districts are faced with excess costs in securing new hires and potential shortages in the

applicant pools.

Researchers considering the reasons why educators leave the field within the first

5 years have questioned what level of influence intrinsic motivation has on educators.

Current research has been isolated to preparedness, competency, administrative support,

and school culture (Fradkin-Hayslip, 2021; Whipp & Geronime, 2017; Wronowski,

2017). Research on intrinsic motivation in K–12 public school settings was limited to

quantitative methods, with more focused attention on extrinsic factors. There were few

qualitative studies that explored intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The research that was

reviewed recommended further exploration using qualitative methodology. The lack of

qualitative research on understanding intrinsic motivation and retention rates has

prompted the need for future studies to assist district administrators and state leaders in

determining key components of failing systems. Most articles found were quantitative

research studies that recommended that qualitative research studies be designed to

understand the phenomenon of intrinsic motivation in K–12 public school settings

(Kaplan, 2021). The studies noted the lack of understanding of individual intrinsic

motivation as a recommended area of study to assist policymakers in developing

induction programs and systems within their school districts to attract and retain high-

quality educators. Currently, there is limited qualitative research that shows how intrinsic

motivation influences the retention rates of novice educators. This gap in the literature

prompted the need for this study.

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Background

Public school K–12 teaching is one of the largest employee groups across the

United States. It continues to expand to match the demands of the elementary and

secondary student enrollment percentages that have increased rapidly across the United

States. According to an Institute of Education Sciences publication, multiple states have

reported shortages of elementary education, language arts, special education, and

mathematics teachers (U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education,

2017b).

Additionally, there has been an increase in the need for bilingual and English as a

second language teachers. In 2012–2013, teachers in the stayers, movers, and leavers

categories were at 84.3%, 8.1%, and 7.7%, respectively. Reports for 2021–2022 show

similar results of 84.1%, 7.9%, and 7.9% in the respective categories of stayers, movers,

and leavers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023a). Over the past two to three

decades, state leaders have sought to understand how to attract teachers to become

professionals in the field and how to retain the quality teachers who exist in the field.

According to a recent analysis of teacher retention rates, the overall turnover rate is

approximately 16%, with 8% of teachers leaving the profession and 8% shifting schools

(Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). The 2023 Teacher Attrition and Mobility

report supports the previous research and shows that teachers with 3 years or less have an

8.7% rate as movers and 12.9% rate as leavers (National Center for Education Statistics,

2023a).
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The percentage of teachers leaving the field in conjunction with the school-to-

school movement can result in significant costs for districts, which must recruit and retain

additional qualified staff. Additionally, there continue to be variances between state-by-

state trends and regional trends. While the Northeast region averages the lowest turnover

rates, southern and Midwestern cities present the highest rates, ranging from 13% to

16.7% (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017).

Trends over the past two decades indicate that teacher shortages have a national

impact on the demographics of the educational field. Stemming back to the most recent

overall national statistics published in 2017 to current national results based on different

pulse surveys from principals and teachers, the shortages in education continue to impact

students in various ways (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023a). Information

relayed to state agencies, legislators, and districts has been used to work together to

increase the human capital of educators and improve teacher recruitment practices,

preservice training, mentoring and induction, and professional development practices

(Berry & Shields, 2017). While these interventions worked for a short duration, in the

2015–2016 school year the District of Columbia and 48 other states continued to report

shortages of teachers and the areas of special education, math, science, and bilingual

education or ESL teachers. The field is yet again faced with demands related to increased

student enrollment, which is expected to grow by 3 million in the next 10 years; restored

teacher positions and course offerings that were eliminated during the Great Recession;

2008 low enrollment numbers in teacher preparation programs; and attrition rates of

about an 8% annually in the United States (Berry & Shields, 2017). In many respects,
 7
researchers have indicated that districts’ abilities to retain high-quality educators have

plummeted to the rates that were experienced in the late 1990s (Berry & Shields, 2017).

Problem Statement

According to The Graide Network (2020), teacher shortages across the United

States continue to have a significant impact on student achievement and districts’ ability

to provide students with quality instruction. The Learning Policy Institute (as cited in The

Graide Network, 2020) reported that approximately 8% of educators leave the field for

various reasons. Among the regions in the United States, the southern region is reported

to have the highest teacher turnover rate, at 17% annually. New Mexico and Arizona

were reported as having the highest turnover rates at just below 23% and 24%,

respectively. Utah was reported to have the lowest turnover rate at 10% (The Graide

Network, 2020). Novice educators’ departure from the field of education impacts school

districts’ ability to serve students with high-quality instruction. Leaders in several states

have sought to understand the reasons why educators are leaving the field and the impact

on school systems (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Colorado Department of

Education [CDE], 2020b; The Graide Network, 2020; Wilder Research, 2019).

The National Center for Educational Statistics (2023b) indicated that teacher

retention rates continue to be a prevalent issue in many states. The percentage of public-

school educators leaving the field has steadily risen and has been highest among veteran

teachers with 25 or more years of experience. Additional noteworthy reports indicated

that teachers with only 2 years of experience had higher rates of mobility than teachers

with 11 or more years of experience.

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National retention rate statistics are outdated, as the last reporting period was

given for the 2012–2013 school year (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2023a).

However, there are several states that are producing their own reports and providing

individual state information on retention rates of teachers and administrators. States are

reporting continued significant exit rates of novice teachers and rates of unfilled positions

at the beginning of the school year (CDE, 2019, 2020b; Wilder Research, 2019). In

support of the most recent national statistics, Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond

(2017) indicated the teaching profession has an 8% attrition rate, and the number of

teachers exiting either the field or district represents nearly 90% of the annual educational

demands.

According to the CDE (2019), survey results for the 2018–2019 school year for

districts across the state indicated that there were close to 8,000 teaching positions for

hire, representing approximately 13.79% of all teaching positions in the state. Of those

reported teaching positions to hire, over 250 remained unfilled for the entire school year,

and over 900 were filled through a shortage mechanism, which included hiring

substitutes and alternatively licensed teachers. For the subsequent year of 2019–2020,

Colorado's education shortage survey indicated a similar percentage of 13.25% of open

teaching positions across the state. Of those total teaching positions to hire, 147 were

unfilled for the beginning of the school year, and 985 were filled through a shortage

mechanism.

Similarly, the 2019 biennial Minnesota Teacher Supply and Demand report

indicated that districts reported that teacher shortages continued to be a problem, as

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indicated by evidence that 42% of districts reported it as a major problem and

approximately 52% of the districts indicated that it was a minor problem (Wilder

Research, 2019). In comparison with 5 years earlier, more than half of the districts

reported fewer applicants to become teachers. Additional reports indicated that

approximately 10 school districts had to cancel classes or programs due to the teacher

shortage. Some districts were forced to offer online instruction or combined classrooms

due to that shortage reported in the 2019 biennial report (Wilder Research, 2019).

New Mexico has joined several states in an effort to understand teacher retention

rates better. New Mexico reported a significant increase in teacher vacancies from 2015

to 2018 (Legislative Education Study Committee [LESC], 2018). Additionally,

universities reported lower levels of enrollment in teaching programs. Among recent

graduates, approximately 50% of educators elected to leave the field of education within

the first 5 years (LESC, 2018). Between the years of 2017 to 2019, there was an increase

of over 300 reported vacancies across New Mexico, with a total of 740 vacancies in fiscal

year (FY) 2019 (LESC, 2018).

Several states, along with state legislators, have sought to determine the

underlying factors in retaining high-quality teachers on a more individual basis, as the

national reports are limited to the years 2012–2013 (CDE, 2019, 2020b; Garcia & Weiss,

2019; LESC, 2018; Wilder Research, 2019). Novice educators with less than 5 years of

experience are rapidly leaving the field of education and/or transferring from one district

to another. Several factors have been studied in isolation, such as working conditions,

compensation, connectivity or relatedness, administrative support, and competency. The

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research that has been analyzed leads the field to research further. There has yet to be one

factor that has shown significant results that can assist policymakers and legislators in

making lasting changes to the educational system. Therefore, the problem that was

focused on for this study was the limited understanding of how intrinsic motivation

influences the retention rates of novice educators.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to explore how the intrinsic motivation of novice

elementary educators within a K–12 public school influences their willingness to remain

in teaching. I proposed that using self-determination theory (SDT) to analyze the

combined effect of autonomy, competency, and relatedness might provide the answers to

make the social changes the field needs to tackle the continued failure to retain high-

quality teachers (Ryan & Deci, 2017). SDT was first established in 1985 and reexamined

in 2017 (Ryan & Deci, 2017). The study targeted novice educators within elementary

grades in public K–12 schools.

The main focal point of this research was how the intrinsic motivation of novice

elementary educators within a K–12 public school influences their willingness to remain

in teaching. Research on intrinsic motivation and understanding self-determination

through the lens of the psychological supports of autonomy, competency, and relatedness

involves questions that can be addressed through quantitative and qualitative

methodologies. Motivation has traditionally been studied using quantitative methods with

recommendations and implications for qualitative approaches and further research to

provide generalizations to support the field (Onyefulu et al., 2022; Shibiti, 2020). While
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there are significant findings in quantitative studies, all the recommendations of those

studies have included a desire for further research using a qualitative approach to provide

a deeper understanding of the influence of motivation on retention rates in education.

Research Questions

The following research questions were used to provide data to explore the

intrinsic motivation of novice elementary educators in K–12 public school settings. Two

questions were designed to use a basic qualitative approach:

RQ1. How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary educators’

willingness to remain in teaching?

RQ2. What are the reasons novice educators give for choosing to stay in the

field of education?

Theoretical and/or Conceptual Framework for the Study

The conceptual framework for the study was Ryan and Deci’s (2017) SDT. First

established in 1985, SDT addresses social and psychological conditions that directly

influence growth and development. Ryan and Deci’s work has been used to understand

extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in multiple disciplines. Within SDT, there are examples

of both extrinsic and intrinsic factors; however, the approach of this study focused on the

intrinsic psychological factors of autonomy, competency, and relatedness. The SDT

framework guided this research to provide details and understanding of motivation.

Applying the SDT lens provided structure and design to maximize the expected outcomes

of the study.
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In the recent past, researchers have studied motivation and motivational practices

using both quantitative and qualitative approaches (Fradkin-Hayslip, 2021; Onyefulu et

al., 2022; Shibiti, 2020). Based on the findings and methods analyzed, I supported the

need to understand intrinsic motivation using the SDT framework to explore the

influence of intrinsic motivation and teacher retention rates in elementary grades in K-12

public school districts. Onyefulu et al. (2022) posited that future research regarding

retention and turnover should be expanded to allow for generalizing the findings across

public schools. A teacher’s conceptual understanding of intrinsic motivation and the

ability to engage students may provide insight on retention, student outcomes, and

satisfaction of their employment. Shibiti (2020) used an empirical investigation approach

to help broaden the understanding of retention factors and work engagement.

Nature of the Study

In determining the research paradigm most appropriate for this study, I considered

various theories that offer insight into why educators remain in the field within the first

years. Statistical data such as retention rates, the number of educators in the field, and

retirement rates are available through national and state offices. However, the data

portray the statistical aspects and leave out the perspective and perceptions of the actual

educators who select to stay or leave. The use of a qualitative study approach for this

study was an approach that provided individual insight into novice elementary educators'

willingness to remain in the field.

The nature of this study was a basic qualitative design to provide credibility to the

collection of personal interviews (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). Personal interviews included
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targeted questions aligned to the study that provided data on how intrinsic motivation

influences retention rates. A sequential exploratory strategy was engaged to collect and

analyze the qualitative data in the primary phase through recorded interviews of novice

teachers in the elementary grades. A qualitative approach for this study used interviews to

explore intrinsic motivation using SDT and the likelihood of participants’ willingness to

remain in public school settings. Emerging themes were drawn from the qualitative data

and analysis of those data and are described in Chapters 4 and 5 (Ravitch & Carl, 2015).

Definitions

Autonomy: Autonomy can be defined as practicing from one’s own individual

interests, values, and experience as an expression of self. Autonomy is not to be confused

with the concept of independence; instead, SDT indicates an anti-antagonistic

relationship between autonomy and dependence (Deci & Ryan, 2002).

Competency: Competency is defined as having direct foundational knowledge of

instructional practices, content, student behaviors, and the ability to manage and navigate

a classroom with varied learners that influence efficacy and efficiency in daily practices

(Deci & Flaste, 1996; Ryan & Deci, 2017).

Intrinsic motivation: Intrinsic motivation is defined as inherent sense of belonging

and deeply rooted personal values in which the individual’s behaviors and actions are a

sole result of their inner sense of self (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Characteristics of intrinsic

motivation are described as behaving with authenticity, self-regulating, being one’s true

self, and/or accepting responsibility.

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Novice educator: A novice educator is defined as an educator who has less than 5

years’ experience as a licensed professional in the field of teaching. Novice educators

may include teachers who are in the process of obtaining their professional license while

holding an initial license. Novice educators have a minimum of 4 years of college

preparation at an accredited university. For the purposes of this study and COVID-19

implications, novice educators selected for this study did not have their first years of

employment in the 2019–2020 or 2020–2021 school year.

Relatedness: Relatedness is defined as how an individual is trained and educated

with a sense of their ability to thrive, adapt, explore, and experience the external factors

that impact their sense of self. Those external factors include, but are not limited to,

administrative support, collegial respect and camaraderie, school culture and climate, and

mentoring and induction programs (Deci & Flaste, 1996; Ryan & Deci, 2017).

Assumptions

There were several assumptions made about this qualitative study to explore

intrinsic motivation in novice elementary educators in Grades 3 through 5 in a public K–

12 setting. The first was that novice educators in K–12 public school wanted to share

their experiences and stories through the interview process. Second, novice educators

understood and were able to articulate their experiences with autonomy, competency, and

relatedness and their school setting as well as challenges they may have experienced

within their first years of teaching in a public-school setting. Third, there was a

willingness to participate in an interview during pandemic and social distancing

requirements that were in place during the period of data collection.

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Scope and Delimitations

This qualitative study’s scope and delimitations included the proposed population

and conceptual framework not considered for this study. For instance, through purposeful

sampling (Patton, 2015), 10 novice educators in Grades 3 through 5 identified as key

informants were selected to participate. The purpose outlined in this qualitative research

study was to understand intrinsic motivation among elementary educators in Grades 3

through 5 in the public K–12 setting. The challenges and barriers encountered may have

impacted or influenced the novice educators’ willingness to remain in the field after 5

years. Excluded from this study were educators not in an elementary Grade 3 through 5

setting as well as educators who had 5 or more years’ experience in either their current

setting or multiple settings in public education. Additional exclusions from this study

applied to those novice educators who began their career in the school year 2019–2020 or

2020–2021 due to COVID-19. The transferability of this study is not without limits based

on the individual experiences and retention rates of novice educators.

Limitations

Limitations of the study were the low number of participants and the targeted pool

of novice elementary educators. Researchers additionally suggest that cultural and

financial resources may impact participation. Researchers understand the unique

limitation of potential conflict of interest if participants are educators of special education

students due to district position. However, this was avoided as I was not the primary

evaluator of teachers in any district. An additional limitation was the COVID-19

pandemic and its impact on the availability of teachers to participate.

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The access to novice elementary educators in Grades 3 through 5 in a public K–12

setting posed challenges for scheduling interviews, meeting face to face, and making

phone contacts. Participants were from several sources, which included approving

districts and the Walden Pool. The restrictions on meeting face to face with research

participants due to the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing guidelines (Laureate

International Universities, 2021) posed several challenges in observations. Observations

were limited with a clearer intent on using voice inflection and pauses in conversation.

Alternative technology strategies were needed due to the limitations to using electronic

procedures (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). Professional databases such as LinkedIn as well as

other social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were used as

additional tools to contact novice educators who might fit the criteria as participants in

this qualitative study. The recruitment of targeted interview participants of novice

educators in Grades 3 through 5 may also be a challenge for this study. There were

limited amounts of contact opportunities as an external research partner to the district

were based on approvals to draw participants.

Additional considerations were taken due to COVID-19’s impact on educators.

COVID-19 presented a unique perspective on the role of an educator and was considered

during the interviews. If a participant expressed that COVID-19 was the primary

influencing factor, another participant was selected, as the purpose of the study was to

explore intrinsic motivation and the influence on novice educators.

Qualitative research studies’ transferability was impacted by the understanding of

the purposes, contextual frameworks, and interview methods that are unique to the
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participant experience and perspective (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). A combined purposeful

sampling strategy to recruit novice elementary educators as informants presented

limitations. The educators participating in the study were knowledgeable in their

respective fields and were able to share personal experiences towards understanding the

intrinsic motivation of novice educators. Reflection on the interview methodology to

ensure dependability to track progress on the research was a critical step in the research

process (Patton, 2015). Face-to-face interviews were not allowed due to COVID-19

restrictions; the nuances and the interview process were limited because I was not able to

observe the participants in a natural setting and had to rely on voice inflection and

conversation pace. I used an interview protocol that reduced bias in addition to note

taking during the interview process.

Significance

Change agents in education seek to challenge the status quo with innovative,

positive-solution approaches to social issues that have potential global implications (Hall

& Hord, 2015). The study provided new information that may help to foster social change

within states that experience retention issues among novice educators. This study focused

on applying self-determination theory’s psychological principles of autonomy,

competency, and relatedness to explore the dynamic relationship that educators have with

their students and the way that intrinsic motivation influences their desire to remain in or

leave the field of education (Ryan & Deci, 2017). The study explored this grounded

theory within urban school districts in a Midwestern state in the United States. The data

collected provided a sampling of perceptions of novice educators in elementary grades.

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Novice educators were described as educators with less than 5 years’ experience in the

field. This problem is relevant in the changing world of education and supports efforts to

resolve teacher retention issues in the field of education. Qualitative analysis allowed for

fine distinctions to be drawn, which may provide benefits to the district from which

participants were pulled.

Summary

In this chapter, I discussed the problem statement, the purpose of the research, and

the background that supports additional information to assist legislators and school

officials in formulating policies and guidance to address teacher retention issues. Also

discussed were the historical studies that have been conducted using quantitative methods

with recommendations to use a qualitative approach that broadens the scope of the

problem to include multiple variables. SDT (Deci & Ryan, 2004) provided three

psychological principles—autonomy, competency, and relatedness—to strengthen the

validity and trustworthiness of the research. In the following chapter, the theory and

literature review are presented to demonstrate the foundational knowledge of the

psychological principles and support the three research questions. The literature is

organized using autonomy, competency, and relatedness as a primary guide.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

In Chapter 2 of this research study, I restate the problem and purpose and provide

a brief synopsis of relevant literature that pertains to the problem. I provide a description

of the literature research strategies and conceptual frameworks. Additionally, this chapter

includes the literature review related to the key variables based on the defined literature

search strategy. I also include a summary and conclusion of the literature review and

conceptual framework leading to the methodology.

A critical misunderstood crisis continues to be the K–12 teacher shortages across

the nation (Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Amidst the revolving door of the United States’

education system, district leaders face economic and human capital challenges in meeting

the educational needs of students. Teacher retention rates in public school settings have

challenged district leaders and researchers in determining causation and influential

factors. For over 60 years, teacher shortages have impacted multiple public educational

settings across various geographical settings. Researchers continue to seek to understand

the rationale for novice teachers to leave the field of education within the first 5 years of

public school.

The most recent national statistics indicate that between 46% and 50% of novice

educators leave their employment setting or the education field before the end of their 5th

year (Papay & Kraft, 2017). While there has been a lack of comparable national statistics,

the National Center for Education Statistics (2023) began a Pulse Survey showing a

sample representation of teacher shortages and school readiness perceptions. The

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landscape of education has shifted over the past 40 years, with an increase in the need for

educators due to a reduction in class sizes and an increased demand for specialized

instruction. Additionally, the landscape of educators has involved a reduction in novice

teachers and an overwhelmingly high rate of veteran teachers. There are fewer new

teacher applicants and consistent retirements, leaving many districts to find creative

measures to fill schools’ positions (Wilder Research, 2019). In efforts to understand

teacher retention rates, districts have implemented multiple strategies to support novice

educators, such as implementing comprehensive induction programs, increased efforts to

secure traditionally trained educators, enhanced strategies to provide administrative

support to novice educators, and continued professional development to strengthen

competency skills (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004; Papay et al., 2017; Shockley et al., 2013).

According to a publication from the U.S. Department of Education Office of

Postsecondary Education (2017), teacher shortages have remained consistent over the last

two decades. Individual states report teacher shortages voluntarily, and the information is

compiled in a national report. For the purposes of this study, the focus was on a

Midwestern state in the United States and reports from 1990 through 2022. Over the past

25 years, teacher shortages have been reported in the areas of art, music, drama, as well

as foreign languages. It is important to note that in the 2015–2016 academic year, the

Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) report began to delineate grade levels in their TSA

reporting. In the 2017–2018 academic year, there were K–12 shortages in art, music, and

drama; early childhood special education reported shortages for ages 0 through 8; special

education had shortages for ages 5 through 21 or K through 12 into Transitions ages to 21
 21
years old; foreign languages had shortages in K through 12; mathematics had shortages

for Grades 7 through 12; and natural sciences had shortages for Grades 7 through 12. The

TSA (2017) report indicated that the nation had teacher shortages in bilingual education

and foreign languages.

See et al. (2020) analyzed journal articles, electronic databases, Google/Google

Scholar, and various resources to provide an in-depth investigation of practices from an

international perspective on teacher retention rates. Researchers indicated that recruiting

and retaining qualified teachers is a persistent international problem similar to the United

States' teacher shortages, which can impact the stability of schools as well as student

success. According to an analysis of over 120 articles and 13 information databases

selected for the study, the common factors include compensation, alternative training,

induction and mentoring, professional development, and leader or administrative support.

Ryan and Deci 's (2017) SDT theory to understand human behavior as it relates to

three psychological factors within intrinsic motivation was chosen as the conceptual

framework to understand retention rates among public school educators in this study.

Autonomy, competency, and relatedness are found in research as isolated focus areas. In

this literature review, I selected focus areas that directly correlate with the SDT’s three

basic psychological factors. I examined the current research on teacher induction and

mentor programs, teachers and administrative supports, traditional and nontraditional

preparation programs, and ongoing professional development to support various levels of

educators. Furthermore, I examined additional motivational factors that influence a

teacher's willingness to remain in the field of education.

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Literature Search Strategy

Efforts to search for national statistics and references to retention rates in public

school settings yielded published figures from the 2012 and 2015–2016 school years.

There have been no additional national statistics reported; however, reports from

individual states were updated in the years 2017–2018. While there have been no updated

national statistics using the same parameters as those published in 2017–2018, the

National Center for Education Statistics (2023b) has created a report to a new set of data

using a Pulse Survey sent to principals from a targeted set of schools to provide

perceptions of how well their schools are staffed and other areas of consideration for

school organizations.

To provide a comprehensive analysis of the current research evidence on novice

teacher retention rates in public school settings, I searched the following databases:

Education Research Complete, Sage Premier, ERIC, Taylor and Francis, Google Scholar,

and U.S. Department of Education, Post Secondary, and the National Center for

Education Statistics. To find related research, the following keywords were included:

teacher retention, autonomy, relatedness, teacher preparation, induction programs,

administrative support, motivation, teacher perception, teacher mentoring,

compensation, teacher competency, and causes of teacher turnover. After an initial

search, I found an absence of literature to review and consulted a librarian for assistance

in determining additional search engines, which assisted in generating ideas regarding the

appropriate keywords and phrases. I selected peer-reviewed and journal article function

to ensure that all the produced literature would fit within the parameters of the study. A
 23
strong base of articles assisted me in including articles that provided historical

frameworks as well as information relevant to the current field of study. Articles for the

literature review ranged from as early as 2002 to as recent as 2023. I met several times

with the Walden librarians to ensure that all resources were exhausted, as well as had the

most recent statistics from any national reporting center. After consultation, my

committee chair approved my literature range to cover from 2002–2022 to allow for as

much topical breadth as possible, while noting that the absence of literature made the

necessity of this research even more relevant. The older articles allowed for a broader

discussion of SDT as it relates to the dynamic factors contributing to the understanding of

retention rates among novice teachers. According to Thibault Landry et al. (2019), SDT

has been used to assess the value of life and is increasingly being employed to assess

work settings and the influence of internal and external motivation. SDT studies reviewed

were found more prevalent in the most recent years.

Conceptual Framework

Deci and Ryan's (2002) SDT begins with the basis that there is a coherent sense of

self to include wholeness, vitality, and integrity. This means that individuals start with an

innate inclination to demonstrate and highlight their interest to overcome challenges,

view new perspectives, and utilize a transformational approach to internalized cultural

practices. Deci and Ryan (2002) cautioned that this growth in integration is not only

significant from a theoretical standpoint, but also at the practitioner level, as they

maintained that practitioners have a natural tendency towards maximizing their potential

while simultaneously sharing their integrity across a variety of settings. Thus, there is an
 24
understanding that practitioners make no assumptions that external means of shaping and

controlling behaviors are any less or more valuable variables that impact sense of self.

SDT serves as a primary purpose to account for the human tendencies towards

engagement and development as well as the human propensity to form connections with

individuals and groups; however, SDT also includes a criterion that there are social-

contextual factors that support or hinder tendencies. Within SDT, there is a transparent

organization with basic or fundamental psychological needs for competence, relatedness,

and autonomy.

Social environments that promote these three basic needs are the basis for

supporting healthy functioning, whereas conflict and dissatisfaction are at a minimum.

Competences refer to the feeling of efficacy in ongoing interactions with the social

environment and experiencing opportunities to exercise and express one's capacities

(Deci & Ryan, 2002, p. 7). Competence is not entirely a skill or trait but is more of a

sense of confidence and advocacy in practice. Relatedness is the feeling connected to

others, to care for and be cared for by those others; they have a sense of belongingness

both individually and within community. Finally, autonomy refers to being perceived as

the origin or source of one's own behaviors.

Autonomy

Autonomy invokes creativity in how individuals approach their work with limited

controls in place. Individuals do better with a sense of autonomy rather than having the

imposition of timelines and restrictions to the activities they are tasked to complete (Deci

& Flaste, 1996). People have a need to have personal autonomy to sustain an intrinsic
 25
value within their work that shares their personal belief system and allows the individual

the ability to instill a sense a self rather than feeling that their work is controlled solely by

external factors and/or other people. Individuals experience control in their daily lives

with the simple things like alarm clocks and work schedules; however, when there is

opportunity for choices, individuals thrive with the ability to have a voice in how and

what is occurring (Deci & Flaste, 1996). Deci and Ryan (2002) posited that when

teachers act in an autonomously supported manner, students benefit from being given the

opportunity to be listened to and have value-added input in their day-to-day activities.

Competency

Competency in the work that teachers do is a vital part of the motivation that

drives them to continue to challenge and take risks in the classroom. Competency is tied

directly to the foundational knowledge base that the teacher has to offer their students.

Professional knowledge of curriculum, behavior, and instructional practices provides

teachers with a sense of efficacy and efficiency in their daily practices (Deci & Flaste,

1996; Ryan & Deci, 2017). Ryan and Deci (2017) posited that the greatest

accomplishment in competency is the ability to “exercise and enhance skills” (p. 153).

Ronfeldt and McQueen (2017) argued that teachers provided with professional

development to further their skills are more likely to remain in the field. Skillsets and

opportunities for growth expand the consideration that competency has a unique role in

the motivation of educators.

 26
Relatedness

Understanding the individual in terms of both motivation and emotional dynamic

presents challenges in the ability to be aware of multiple factors that influence an

individual’s ability to connect with their environment in the initial stages of entering the

setting, as well as maintaining the connection to sustain productivity and a sense of

accomplishment. Exploring relatedness relies on the relationship between intrinsic and

extrinsic motivation (Deci & Flaste, 1996). Researchers have been challenged to

understand how relatedness is perceived in the educational setting; however, one may

consider relatedness as the relationships among groups such as peers, administrators, and

students (Fradkin-Hayslip, 2021). Connecting and relating to one’s environment has a

lasting effect on the psyche. Deci and Flaste (1996) posited that the interaction between

individuals seeking clarity and autonomy and their environment provides a greater sense

of intrinsic motivation and, in general, impacts the individual’s overall sense of

competency.

Psychological Principles

These psychological needs provided the basis for describing the environment's

characteristics that support versus undermine the organism’s attempt to master and

engage in the new situation. This means that educators who have a complete sense of

self, which includes the three psychological factors of autonomy, competency, and

relatedness, act in such a way that their integrity and internal value system are minimally

diminished when presented with conflict and challenges. Researchers have indicated that

there is reason to consider that autonomy may have some correlations with an implied
 27
relationship with retention (Worth & Van Den Brande, 2020). Similarly, Fradkin-Hayslip

(2021) posited that competency and relatedness correlate significantly with retention,

while autonomy shows an implied causal relationship with retention.

To understand the departure of educators, researchers recommend exploring

educators' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors with regard to why educators choose

to exit the field. Continued research is supported using SDT as the framework to depict

the relationship between motivation and retention rates (Fradkin-Hayslip, 2021; Onyefulu

et al., 2022). Efforts to understand the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

have primarily been made in isolation. This has yielded results that indicate that intrinsic

motivation places much more emphasis on perceptions of self- versus extrinsic

motivation, which primarily focuses on outcomes and often is only present during periods

of control and satisfaction.

Ryan and Deci's (2017) SDT, which may be used to understand human behavior

as it relates to three psychological factors within intrinsic motivation, was the conceptual

framework that was used in this study to understand retention rates among public school

educators and intrinsic motivation factors that influence decisions to remain in the field

of education. Autonomy, competency, and relatedness are found in research as isolated

focus areas. In this literature review, I selected focus areas that directly correlate with the

SDT’s three fundamental psychological factors. I examined the current research on

teacher induction and mentor programs, teachers and administrative supports, traditional

and nontraditional preparation programs, and ongoing professional development to

 28
support various levels of educators. Furthermore, I examined additional motivational

factors that influence a teacher's willingness to remain in the field of education.

Literature Review Related to Key Variables and/or Concepts

Working Conditions

According to Geiger and Pivovarova (2018), over 1 million educators enter, exit,

or transition between public K–12 schools and districts. Whether it be educators leaving

the field or leaving their current setting, researchers are increasingly determined to

provide policymakers with statistically supported influential factors and potential

solutions that focus on retaining high-quality educators. Researchers posit that neither

low-poverty nor high-poverty schools are a significant factor in retention rates; however,

working conditions and school characteristics may influence educator retention rates.

Working conditions and school characteristics may affect education attrition and

retention rates in various settings (Geiger & Pivovarova, 2018; Rosenberg & Anderson,

2021).

Rosenberg and Anderson (2021) posited that there was a reduction in turnover

rates among six districts they studied over a period of 3 years. Over the period of 4 years,

the study provided turnover rates with a range of decline and an increase in the years

2018–2019. There was a significant decline in the average rates in the final reporting year

of 2019–2020, with an average of just over 10%. The researchers noted decreases in four

of the six districts, with the remaining two districts having smaller declines (Rosenberg &

Anderson, 2021). One of the key findings indicated that novice teachers were more likely

to exit the district with potential contributing factors such as burnout and lack of fit.
 29
Additional findings indicated that novice teachers were staying in schools identified as

high poverty versus the more veteran teachers. Rosenberg and Anderson (2021) also

indicated that “in 2020, these schools disproportionately benefited from the decreased

turnover among rookie teachers” (p. 8). The researchers indicated that it is atypical to

have novice teachers remaining in these schools; however, the year 2020 showed the

decreasing number of turnovers among this demographic. While this year had shown a

decline in turnover rates, the overall findings indicate that turnover remained significant,

with the higher poverty schools being heavily impacted. Additionally, working conditions

remained a contributing factor to teacher turnover (Rosenberg & Anderson, 2021).

Working conditions include administrative support, preservice professional

development, induction, school characteristics, induction/mentoring programs, and

evaluation systems (Geiger & Pivovarova, 2018; Rosenberg & Anderson, 2021).

Researchers have studied the working conditions in isolation and, some combination

using varied methods to understand why educators decide to leave the field of education

and at what point in the educator's career do they exit the field. This dynamic was

explored by providing an in-depth analysis of each of the conditions and the method

utilized to study them.

Administrative Support

Administrative support is described as the connectivity that the school and district

administrator have with the educator and what levels of personal and professional

assistance was in place to ensure the educator was successful in their assignment.

Additionally, administrative support extends from the principal, assistant principal,

 30
deans, and district directors. Urick (2020) posited there were four types of leaders:

integrated, transitioned, balkanized, and limited. Integrated and transitioned leadership

possess similar skills in which there is shared leadership and some level of instructional

practice. Balkanized was described as a leader who conveys authority with little to no

centralized decisions. Finally, limited is described as a lack of leadership skill and

knowledge. Urick (2020) sought to understand the aforementioned leadership styles and

perceptions of teachers in their decision-making to remain in that setting. Leaders who

had a more integrated style of managing schools had higher perceptions among the

teaching staff, and teachers were more likely to stay in their current setting. Similarly,

teachers with a transitioned leader also showed higher rates of teacher retention than

those in the balkanized and limited leadership style schools (Urick, 2020).

Baker et al. (2022) provided clarity on a case study where the administrator

recognized that strategies must shift to meet the needs of a particular school. One

elementary principal recognized for their ability to recruit and retain staff was moved to a

low retaining school and deployed similar strategies. The administrator altered their

approach to assume all administrative tasks to alleviate additional work from their

teachers. The administrator progressively added more initiatives which led to an increase

in the number of meetings as well as extending the workday for many of their teachers.

These actions led to an increase in exiting teaching staff at a considerably higher rate than

previously reported. Exiting teachers reported that the increased workload and extended

workday led to frustration and was a direct cause of their decision to leave. In addition,

by removing teachers from some of the administrative tasks, the perception was that the
 31
teacher voice was not appreciated nor valued. This administrator reflected on the

feedback and solicited input from teacher leaders in each grade level thereby leading to

shifting their leadership approach to match what the school needs were (Baker et al.,

2022).

Administrative support can also be described with three specific themes:

enforcement of consequences for student misconduct, building a culture of respect and

appreciation and developing collegial relationships among teaching staff (Conley & You,

2017). Conley and You (2017) posit that school leaders must possess the necessary skills

to support their staff. Administrative support may influence teacher’s joining the field of

education. As many novice educators indicate, administrative support during their first

years of teaching may lessen the anxiety and tension that often accompanies entering a

new teaching environment (Conley & You, 2017; Grissom & Bartanen, 2018).

Administrators are in unique positions to navigate an organization’s ability to

retain high-quality educators develop a positive school culture and climate, and influence

educators’ experiences in education settings. Administrators are considered the

instructional leaders and discipline enforcers in the school system and provide critical

feedback to educators (Conley & You, 2017). Educators lean on their administrators for

basic support in guiding them to the appropriate professional development and partners in

understanding behavioral challenges in their individual classrooms (Olsen & Huang,

2019). Additionally, administrators that provide consistent support to educators build

strong relationships and foster a welcoming, safe environment. Olsen and Huang (2019)

argued that additional factors, such as the race and gender of the administrator, may
 32
influence the relationship between the educator and the administrator. According to

researchers, administrators have more control over teacher retention rates than previously

discovered, thereby impacting a teacher’s willingness to remain in the field. Districts

have the responsibility to have an emphasis on the guidance and support of

administrators, thus building positive working relationships, increasing autonomy among

the education staff, targeting specific training opportunities, and consistently supporting

discipline within their building (Baker et al., 2022; Conely & You, 2017; Mireles-Rios &

Becchio, 2018; Urick, 2020).

Additionally, positive school climate, teacher self-efficacy, and behavior

management increase the likelihood to remain in the building for the following year

(Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Educators’ behavior management skills

alone were not the predictor for retention rate. Educators receive ongoing training,

participate in courses, and are included in induction programs in their school district.

Alternative programs have been increasingly used in high-poverty urban areas as well as

teacher placements in difficult to staff settings in which there are significant shortages in

highly specialized fields (Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2107).

The field provides advantages and disadvantages to individuals using the

alternative education program as it relates to continuing shortages and increased rates of

teachers exiting the field. Several factors could be considered as contributing to the

attrition rates, such as insufficient training opportunities and unrealistic expectations from

those entering an alternative approach to becoming a teacher. Additionally, researchers

 33
are unable to draw comparisons due to the varying differences among alternative

education programs (Onyefulu et al., 2022; Shibiti, 2020).

School Characteristics

School characteristics focus on the size, location, student demographics, type of

school, age of the school, culture, and climate, and poverty level (Whipp & Geronime,

2017). School characteristics can be described as the social, economic status of the

school, student demographics, geographical location, and access to resources such as

local businesses, professional development, and urban advantages. Researchers indicate

that there is a lack of highly qualified educators willing to teach in isolated areas or

schools that have less than favorable school characteristics (Garcia & Weiss, 2019;

Whipp & Geronime, 2017). Similarly, research indicates student demographics often

mirror the demographics of the educators. Schools with a significant minority population

report teacher attrition rates three times greater than predominantly white schools

(Hughes, 2012). Garcia and Weiss (2019) posit that high poverty schools have more

vacant positions that are unable to be filled with qualified educators. School

characteristics are not considered to be primary factors of teacher retention rates;

however, it is worthy to note much of the research include school characteristics as a

potential variable.

Williams et al. (2022) sought to understand the perceptions of educational

stakeholders in the rural Western United States regarding the retention of teachers and

rural communities. This mixed-method study had a survey instrument that included open-

ended questions with a sample size of 806 respondents. The study was conducted over a
 34
period of 4 months from late 2017 to early 2018. Not only did the study examine similar

research that had reported teacher retention as one of the greatest challenges, but also the

struggles that rural communities have in attracting and retaining quality teachers. Two

significant findings from the study were in the area or responses from the school

administrators and their perception about teacher shortages. The results of the completing

surveys included that 76% of school administrators found that certified teachers are more

qualified than their counterparts who have an alternative or a nontraditional educational

background. Additionally, they stated are they found that only 6% believed that hiring

provisional teachers was an effective way to support Student outcomes. Another

significant finding were the influential factors impacting teacher retention rates: lack of

academic support, low pay and high responsibilities, and competitive neighboring

districts. The study supported earlier research describing that novice teachers require

support through orientation, professional development, mentoring, supportive

administrators, and workload adjustments (Williams et al., 2022).

Motivation

Prospective teachers have a passion for teaching as they were inspired by former

teachers or mentors in which they wanted to continue the path of helping and supporting

youth in various settings. Additionally, there is a shared belief that education was an

essential function of society and was a well-respected profession that, with supports,

promotes acceptance of varied beliefs and differences (Olsen & Huang, 2017). However,

the combination of motivation and beliefs is individual dependent, yet remains a

consistent factor in prospective teachers choosing the field of education and the
 35
approaches to teaching and learning. Prospective teachers entering the field with an

altruistic view on servitude and an innate desire to work with children presented with a

greater understanding of the complexities of teaching and learning. However, research

also indicates that extrinsic motivation within the prospective teachers that held an

altruistic belief was present and may impact the statistical significance of the study

outcomes (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Conley & You, 2017).

Similarly, Amorim Neto et al. (2018) found that motivation or lack thereof leads

to teacher burnout. In a survey sample of 322 Public Schools teachers, Amorim Neto et

al. (2018) determined that there was more considerable impact on retention rates schools

that had a demographic of K through 8th grade. Researchers found this to be surprising

information due to a typical finding that elementary teachers were much more connected

with their students and school; therefore, they were usually found in the group that

maintained their employment within their school district and individual schools. In their

study, they included teamwork as a contributing factor as well as motivation. Amorim

Neto et al. (2018) posit that partnership can add benefits to the working relationships and

coteaching to the teacher's job satisfaction. With regards to job satisfaction, United States

teachers were more receptive to visiting other classrooms and having collaborative

conversations about the same practices and ways to implement interventions.

Goe et al. (2020) sought to provide insights into teachers' experiences engaged in

conversations on how to support teacher development and retention. The study used

focus groups that were solely voluntary and had defined constructs that posed questions

like “Why they became teachers” and “Things the teacher would like to change” (Goe et
 36
al., 2020, p. 6). Goe et al. (2020) posited that teacher motivation was influenced by

interpersonal support and a supportive environment. Additionally, it was posited that

teachers want to be recognized for their work and want additional opportunities to learn

and grow as professionals. Furthermore, it was recommended to explore how duties of

responsibilities are divided between school systems and policymakers, especially in

teacher retention, evaluation of teachers, and how teachers gain access to professional

development.

Bastian et al. (2017) conducted a quantitative study to understand the relationship

between personality traits and teacher performance and retention rates among novice

educators. Bastian et al. (2017) posit that personality traits alone are not the primary

factor in determining teacher performance. The study also states that personality traits

influence decision making skills, behaviors, and professional growth. The study used the

Five-Factor Model of Personality (FFM) to analyze the relationship between personality

traits and beginning teacher outcomes (Bastian et al., 2017). In addition to the FFM, the

researchers included teacher value-added scores, evaluation ratings, and retention rates.

Using a multivariate and a univariate analysis to analyze their results, the researchers

determined that a positive correlation between the personality trait of cautiousness and

retention of first-year teachers. Additionally, there was a negative correlation between the

teacher evaluation results and the personality traits of adventurousness and imagination.

The results of the study indicate that personality traits positively influence retention rates.

Additionally, the results of this study could impact policy makers decisions on
 37
developing strong in-service programs. Bastian et al. (2017) posit that the study

contributed to the field by providing insight for policy makers among first-year teachers.

Compensation Review

An additional consideration to address teacher retention rates involves the

compensation of public-school employees. There are multiple ways educators are paid;

some districts use a traditional salary schedule, merit pay, salary bands, and annual

increases based on effectiveness ratings. Conventional salary schedules place teachers on

a scale based on education level and years of experience. Merit pay provides educators an

increase that depends upon student outcomes on state assessments and district assessment

growth. Annual increases based on effectiveness ratings include educator ratings of

highly effective, effective, partially effective, and not effective on a professional practice

rubric and a portion that is based on student achievement.

Researchers indicated that the financial awards of merit pay, or performance pay

stifle the ability of teachers’ effectiveness, thereby impacting their motivation in student

outcomes and their willingness to remain in their school environment (Morrell & Abston,

2019; Shifrer et al., 2017). According to Shifrer et al. (2017), education systems are

vastly different than business systems and educators are not extrinsically motivated by

means of rewards and punishment. Additionally, researchers indicated that the financial

awards of merit pay, or performance pay stifle the ability of teachers’ effectiveness;

thereby, impacting their motivation in student outcomes as well as willingness to remain

in their school environment.

 38
While salary rates vary within states in across the nation, states and districts

continue to explore compensation packages that are competitive and are designed with

the intent to mitigate the teacher retention issues that many districts and states face.

Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond (2017) posit that teacher salaries have declined

since the 1990s with an example a very experienced teacher with a family would qualify

for various forms of government assistance. Both the federal and state government also

explore various ways to provide compensation to beginning teachers and those with

employment in underperforming and impoverished schools. Thibault Landry et al. (2019)

posit that compensation rewards based on an informative measure, staff experience

increase satisfaction and lowered negative connotations. Additionally, there was

perceived negative influence by employees when a compensation reward was controlled

in fashion for example tied to specific outcomes or a relationship between the cash

reward and the employees job performance. Thibault Landry et al. (2019) concluded that

employees in a controlled cash or compensation environment we're more likely to focus

on external means or rewards rather than the benefit of the actual job.

Shifrer et al. (2017) detailed a vital consideration is the age and generation are the

current teaching population. Among the current education demographics, we have more

millennial workers than Generation X or baby boomers that make up the current teaching

ranks. Morrell and Abston (2019) found that only 29% of millennial workers report they

are engaged at work while 55% report not being engaged. Engagement is defined as the

extent that employees have a connection with their environment, and performance is

conveyed through high-quality practices or positive behaviors (Morrell & Abston, 2019).
 39
Compensation was not highly ranked as an important factor in remaining in their

position; this is in contradiction to the proposed impact that compensation packages have

towards teachers remaining in the field (Shifrer et al., 2017). Despite mixed findings on

whether compensation significantly impacts teachers’ willingness to stay in the field of

education, several studies indicate that a combination of compensation autonomy and

intrinsic motivation is more likely to affect retention rate.

Prieto (2023) posits that the current compensation approach is outdated and has a

misaligned theoretical framework. As cited in Prieto (2023), the current salary structure is

significantly outdated and has not continued to be a factor in recruiting and retaining

high-quality teachers. Prieto recommends that in using the equity theory as a framework,

researchers can explore alternative compensation models. The study used the initiatives

in Texas, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia (D.C.) as they provided formal

evaluations of teacher pay programs. Prieto says that the standard practice of calculating

teacher salaries is insufficient to recruit new teachers into the profession.

Additionally, it is stated that many teachers can have a higher earning potential

outside the education setting. It is recommended that organizations consider alternate

ways to compensate teachers. One of the recommendations is to consider performance as

a factor in how teacher salaries are calculated individually. Organizations should be

looking at how their salary structures are currently designed to meet the growing needs of

our existing education system.

Agboola and Offong (2018) investigated teacher retention rates in the private

sector of education. The researchers surveyed 784 teachers in the private school sector
 40
regarding incentives and teacher retention. The researchers sought to understand the

relationship between the variables of job security, remuneration, promotion, and welfare,

and retention rates.

The key findings from the research indicated a significant relationship between

job security, teacher removal remuneration, promotion, and welfare and teacher retention.

the findings indicated that the financial consideration of salaries sufficient promotions

when a teacher is worthy of them contributes to teachers’ willingness to stay in their

current positions; the researchers posited that the basic needs of individuals are not

currently being met in the salary structures and promotion processes also indicated that

staff welfare as an additional package on top of teacher salaries also contributed to

teacher retention. At one particular school, not only were teachers not granted sick leave

they also didn't support teachers being able to take care of themselves physically. Some

of the recommendations from this study were that school leadership should consider the

factors of job security renumeration, promotions, and the welfare packages be considered

as they move forward in retaining their current staff. One additional recommendation was

that leadership consider soft loans, free medical care, and free accommodation, which

could all lend to and enhance motivation (Agboola & Offong, 2018).

Teacher Induction Programs and Mentoring

Researchers continue to provide a strong correlation with teacher retention and

induction programs; however there continued to be discrepancies in the variations of

induction programs influence on retention rates. State leaders, district leaders, and policy

makers have the ability to strategically plan and implement strong induction programs to
 41
combat teacher shortages. One district in Colorado targeted special education teachers in

an effort to retain quality teachers. Curton and Hess (2023) provided insight on St. Vrain

Valley Schools special education teacher candidate pool and how they were able to

develop an induction program tailored to provide new teacher with professional

development, mentorship, and placement in cohorts to provide continuity. The induction

program was a two-year commitment between new teachers and district leaders. Along

with the cohort classes, novice teachers also received 24 hours of instructional support

with a coach within the first year of teaching (Curton & Hess, 2023).

One of the additional key elements in this pilot project was that special education

teachers complete their first Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) with the support of

their instructional coach mentor. The instructional coach mentor provided the special

education teachers with an example of an IEP as well the provision of reflective

practices. Special education case management is gradually released to novice special

education teachers in a manner that allows the novice teacher to build confidence in not

only completing IEPs but also having one specific individual to field questions or

concerns. Findings from the study revealed that the retention rates of cohort teachers

were higher than the state average at 85% of teachers returning to the same school after

the first year. Further findings indicate that an additional essential component of success

was the connections with district and building leaders (Curton & Hess, 2023).

Induction programs were relatively new around the turn of the century; therefore,

much of the research with a focus on comprehensive induction programs yielded

conflicting results with regards to teacher retention rates. Similarly, there were concerns
 42
with the research being limited by the timing of the implementation of induction

programs at multiple grade levels. Researchers built upon the work of Ingersoll and

Strong with an expanded analysis of comprehensive induction programs versus prevailing

induction programs with a focus on a longitudinal analysis of the Schools and Staffing

and Teacher Follow-Up Surveys (SASS/TFS), Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Survey

(BTLS), and a longitudinal survey of early career teachers (Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2017).

One critical aspect of the research was determining if the induction programs were stand-

alone or had additional support to assist novice teachers. Additionally, the type of

classroom novice teachers were instructing was considered. Researchers found that

specialized areas such as special education had higher turnover rates than typical

classrooms, including all grade levels (Curton & Hess, 2023; Hong & Matsko, 2019).

Ronfeldt and McQueen (2017) found that in-school and in-district retention

appears to be unrelated to induction programs in isolation or combination with other

factors. However, it is conjectured that teachers who have minimal induction support

struggle within their first few years, thereby increasing their willingness to leave the

district for multiple reasons to include familial support or job relocation. One missing

characteristic, such as teacher preparation or administrative support, could be reported to

have some significance in retention rate. Some researchers may say the financial health of

the organization is an additional factor of consideration of educator retention rate.

As many other researchers have indicated, the duration and intensity of the

program place an intricate role in determining the efficacy among novice educators.

Within the induction program, two critical factors came to light: (1) trust of their mentor
 43
and (2) feelings of supportiveness by their mentors. The participants indicated that with

the support from their mentors assigned to them in the induction programs, there was an

increase in perceptions of value and reduction in stress as it related to their day-to-day

activities (Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2017). The researchers further argued the duration of

induction programs yielded higher rates of retention than those that received little to no

induction programming. Additionally, induction programs that included high-quality

professional development offerings, adequate resources, and state-of-the-art facilities for

much more favorable than induction programs that were not able to afford their teachers

extended opportunities or advanced opportunities.

Professional development has a significant impact on teacher practice. Student

outcomes are critically important for sustainability within ongoing professional learning

communities where novice teachers can problem-solve their needs for content expertise

with their mentors. University teacher education programs can support their graduates

with common knowledge beliefs and practices that induction programs can use as

foundations for growth and development in novice teachers (Rondfeldt & McQueen,

2017).

Walker and Kutsyuruba (2019) examined the impact of teacher induction and

mentoring was not consistently documented throughout the available data that was used

in the study program. The study indicated the administrator's role; there was a lack of

consistency. The results indicated approximately 40 to 45% of respondents were

encouraged to discuss their role as an educator within the school system. Overall, it was

elaborated that the administrator did, in fact, play a significant supportive role in
 44
beginning teachers' experience thereby increasing their willingness to remain in the

teaching field.

Hong and Matsko (2019) examined the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) initiative

of a two-year induction program for novice educators in their first two years of teaching.

The researchers used the survey results of over 1,000 CPS elementary novice educators

previously collected. CPS used various features such as frequency of mentee/mentor,

building level supports, working conditions, and resources. The study participants were

all in elementary schools and entering either their first or second year of teaching (Hong

& Matsko, 2019).

Billingsley et al. (2019) explored how induction programs with novice special

education teachers impacted their preparedness. The study used the sensemaking theory

to provide insights on how novice special education teachers in induction programs that

are supported with high-leverage practices are influenced in their instructional practices

and understanding their role. The study defined induction “as a program of support and

guidance for new teachers, aimed at supporting growth, effectiveness, and retention”

(Billingsley et al., 2019, p. 367). Additionally, the study included preservice preparation

as a potential contributing factor in how special education teachers interpret and

implement effective instructional strategies. Billingsley et al. (2019) concluded that

induction programs using high-leverage practices may impact special education teachers’

knowledge of their roles, as well as, how to effectively implement instructional strategies.

In addition, leaders and mentors have a multitude of chances to embed high-leverage

 45
practices in situations such as: mentoring, professional development, and teacher

orientation.

Traditional and Nontraditional Teacher Training

Educators enter the educational field employing traditional coursework and

certification and nontraditional or alternative methods to become teachers. As teacher

attrition rates became increasingly high, the need for alternative or nontraditional training

methods subsequently have increased as well. Guthery and Bailes (2019) further explain

the likelihood of educators remaining in the field may be influenced by the path in which

entry to education was taken.

Brownell et al. (2018) reviewed practices that many rural districts incorporate to

meet the demands of attracting quality teachers. Such methods include developing

programs within the district to “grow your own” through recruiting adults within the

community and designing programs in secondary schools that provide courses and

support for high school students who have an interest in teaching (Brownell et al., 2018).

Teach for America (TFA) and Troops to Teachers are two organizations that support

educator shortages across the country (CDE, 2021; Teach for America, 2020). TFA

places college graduates within economically challenged educational settings for a

minimum of a two-year commitment from graduates who engage in this alternative

pathway (Teach for America, 2020). Similarly, Troops to Teachers pairs veterans with

specific teaching areas that are in shortage and match the individuals' skillset. Veterans

and employers are provided with extensive resources to meet the demands of additional

education and/or job placement (CDE, 2021).

 46
Teachers receive ongoing training, participate in courses, and are included in their

school district's induction programs while enrolled in alternative programs. Teachers

enrolled in alternative programs can teach under an emergency annual teaching license,

which can be reissued for up to three years. The Colorado Department of Education

requires a signature from a district director or executive director for agreement to employ

while the teacher is enrolled in the alternative program (CDE, 2020a).

Alternative programs have been increasingly used in high-poverty urban areas and

rural settings in which there are significant shortages in highly specialized fields. The

field provides advantages and disadvantages to individuals using the alternative education

program related to continuing shortages and increased rates of teachers exiting the field.

Several factors could contribute to the attrition rates, such as insufficient training

opportunities and unrealistic expectations from those entering an alternative approach to

becoming a teacher.

A study focused on college of education in Ghana (Adu-Yeboah & Kwaah, 2018)

provides insight into teacher preparation in three purposefully sampled colleges of

Education in the central region of Ghana. Over 200 teacher trainees were given a

questionnaire to discover their experiences and perceptions of the practicum experiences.

This study was done after a recent restructuring of the initial teacher education programs.

Teacher training cadets reported that they believed they understood or knew the processes

involved in preparing for classroom experiences yet, were not fully invested in the study

as they were teaching their peers, and none of the activities counted towards their grades.

Adu-Yeboah and Kwaah (2018) report that while the students adhered to the lesson
 47
presentation, they needed to demonstrate knowledge of the application. One of the study's

main recommendations was to have the universities think critically about their preservice

programs within the first two years of their colleges of education.

Viviana et al. (2023) conducted a quantitative study regarding teacher

preparedness and its influence on teacher retention rates specifically in New York City.

The participants in this study were math teachers in their first year of employment. The

participants in the study appeared to have degrees in other fields and thereby were in an

Alternative Program to receive their teaching certification. The participants were to

receive their master’s certification after the first two years a full-time teaching. The study

compared like for like demographics as to minimize limitations of the study. The

researchers posited that the findings using four of the six models that looked at significant

levels significance levels of retention rates showed student preparedness had a positive

relationship with teacher retention.

Ongoing Professional Development

Professional development is primarily focused on growing educators' ability to

maximize their teaching efforts in their classrooms to improve student outcomes.

Professional development is believed to positively impact self-efficacy as educators

internalize the knowledge and their ability to organize and execute within their discipline.

Researchers also indicate that professional development can contribute to the retention of

teachers, however self-efficacy plays a critical role. While several studies show positive

effects of professional development, it remains that if there is a lack of consistency or

follow-up interventions, educators may continue to leave the teaching field despite
 48
professional development opportunities within their first two years. There's also evidence

that professional development without administrative support does not yield the same

results (Billingsley et al., 2019; Conley & You, 2017).

Billingsley et al. (2019) explored how induction programs with novice special

education teachers impacted their preparedness. The study used the sensemaking theory

to provide insights into how novice special education teachers in induction programs that

are supported with high-leverage practices are influenced by their instructional practices

and understanding of their role. The study defined induction “as a program of support and

guidance for new teachers, aimed at supporting growth, effectiveness, and retention”

(Billingsley et al., 2019, p. 267).

Additionally, the study included preservice preparation as a potential contributing

factor in how special education teachers interpret and implement effective instructional

strategies. Billingsley et al. (2019), concluded that induction programs using high-

leverage practices may impact special education teachers' knowledge of their roles, as

well as, how to effectively implement instructional strategies. In addition, leaders and

mentors have a multitude of chances to embed high-leverage practices in situations such

as mentoring, professional development, and teacher orientation.

Beginning teachers require a strong understanding of instructional practices and

supported professional development to hone their skills in newly learned instructional

strategies. The implementation of instructional strategies plays an intricate role in the

efficacy of the program as well as the efficacy of the teacher. Novice teachers are up

against challenges of being new to a school system as well as being new to the field of
 49
education. Conley and You (2017) posit workplace variables, administrative support and

teacher team efficacy directly influence special educators’ willingness to remain in the

field. Administrative supervision included individual recognition, clear vision, and

supportive nature. Additionally, it was suggested that administrative support could

outweigh various negative factors that influence new teachers. Anthony et al. (2019)

sought to understand the distribution of novice teacher induction tasks among

administrators, mentor teachers, and teacher leaders. In their findings mentor teachers had

fewer tasks than teacher leaders. Teacher leaders were reported to have been the primary

supporters of novice educators in the areas of professional development, curricular

planning, orientation to the district/school, and collaboration among school professionals.

However, pedagogical supports, to include socialization tasks, were evenly distributed

among mentors, teacher leaders, and administrators; thereby, sharing in the responsibility

of influences, satisfaction, and preparedness (Anthony et al., 2019).

Shibiti (2020) investigated teacher retention rates with relation to work

engagement using quantitative measures. Shibiti (2020) collected 278 questionnaires

from one public school district to analyze the dynamic that work engagement has on

retention rates. The researcher indicated the limitation of the study being centralized and

not able to make generalizations. Despite the limitations, Shibiti (2020) posited that

retention rates of educators are tied with factors such as compensation, professional

development, and progressive advancements. The recommendations for future studies

including a wider range of participants in different educational organizations to provide

more generalized findings. Further recommendations suggested changes in methodology

 50
to include both quantitative and qualitative studies to determine factors that

influence/impact retention rates.

Kaplan’s (2021) research was grounded in SDT to examine new teachers were

supported in the three psychological principles: autonomy, competency, and relatedness.

Kaplan (2021) posits that while research has been done to study motivation among

teachers, there is limited knowledge of how novice educators are supported through the

psychological perspective of SDT. Participants for the study were first year teachers with

a sample size of 261. Of the participants, 189 were female and 72 were male. Participants

completing this study were enrolled in a workshop at their university level. The

workshops were designed specifically for the three psychological principles. Results from

the study posit that there is positive correlations between the workshops and autonomy,

competency, and relatedness (Kaplan, 2021). The findings promote the need for a

supportive environment for novice educators. Kaplan (2021) posits that the results

support previous literature by offering a unique perspective on novice educators and

retention.

COVID-19 Implications

COVID-19 has been unlike any other major disruption to the learning

environment forcing schools and districts to move to a virtual platform of instruction.

Many districts across the nation made this decision based on the national health news and

local county health departments. Kraft, Simon, and Lyon (2021) sought to understand the

impact of COVID-19 on teacher working conditions shift to the home environment.

Teachers, at all career points, reported feeling inadequate and that they found difficulty in
 51
engaging students in online learning. Additionally, positive school support for teachers

made an impact on the teachers “sense of success” (Kraft et al., 2021, p. 4). Sartain and

El-Haj (2021) indicated that COVID-19 pandemic was not only unprecedented but,

mirrored states and cities’ political stance on mental health. This phenomenon was not

isolated to public education as evidenced by the rise of COVID-19 cases and

unemployment rates from March 2020 to August 2020 (Sartain & El-Haj, 2021).

Another study in one Canadian province, (Gunn et al., 2023), explored retention

rates of teachers who began their careers during COVID-19. This study was part of an

original longitudinal study that was focused on analyzing trends of novice teachers. The

study had over 800 participants who completed a survey that had a Likert scale and open-

ended questions. Only 26 participants selected to further participate in a focus group. The

focus group had teachers with a range of experience and included representatives from K-

12 classrooms. Gunn et al. (2023) reported that there varied stories that shared in the

similarity of some lack of knowledge around what “normal” means. Results of the study

indicated that despite continued hardships during COVID-19, personal factors remained

the same especially those regarding resiliency. One unique interpretation was the

difficulty in understanding why novice educators showed resiliency (Gunn et al., 2023).

Mental health or mental well-being continues to be a major consideration in

organizations ability to retain staff. Teacher shortages, including resignations, retirement,

and lack of available applicants, are predominant throughout the state of California

(Carver-Thomas, Lueng, Burns, & Ondrasek, 2021). In addition to the shortage of

applicants, districts remain concerned about the competency of incoming staff. Teachers
 52
entering the field on a substitute license or alternative licensure process are one of the

ways that districts are dealing with shortages. Stress and burn-out are often characteristics

used to describe teacher well-being (Walter & Fox, 2021). Walter and Fox (2021)

focused on indicators of teacher well-being including stress, burn-out, isolation,

challenging student behaviors, lack of administrative support, and inadequate

compensation for their qualitative study which included 49 teachers for two cycles of

data collection. Twenty-five of the 49 teachers participated in the second cycle of data

collection to include additional interviews. Three main themes emerged: well-being

strategies did not address the stress during the pandemic; leadership continues to be a

significant factor; and feelings of being heard, safe, and valued impact overall teacher

well-being (Walter & Fox, 2021).

Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021) provided insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic

impacted the educational setting from an in-person to an online environment from several

articles published during this timeframe. One of the most significant findings from this

study was the need for developing countries to find a suitable pedagogy and for different

class levels in all of the across educational settings. Educational organizations are

recommended to allocate resources for professional development of teachers in a variety

of areas that have a positive impact to online teaching. This includes creativity innovation

an interactive friendly tools for teachers and students. COVID- 19 caused many

educational organizations to flip how instructional practices were delivered in a remote

platform.
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Summary

The literature reviewed provides a basis of what is required for this study to be

able to identify the influencing factors of educators’ willingness to remain in the field.

The analysis covered various aspects of key factors that may have an integral part on

whether teacher stay in the field such factors include working conditions, administrative

support, school characteristics, compensation, motivation, and teacher induction

programs to include mentoring. Teacher retention rates vary between urban settings with

high poverty and low poverty. School characteristics such as poverty is outside the locus

of control of district and building leaders; however, policymakers and legislators have the

power and knowledge to improve systems there by having a direct relationship on

whether educators experience good working conditions and if the system has a strong

financial help (Adnot et al., 2017).

Increasing retention rates of effective teachers is a key factor in decisions both

local and state level, and studies would indicate there is no one method for improvements

in our educational system. Additionally, the literature review explored possibilities such

as compensation and traditional and nontraditional routes in entering the field of

education. The staggering number of teachers leaving the field of education within the

first 5 years continues to plague districts and states. Turnover rates are higher in the

Southern region of the United States while significantly lower in the Northeastern

sections (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Ingersoll, 2012; Munoz and

Rameriz, 2015).
 54
Wilder Research (2019) provided substantial evidence that supports the educator

shortages with specific reference to educators of color and those in high impoverished

areas. As mentioned earlier, The National Center for Educational Statistics Department

(2015) show supportive evidence that teacher turnover rates continue to be on the rise

between the years 2007 and 2013. This revelation was identified in an earlier article by

Ingersoll (2002) in which the depiction that the revolving door of education is as

worrisome today as it was 20 years ago. Subsequent individual state results remain

consistent with the statistics provided in the most recent national statistics. Individual

states such as Colorado and Minnesota indicated that the educator shortages continue to

impact district’s ability to hire and retain quality teachers (CDE, 2019, 2020; Wilder

Research, 2019).

Novice educators with less than 5 years’ experience are rapidly leaving the field

of education and are transferring from one district to another. Several factors were

studied in isolation such as those mentioned earlier: working conditions compensation

connectivity or relatedness administrative support and competency. The research that has

been analyzed leads to the need to further research additional influences, as there had not

been one factor that shows significant results that would support policymakers and

legislation in making changes to educational systems. The literature review exposes a

substantial gap in the literature that shows the combined effect of autonomy, competency,

and relatedness.
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Conclusion

In this chapter I discussed SDT as the grounded theory for this qualitative study.

Three psychological principles were identified and addressed at length to provide the

reader with a clear understanding of how each principle relates to the research questions,

literature review, and purpose of the study. The literature review provided foundational

knowledge of the previous varied research addressing teacher retention across grade

levels and discipline. Based on the literature reviewed and recommended studies outlined

in this chapter, the qualitative design will be explained in the next chapter. Chapter 3

provided an in-depth overview of how the design for the qualitative study includes the

considerations for limitations, strengths, validity, ethical considerations, and how

participants will be selected using key stakeholders and random sampling. Additionally,

Chapter 3 provided the reader with a detailed explanation of how the data will be

collected and analyzed for the study.

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Chapter 3: Research Method

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how intrinsic motivation of

novice elementary educators within a K–12 public school influences their willingness to

remain in teaching. This study explored urban elementary schools in a Midwestern state.

Within this section, I outline and describe the methods that were used to frame the

research and describe the protocols by which data were collected using a qualitative

approach that specifically addresses understanding intrinsic motivation within elementary

Grades 3–5 public school teachers and their willingness to remain in the field of

education. I restate the research questions and include details of the rationale for the

research design, the researcher's role, the methodology, instrumentation, and the

procedures for recruitment, participation, data collection, limitations, and data analysis

plan. I conclude with a summary and transition to Chapter 4.

Research Design and Rationale

The two research questions that guided this qualitative study were the following:

RQ1. How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary educators’

willingness to remain in teaching?

RQ2. What are the reasons novice educators give for choosing to stay in the

field of education?

In determining the research paradigm most appropriate for this study, I considered

various approaches that offer insight into why educators remain in the field within the

first years. Statistical data such as retention rates, the number of educators in the field,
 57
and retirement rates are available through national and state offices. However, the data

portray the statistical aspects and leave out the perspective and perceptions of the actual

educators who select to stay or leave. The use of a qualitative study approach for this

study provided individual insight into novice elementary educators' willingness to remain

in the field. Ravitch and Carl (2106) indicated that qualitative studies have a balanced

approach between structure and flexibility that allows researchers to show validity in data

collection as well as data analysis. This balanced approach allows for stronger

connections in the purpose, problem, and described methods for collecting and analyzing

data.

There are various types of approaches within qualitative research design such as

field research, basic narrative inquiry, ethnography, phenomenonology, systems theory,

and grounded theory (Frankfort-Nachmias et al., 2015; Patton, 2015). Possible

considerations for this study were phenomenon, grounded theory, basic narrative inquiry,

and system theory. Patton (2015) defined phenomenon as a means to “capture the

experiences” of individuals with regard to how they feel about, judge, remember, make

sense of, and talk about their experiences and find emerging themes within a group’s

individual results. One of the core questions involves the meaning, structure, and essence

of the people who are experiencing the phenomenon (Patton, 2015).

Ravitch and Carl (2015) posited that narrative research is a study of that which

analysis of stories of life experiences (personal and professional), interviews, journals, as

means to investigate the phenomenon. Ravitch and Carl used narrative research and

narrative inquiry interchangeably, whereas Patton (2015) defined narrative inquiry as a

 58
focus on the complete story to include the beginning, middle, and end. The approach to

use personal interviews with specific questions that are designed to answer the

overarching research questions is what sets Patton’s definition of narrative inquiry apart

from Ravitch and Carl’s. Patton and Ravitch and Carl presented shared definitions of

grounded theory being “an approach to qualitative research that attempts to develop

theory that comes from data or the field” (Ravitch & Carl, 2015, p. 23). On the opposite

spectrum, systems theory can describe how the data and/or results can guide the

researcher to explore the study from almost a “balcony” view. Systems theory goes

beyond what is in front of the researcher and allows for the larger conversation of how

and why things have an interrelationship (Patton, 2015).

Due to the exploratory nature of this study, I used a basic narrative inquiry to

provide the field with some understanding of why novice educators remain in the field of

education. I used basic narrative inquiry within the conceptual framework. The SDT

framework was selected because it has three psychological principles that allow for open-

ended questions in a structured interview. Basic psychological principles of SDT are

autonomy, competency, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2004). While each of these

principles has been studied in isolation, I found limited research using all three.

Additionally, I wanted a strong approach that would provide alignment and connections

to a fundamental question that districts face.

Choice of Setting for the Study

The settings I chose for the research were districts considered urban. An urban

setting is defined as a school located in or near an urban center, primarily serving poor
 59
and ethnically diverse students in densely populated areas. Urban schools are often

characterized by lower academic achievement than suburban schools and high mobility

rates by students. I selected to use elementary schools that had a range of 300–400

students. Additionally, I selected schools that had more than one classroom for each

grade level.

Role of the Researcher

As the sole author of this study, I served as the interviewer, observer, and data

analyzer. My role as a district-level administrator wherein teachers and service providers

have, in my experience, a high rate of turnover provided me with a unique background in

various philosophies or perceptions as to the reason that influences novice educators'

willingness to remain in the field. I was familiar with educational terminology and

professional jargon, which could have provided the respondents with a sense of calm and

ease during the in-person interviews. This familiarity with K–12 education enabled me to

be better able to determine areas in which to expand the in-person interview and identify

areas for further questions. This familiarity and knowledge could have hindered the

research if complicit bias had not been addressed, and if objective tools had not been

used. To maintain objectivity, I had the taped interviews transcribed. I analyzed the data

using the prescribed process for qualitative studies.

Methodology

Within this section, I cover the research design topics, the role of the researcher,

and the methodology. I discuss the choice of the setting for the study, participant

selection logic, instrumentation and materials, procedures for recruitment, participation in

 60
data collection, interviews, interview questions, observations, and document review.

Additionally, issues of limitations, ethical practices, and dissemination of findings are

included.

Participant Selection Logic

For this study, I used a purposeful sampling approach to select the most

appropriate participants. Due to the nature of the study, which involved understanding the

influence of SDT on a targeted group of educators, the participants were selected based

on their willingness to participate in the study and having served 5 years or less in any

teaching environment in public K–12 schools. The study had 8 participants included and

provided saturation. The selection of participants was based on meeting the criteria of

being in the field of education for less than 5 years. The participants were in elementary

Grades 3 through 5, with one special education teacher serving Grades K through 5.

Settings included public schools, charter schools, and private schools. No participant was

removed from the selection process for any demographic response.

I selected districts with varied student population-sized elementary schools

serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Elementary schools with student enrollment

between 300 and 500 were used as this provided for two or more teachers for each grade

level. The potential pool for one elementary school was six or higher for the selected

grades. This study identified critical stakeholders as the elementary school

principals/administrators. Walden University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved

the study plan with an expiration date, IRB# 03-07-22-0554044. The

principal/administrator received a letter that outlined the study to include the research
 61
question, limitations, and anticipated time educators provided for the research.

Principals/administrators provided their elementary teachers in Grades 3 through 5 with a

copy of the letter for their consideration. Respondents provided their email address and

willingness to participate directly to me via email. From there, I selected a purposeful

stratified sample representing urban school districts across the urban and metropolitan

Midwestern states to analyze novice elementary educators' results and willingness to

remain in the field.

Instrumentation

Based on the exploratory nature of this study, interviewing was the best approach

for this research study. The interview protocol was developed with the committee

members and was designed using the SDT framework. The interview protocol was

gleaned from the purpose and research questions for this qualitative research study and

was linked to each research question as indicated in Appendix A. Patton (2015) posited

that scholars have perspectives on the use of central research questions and subquestions

and how the formation of the interview questions take shape. Uniform approaches in

inquiry and structured interviews provide researchers with a simplified method (Jacob &

Furgerson, 2012; Patton, 2015). According to Patton (2015), these interviews allow

researchers to deeply analyze data content, connect with peers, and maintain

notes/journals for audit trails. Research techniques and practices must be completed with

fidelity of the field and the methods outlined in this section.

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Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection

All potential participants were sought from an urban district with the building-

level administrator's approval and district-level agreement to conduct a study with human

subjects. I contacted the urban districts within the Midwestern state. Districts identified as

urban districts were included in the list of targeted vital stakeholder identification. Of the

urban district(s), I identified the elementary schools that had a student population ranging

from 300 to 400 students and more than one classroom for each grade level. The

principals of the schools meeting the criteria were given a written flyer to distribute to

their novice educators meeting the participant criteria. I provided the principal with the

research questions, the design of the study, and the written agreement that participation

would allow for the teachers' ability to complete their day-to-day tasks.

Novice educators received a written flyer from their building-level administrator

that I had sent via email communication to identify the study and allow for self-selection

to be a participant of the study. The potential participant pool was generated using

cooperation from the district human resource offices and social media. This study was

based on a voluntary participant pool, and there were no repercussions should a

participant decide to withdraw. The participants had a clear understanding of the

interview method and how their data were used.

The data collection method I used for this qualitative inquiry was a semistructured

interview approach to gather the experiences of novice educators in elementary Grades 3

through 5. The number of participants was nine based upon saturation. I gave the

participants a short summary of the study for their review. Following the summaries, I
 63
conducted virtual interviews using the interview questions developed using Appendix B.

Virtual interviews were between 45 and 60 minutes, with a brief 5- to 10-minute follow-

up after the transcripts were prepared. The interviews were recorded for later

transcription.

I maintained ethical standards by eliminating incomplete interviews for analysis;

for example, if a participant only partially completed the interview or provided nonusable

data, the responses were not included in the analysis, and another participant was

selected. Principals of elementary schools were contacted as a primary source to ascertain

if they were interested in their teachers being part of a small study. Principals did not

respond to interview questions but rather provided the conduit for me to complete the

study. No reimbursement was provided to any of the participants nor the agreeing

principal or district.

Live and real-time interviews were conducted with the participants using online

technology (e.g., Zoom). The interview process allowed for deep, enriching

conversations and responses to the developed interview questions. I used a virtual

platform because it ensured observing potential restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic

and allowed for the audio recording of the interview sessions, with recordings

downloaded in a digital format. All participants were provided with the background

knowledge and intentions for the study. I used the interview protocol (see Appendix A),

which included probing questions. The interviews took between 45 and 60 minutes for

completion.
 64
The materials used in the interview process included a digital recording device

with a backup device in case of malfunction. I also had paper and pen/pencil to note

anything that could impact the interpretation or analysis of the responses, such as body

responses, illness, participant expressions, and/or language shifts. I recorded and

transcribed all interviews.

At the beginning of the interview, participants were notified that the meeting was

recorded with their consent for transcription and analysis purposes. Written consent was

obtained according to Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies of Walden University

approval #03-07-22-0554044. Participant responses were analyzed and coded for

interpretation as described in the section labeled coding process. At the conclusion of the

study, the data were stored on a USB device and will be destroyed after a period of 5

years. Participants who completed the study were notified via email that their information

will be destroyed according to university standards.

Data Analysis Plan

The data analyzed were the verbatim transcription of the recorded interviews from

each participant. Data analysis plans included multiple components such as preparing the

data, engaging various analysis methods, in-depth data analysis, analysis with precision,

and interpreting significant meaning (Creswell, 2014). I used a two-step analysis strategy

to review the recorded interviews from each participant. The first involved inductive

analysis and included how data become themes, patterns, and categories through the

information (Creswell, 2014; Patton, 2015). The second was a deductive analysis where

predetermined concepts and theories support the themes (Patton, 2015, p. 551).
 65
Anomalies appeared in the data analysis that did not support the themes and categories

and were identified (Patton, 2015). I reviewed and documented any anomalies and

provided a brief description in the results and findings section.

Second, the transcription was done using the recording device and transcribed into

a Word document or Google doc. Each manuscript was labeled with the participant's

name, title, date, and time recorded. I stored all transcribed data on my PC desktop and an

external hard drive to ensure that the data were not lost. As the sole researcher, I took

notes, documented observations, and organized data as I conducted interviews. I analyzed

the recorded data for accuracy in transcription and sent the final transcription to the

participant for any edits and final approval. Creswell (2014) indicated several necessary

steps that must be adhered to move from the raw data stage to the final steps of

interpretation of themes and descriptions. I adhered to the steps outlined by Creswell.

• Step 1. Organize and prepare data from the transcriptions, field notes,

observations, and interviews.

• Step 2. Read through the data, searching for general ideas, tone of ideas,

impression of depth and credibility.

• Step 3. Begin analysis with coding and coding steps.

• Step 4. Use the coding process to generate labels and categories.

• Step 5. Advanced description to include teasing out some emerging themes or

repeating information.

• Step 6. Make meaning or interpretation of the data.

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Coding Process

Qualitative data analysis is an iterative process. After completing the coding

process outlined in the aforementioned paragraph, I began to organize my final themes to

begin the process of interpretation for final results and highlights to be used to provide

poignant data points. The interpretation and analysis of the data provided me with

corroborating evidence for further research in understanding the dynamics of intrinsic

motivation that influence educators' willingness to remain in the field.

I employed Atlas.ti to code the data collected during the semistructured

interviews. I reviewed the steps to familiarize myself with Atlas.ti through the software

website and any additional resources available. I used these resources to train myself in

the tool and gain feedback from my committee throughout the data collection and

analysis part of my study.

Issues of Trustworthiness

According to Ravitch and Carl (2015), qualitative research studies utilize various

strategies and methods in the design to demonstrate trustworthiness. In this study,

trustworthiness was evidenced by the combined purposeful sampling approach to finding

potential participants. Participants were interviewed and had the opportunity to review

their transcripts to ensure I had caught everything in the meaning and perceptions they

provided during the interview process. The interview questions were solely based on the

framework of SDT and allowed for open responses from participants. Additionally, the

participant pool had 8 participants with 3reserve participants to account for potential

incomplete interviews and/or saturation. The choice of setting also allowed for credible
 67
measures as there was a clear definition, and the study included only those settings

comparable in student count size and geographical location.

Credibility

Another measure to strengthen the study was using a secondary source to provide

data triangulation. I used data triangulation as an additional credibility measure to ensure

that the data released from the state every year correlates with the data analysis. The

secondary source data included any publicly published retention rate from the district,

state, or national website or publishing. State and National statistics were pulled and

analyzed during the data collection period. The State and Federal data sets were within

the last 5 to 7 years. Schools and districts were asked to provide staff retention and

turnover records for the teaching staff with 3 years or less experience as identified on

their district or school website for fiscal transparency. This included teachers who were

new to the buildings and teachers who were currently employed with 3 years or less

experience. Staff retention and turnover did not include names of exited teachers, and

numerical data were collected to compare the survey information. By using a secondary

data source, I have an unmistakable methodology design to test further the study's ethical

considerations, delimitations, and strengths. The secondary data source and the coded

interviews were analyzed and triangulated for similarities or significant discrepancies to

provide results on the 2 research questions, which are grounded in theory. Data

triangulation included the coded personal interviews and publicly published state

retention statistics available for the most current years.

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Transferability

The research design allows for transferability pertaining to specific analyzed

topics and can be replicated using the same or similar methodology. Qualitative studies

intend to understand the experiences of individuals using inquiry methods such as focus

groups or individual interviews (Patton, 2015). Ravitch and Carl (2015), posit that

personal interviews provide researchers with meaningful and relevant data from their

perspectives. The interview process allows participants to tell their stories from their

perspectives and value systems. The participant's interviews are thereby interpreted and

analyzed by the researcher and provide findings that are specific to the research

questions.

Dependability

Qualitative data was organized and categorized into common themes or patterns. I

utilized the computer data analysis software Atlas.ti to code the data. The use of data

analysis software also strengthens the data's credibility. Emerging themes were

summarized in conjunction with the data. The secondary source data, public records of

exit rates, were analyzed for comparison. The interpretation and analysis of both data sets

provided corroborating evidence for further research in understanding the dynamics of

professional development in high-quality induction programs that influence educators'

willingness to remain in the field. I analyzed the virtual interviews to compare the results

with statewide retention rates objectively. The study determined significant findings that

were used to support further investigations and provided insight into the social change of

retaining novice elementary educators.

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Trustworthiness

Several critical factors were included in the study's design to ensure high

measures of validity and trustworthiness were present. Factors included member

checking after the initial transcription of the interview was completed. Member checking

was completed to ensure the accuracy of the recorded interview. Member checks gave the

researcher a valuable tool to implement before coding (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). Another

factor was selecting semistructured interviews to ensure the responses were based on

guided questions constructed to provide meaningful data to answer the research

questions. The coding process allowed additional measures to strengthen the completion

of data sets that were analyzed for themes and labels used by the researcher. Finally, the

study used a secondary source to provide data triangulation. I used data triangulation as

the last step to ensure the results and findings were based on an in-depth analysis using

high measures of trustworthiness.

Ethical Procedures

IRB approval was gained through Walden University before any outreach or

contact to principals or potential participants. Ethical considerations of the study's

benefits to the participants was identified and follow-up with participants after

completing the study was provided by myself. All recordings and coded transcripts are

stored for a maximum of 5 years on a USB and destroyed after the fifth year of the date

of completion. Participants received this notification on their agreement to participate in

the study, which details how their data was used, stored, and destroyed.
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As there was a narrow pool of willing potential, with approval from IRB, the

recruitment materials were provided to selected districts and social media sites such as

Facebook. Social media can be a valuable tool for researchers and has become an

additional resource; however, it is critical to maintain confidentiality and provide strict

privacy settings for your study (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). Social media provided a larger

platform to recruit participants.

Participant identification was protected in this study with the use of pseudonyms

to record their data, records, files, and correspondences. Willing participants received

informed consent forms in accordance with the IRB standards at Walden University. The

use of informed consent form allowed the researcher the opportunity to share a basic

understanding of the study and to establish an introductory relationship. The use of

informed consent thereby allowed the participants with an opportunity to refuse,

withdraw, or not answer the interview questions at any point of the study (Ravitch &

Carl, 2015; Rubin & Rubin, 2012). Additional efforts to meet the requirements of social

distancing due to the COVID-19 were included in the informed consent form and the way

the interviews were conducted.

Ethical considerations of the study determined that the findings were shared with

the schools that had participating teachers to share in the ownership. The small sample

size minimized threats to the validity of the results. This measure assisted in minimizing

threats to the validity of the study as responses were consensual in nature. Only schools

that have an active induction program remained in the study to minimize the threats to the
 71
validity of schools that have no induction programs. Threats to validity were minimized

with the use of the data analysis software.

Limitations

I concluded there were several limitations to the study. The first being the limited

participant pool could negatively influence the data if it is not expanded to include school

districts that did not have an active induction program limited the number of school

districts' ability to participate in the study. A final limitation of superintendent and district

staff turnover was analyzed for any variance in the retention rates. I proposed that student

outcomes are an essential measure; however, they limited the inclusion of social and

cultural values. Criteria for success are misunderstood by many evaluators and impact the

results that are provided by teachers and directors.

Summary

In this chapter I discussed the research questions, study design, trustworthiness,

limitations, strengths, and how participants were selected. The validity of the study was

discussed with an emphasis on the sources of data and how the participants were selected

using an initial selection through key stakeholders and subsequently random selection.

Participants willing to participate in the study were interviewed in a virtual setting

recorded and transcribed for analysis. The chapter also discussed how the design of the

study ensured that the method to analyze the data would provide validity and rigor.

Chapter 4 provided results from the coded data from participant interviews and a

secondary source of data provided by public access to state retention rates as outlined in

the Chapter 3.
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Chapter 4: Results

Introduction

In this qualitative study, I sought to explore intrinsic motivation among novice

elementary educators in Grades 3 through 5 and their willingness to remain in the field.

Some of those experiences focused on autonomy, competency, and relatedness. In

Chapter 4, I present the results, including thematic patterns and codes of this qualitative

study based on the RQs. The chapter includes a description of the research setting. I then

explain the steps I engaged in the recruitment process, interviews, transcription, and

coding. I go on to explain the analysis process and provide evidence of credibility,

transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The chapter ends with a description of

the results and a summary. The two research questions in this qualitative study were as

follows:

RQ1. How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary educators’

willingness to remain in teaching?

RQ2. What are the reasons novice educators give for choosing to stay in the

field of education?

Setting

This qualitative study was completed through semistructured interviews and

analysis of published survey results from two Midwestern states of similar educational

demographics. After receiving IRB approval, I submitted internal review processes with

several area school districts, social media posts, and Walden’s participant pool. Finding

willing partner districts proved to be very challenging. Many districts denied the study
 73
due to school closures and COVID fatigue of the teaching staff. After being denied, I

completed revisions to IRB to remove the school size of 300–500 and opened the

participant pool to any elementary school and included social media as a platform as a

means to increase participation.

The interviews were conducted during the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Communities followed their individual county guidelines for health and safety. Due to

followed guidelines, the interviews were all conducted via Zoom meetings. Interviews

were done in a private office or room in the participant’s home that was free of

distraction. I conducted the interviews in my private home office with no other people

present in the dwelling.

Demographics

A total of nine novice elementary educators in Grade 3 through 5 participated in

the study. The participants were all female and were teaching in urban areas. The

participants ranged from 1st-year teachers to 5th-year teachers with employment in

public elementary schools. Two of the participants had a coteaching assignment, one

teacher had a temporary assignment, and the remaining seven teachers had their own

assigned classrooms. Participants were not asked their age, race, ethnicity, marital status,

or disability status. Table 1 presents the demographics of the participants.

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Table 1

Participants

Years of Experience Grade Level

Participant A <5 5
Participant B <3 3
Participant C <5 3
Participant D <2 4
Participant E <3 4
Participant F <2 4
Participant G <3 4
Participant H <5 3
Participant I <4 4
Note. Participants were given a letter in the order in which they were interviewed.

Data Collection

The data collection process presented in Chapter 3 was followed without

exception. As previously described, between 8and 10 participants were selected to

conduct a 45- to 60-minute semistructured audio recorded interview. To begin data

collection, I had to identify that the participants were (a) novice educators with less than

5 years’ experience and (b) currently teaching in Grade 3 through 5. Each district selected

had elementary schools within the original design of a student population for 300–500. I

submitted over 20 internal district research reviews with districts that were identified as

urban. I received permissions from two of the districts contacted, with six rejections and

many “no” responses. The reasons indicated for the rejections were COVID implications,

school closures, and mental health of the teaching staff. One district requested significant

changes to the IRB-approved forms, and I indicated that I would not be able to deviate

from the approvals without resubmission to IRB. My study was also posted to Walden’s

participant pool, to which I had several replies. After several weeks without any response

from potential participants, I submitted revisions to IRB to use social media and removed
 75
the student population of 300–500. Once IRB approved these changes, I posted to social

media groups to actively recruit participants. Subsequently, I had an increase in activity

in the recruiting process of finding novice elementary educators. I received some

outreach from candidates from districts that did not give approval. Those participants

were not selected, as it would have been unethical for me to interview them. Potential

participants emailed my student account, and I sent the consent forms with directions to

reach out to set up interviews. I set up interviews to only those participants who returned

the consent forms.

I set up interviews based on the participants’ availability, and all of the interviews

were conducted over Zoom. I scheduled the Zoom meetings for 60 minutes as I had

discussed with participants that the interview would take no more than 45–60 minutes. I

used a script for my introduction and closing as described in the IRB forms.

The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed using Otter.ai. Transcripts

were reviewed for accuracy and spelling errors using Otter.ai. According to Saldaña

(2016), qualitative studies are uniquely designed; thus, coding approaches can be

predetermined or take on an emerging approach as the researcher begins analyzing their

data. Given the nature of my study, I selected multiple coding approaches to best guide

my ability to interpret the data. I did first-cycle coding, after-first-cycle coding, and

second-cycle coding to allow for additional credibility in my findings. I also used Atlas.ti

as an additional coding tool to ensure that I had alignment with my initial hand coding.

Atlas.ti provided additional analysis through word clouds and word lists to ensure that the

data were thoroughly analyzed and coded correctly.

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Data Analysis

I began the initial coding by reading the transcripts first without any highlighting

or note-taking. I then reread the transcripts again, this time using highlighter and sticky

notes to make initial words or phrases that summarized the interviewees' statements. I

organized the first-round coding words and phrases into categories. To avoid any

common errors, such as descriptive coding or code proliferation, the codes were labeled

with the words directly from the transcripts (Saldaña, 2016). First-round coding produced

47 themes that emerged from the data analysis from the two RQs, along with categories

and codes, respectively.

These codes were distributed across the research questions as was described in

Appendix A. The interview questions were designed to influence both of the RQs based

on SDT. Of the 47 codes, 31 applied to RQ1 and 25 applied to RQ2. All of the research

questions were coded, and RQ1 (How does intrinsic motivation influence novice

elementary educators’ willingness to remain in teaching?) produced the greater number

of applicable items to lend to the emerging themes, labels, and categories. Themes

emerged from RQ1 (How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary

educators’ willingness to remain in teaching?) and RQ2 (What are the reasons novice

educators give for choosing to stay in the field of education?). After cycle coding was the

second iterative step in coding the data and identifying additional labels and themes. I

grouped the codes together, which resulted in seven themes: strong induction programs,

ongoing professional development, strong administrative support, positive mentor,

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support for mental health, life/work balance, and strong experiential training. Table 2

provides the themes and respective categories.

Table 2

Themes and Categories

Themes Categories
Strong induction programs There was no induction
Collegial support was self-discovered
Needed basics of teaching
Not tied to mentors

Ongoing professional Pause on training

development Nonrelevant training
Need more training during the year
Too many initiatives
Strong administrative support Knowledgeable
Positive interactions
Negative communication
Never seen
Too new on the job
Positive mentor Friendly
Supportive
Good feedback
Paired with the right person
Veteran teachers don’t like change
Couldn’t voice opinions
Support for mental health Overwhelmed
Student behaviors
Lack of engagement causing stress
Getting sick
Different learning environment

Life/work balance Loss of personal time

Lack of self-care
Working late at night
Personal relationships

Strong experiential training Strong student teaching

Learned more while teaching
College didn’t prepare for real world
Note. The categories are presented as the words or patterns identified in the interview transcripts. The

positive and negative connotations were included in the identified themes.

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After several rounds of coding and identifying the emerging themes, I made

discoveries in the data that warranted another final round of coding. Several of the

themes were found to have a strong correlation with one another and were combined.

These combinations were supported with the anecdotal evidence within the participant

interviews. Thereby, the following final themes emerged: strong induction programs with

an emphasis on mentoring, strong experiential learning with continued professional

development, mental health supports and life/work balance, and strong administrative

support.
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Table 3

Final Themes and Categories

Themes Categories
Strong induction programs with an There was no induction
emphasis on mentoring Unclear if the district had induction
Participants had varied experiences with mentors
Collegial support was self-discovered
Needed basics of teaching
Not tied to mentors
Friendly
Supportive
Good feedback
Paired with the right person
Veteran teachers don’t like change
Couldn’t voice opinions

Strong experiential learning with Pause on training

continued professional development Nonrelevant training
Need more training during the year
Too many initiatives
Wanted more training in the district
Strong student teaching
Learned more while teaching
College didn’t prepare for real world

Strong administrative support Knowledgeable

Positive interactions
Negative communication
Never seen
Too new on the job

Mental health supports and life/work Overwhelmed

balance Student behaviors
Lack of engagement causing stress
Getting sick
Different learning environment
Loss of personal time
Lack of self-care
Working late at night
Personal relationships

Note. The final themes and categories are reflected in the interview data. The final analysis yielded

correlation among the original themes.

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After the final coding revealed four themes, I compared them to the Teaching and

Learning Conditions in Colorado (TLCC) Survey results that were published for the

2017/2018, 2019/2020, and 2021/2022 school years (CDE, 2018, 2020b, 2022). The

TLCC survey results were not provided for the 2019 SY due to COVID-19. The TLCC

Survey longitudinal results are provided in Table 4.

Table 4

TLCC Longitudinal Survey Results

Survey prompts 2018 2020 2022

Adequate time for professional learning No data 63.4% 57.3%
New initiatives 52% 53.1% 49.6%
Support students’ social and emotional 53.1% 52.6% 57.3%
learning
Professional learning aligned to needs 65% 63.9% 58.7%
Adequate new teacher support 70.8% 73.4% 74%
Personal support No data 67.7% 68.5%
Satisfaction with the recognition received No data 73.7% 72.9%
Note.The selected prompts were based on the themes and categories identified from the iterative coding

process of participant interviews.

Evidence of Trustworthiness

The basic narrative design of this study necessitated the development of evidence

of trustworthiness. This entailed constant reflection with the data in analyzing and

reporting findings. Adjustments to the strategies to gain participants were explained in

Chapter 3. Those evidentiary pieces included ensuring credibility, transferability,

dependability, and confirmability throughout the study.

Credibility

Credibility in this study was assured with consistency in using the semistructured

interview protocol, allowing for expanded responses, debriefing, and member checking.
 81
Additionally, credibility was assured with an analysis of a 3-year trend of published

survey results from TLCC. The TLCC survey results provided the secondary source

described in Chapter 3. Triangulation of the survey data provided additional credibility.

Each interviewed and/or surveyed participant contributed to the experience and

perceptions of novice elementary teachers in Grades 3 through 5.

Transferability

The transferability of qualitative research is based on the inquiry method and

questions used to understand the phenomenon of interest (Patton, 2015). The

semistructured interview provided meaningful and relevant data from the participants’

perspective (Ravitch & Carl, 2015). In this study, the participants helped understand the

intrinsic motivation of novice elementary educators in Grades 3 through 5 and their

willingness to remain in the field of teaching. The participants shared their personal

experiences and perceptions as they related to the semistructured interview questions.

Although the participants provided rich, detailed descriptions of the context, the findings

are not generalizable.

Dependability

The interview protocol (Appendix A) developed for the study secured consistency

throughout the study. The nine participants in the study responded to the same interview

questions, in order, to understand the experiences and perspectives of novice elementary

educators in Grades 3 through 5. The participants’ responses were analyzed to provide

similarities, differences, and overarching themes. The majority of the participants shared

similar experiences and concerns with teaching in the current landscape of education.
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Words and phrases from their interviews formed themes and categories representative of

their similarities and differences. Additionally, the use of a second source provided

triangulation of the data to strengthen the themes and categories.

Confirmability

As a qualitative researcher it is important to acknowledge your role in the

research process. Reflexivity helped to develop my stance on receiving information

during the interviews. Throughout the interviews and coding process, I monitored my

personal bias. I maintained awareness of the implications of being a participant with a

fellow educator. During the interview process, I monitored my tone, language, and

agreeability to provide a safe, welcoming environment. Debriefing and member checking

provided means to monitor any potential bias.

Results

This qualitative study’s focus was on understanding the experiences and

perceptions as it relates to intrinsic motivation among novice elementary educators in

grades 3 through 5 and their willingness to remain in the teaching field as posed in the

RQs. Nine participants provided consent and responded to three semistructured interview

questions. Subsequently the data produced involved analyzing two RQs that included

understanding the influence of intrinsic motivation on novice elementary educators’

willingness to remain in the field. Secondly, the reasons that novice educators give for

choosing to stay in the field. Several themes emerged from the extracted data based on

these RQs to support findings. In this section, the two RQs, supporting themes, and

secondary source data connect to describe the results’ words, phrases, and quotations.
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The research questions were addressed in order RQ1 “How does intrinsic

motivation influence novice elementary educators in grades three through five

willingness to remain in the field?” and RQ2 “What are the reasons novice educators give

for choosing to stay in the field of education? The participants shared their experiences

with their college preparation and the experiences they had as a novice educator entering

their schools and districts. The participants were asked about their experiences with what

originally motivated them to become a teacher, how their college prepared them, what

level of induction and mentoring programs they participated in and their relationship with

their building administrators. The participants provided rich details regarding their

experiences and how their experiences motivated them to stay in the field of education.

Several themes emerged from the extracted data and the secondary data source to provide

findings. In this section the two RQs and supporting themes meet to describe the results

quotations, phrases, and words. In this section I describe the themes that emerged from

RQ1 and RQ2, strong induction programs with an emphasis on mentoring, strong

administrative support, mental health and live work balance, strong experiential training

accompanied with continued professional development.

Research Question 1

The first RQ was, How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary

educators’ willingness to remain in teaching? The participants candidly shared their

experiences with their personal stories on what made them want to become a teacher.

Most of the participants shared that they either had a relative that was an educator or a

strong influence from their childhood that made them want to become a teacher or simply
 84
an opportunity they found during their college experience. Additionally, the participants

described their experiences with their administrators and induction programs that further

influenced their willingness to remain in the field.

Figure 1

Final Themes

Strong Induction
Programs with an
Emphasis on
Mentoring

Strong
Experiential
Strong Willingness Training
Administrative to Remain Accompanied
Support with Continued
in the Field Professional
Development

Mental Health
Supports and
Life/Work
Balance

Theme 1: Strong Induction Programs with an Emphasis on Mentoring

The first theme involved understanding the experiences the participants had with

the district induction programs. Induction programs in school districts are designed to

assign a mentor teacher and provide additional professional development in the areas of

instructional practices. Interview questions related to this theme were: IQ3 Can you

please describe your district’s induction program (if available) and how you participated?
 85
And IQ3a. What are some supports that you have found within your induction program?

Participants shared their experience and understanding of induction programs.

Interestingly, half of the participants were unfamiliar with the term induction; however,

were assigned a mentor teacher.

One of the specific interview questions (IQ3b) “How has professional

development in your induction program has influenced your classroom instructional

strategies?” Responses included expected data such as “you need someone to like, remind

you, you need more training” or “I would have really wanted to have these professional

trainings every now and then” (Participant B). Participants indicated that they had little to

no professional development during the pandemic. Participant D responded that

“Actually, I don’t know what really I can say about it, but I think I learned from other

teachers, mainly on communication.” They further went on to explain that approximately

half of the participants relayed that during the pandemic they were not provided

additional supports and indicated that they believe they would have liked to have had

more time with their colleagues and additional trainings.

For example, participant C shared that they were considered a late hire and were

not included in the induction program. One advantage that they shared was they had done

their student teaching in the district and had a rudimentary knowledge of how the district

operated. They also shared that they had been able to participate in the districts’ formal

training during their student teaching and that they believed they would have been

overwhelmed as a first-year teacher without that experience. Additionally, 2, and 3-day

trainings were condensed into one two-to-three-hour training session.

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Participant C also indicated that they had moved states and began with a new

district that did have an induction program and they were assigned a mentor teacher;

however, it was not a content peer. They stressed that it was much more helpful to have

an instructional coach as a mentor and not their grade level peer due to the connection to

the curriculum. The level of training opportunities was more extensive at the new district

and were held three times over the year rather than one night. Participant C further went

on to state,

“There were different positions that were responsible. So, there was a lot of whole

group communication from one individual, she was like the talent director, and

she basically oversaw new hires and there was also training that we were required

to do within the first three years of teaching. So, there were six categories of

classes, you picked one in each category and took two classes every year”.

While the other participants indicated they had not been in any induction

programs nor were they assigned a mentor, two final participants indicated induction

programs can be provided with brevity. Participant J described their induction program as

a two-week intense professional development program that included district level

support. While Participant E indicated that although they were unfamiliar with the term,

the district did provide a mentor teacher in the classroom, at the district level, and with a

building administrator. This was a tri-level support for new teachers in the building.

Participant E joined various trainings that included technology, curriculum, and

resources. The critique given was that the training on the resources were not implemented
 87
in the classroom, thereby, making it difficult to see the connection to their day-to-day

classroom experience.

All of the participants provided their experiences with and without an induction

program. The participants were educators who shared varied experiences with induction

and mentoring within their setting. Similar to the study’s participants responses, the

TLCC Survey (2022) results indicated that only 74% of respondents felt they had

adequate new teacher support.

Theme 2. Strong Experiential Training Accompanied With Continued Professional

Development

The second theme that emerged was strong experiential training accompanied

with continued professional development. Strong experiential training is provided during

the 4 years of college. Entering into the teaching profession requires extensive knowledge

of educational pedagogy that includes the foundational knowledge of literacy and

mathematics. The college experience includes 2 years of basic courses and an additional

2 years of more intensive training that are designed to prepare teachers for the classroom

setting. Ongoing professional development is the training and professional opportunities

that educators receive as they enter a school system. Professional development includes

training on curriculum and resources, technology, classroom management, district

procedures, and assessment. The participants described the various types of training

opportunities that they experienced as new teachers. Professional development in the

districts was described as trainings that focused on district policies and procedures,

communication,
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The participants all shared their experiences in their preparation to becoming

educators. They shared similarities and differences in the level of preparedness that they

had as they went through their college course. Over half of the participants shared that

they did not feel that the colleges prepared them for the actual classroom environment to

include classroom management, how to navigate a school/district system, and how to

become part of a school community. There were a few of the participants that felt that

had been prepared; however, they believed that the colleges did not prepare them with

regards to the experience of being a teacher. Experiences being a teacher were described

as knowing how to set up a classroom, how to engage students and adjusting to a school

environment. For example, participant B shared “I think more of the teaching practice

should have happened, in case for someone who doesn’t know where to start” and

“teaching practice is also very key.” Similar statements from participant D included “for

you to become a teacher, you must be very strong willed, and you must be willing to

learn because it’s a learning face every day;” “so basically, college doesn’t prepare you

fully for all that, you’ve just been equipped with skills.” Participant E further explains

“that going back to school prepared me in a lot of aways, but I think that the

experience I learned while student teaching about the things I wanted to do, and I

think more importantly, about the things I did not want for my classroom” and

“most of my associates did nothing for preparing me for becoming an

educator…much of the actual bachelor’s degree program had content specific

stuff really did help prepare me to become an educator, I think there are things I

would have done differently, there should be more of an emphasis on getting into
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the classroom earlier”.

Participant C shared similar experiences with their college courses.

The first two years were the general education classes, some which I would argue

are irrelevant.” They further explained that “starting their sophomore year there’s

kind of very minimal preservice teacher options or opportunities. They also

indicated that it was kind of laying the foundation and obviously never be enough

to prepare me fully for actually teaching. I would definitely say that I got more

experience my student teaching year and what’s nice is I was assigned to one

school the entire year.

Similar results were published in the TLCC Survey (CDE, 2020b, 2022) that

indicated 63/4% of respondents in year 2020 and 57.3% of respondents in year 2022 felt

there was adequate time for professional learning. The TLCC Survey (CDE, 2020b,

2022) results also revealed that respondents felt that “professional learning that is aligned

to needs” has seen a decrease over the past 4 years from 65% in 2018 to 58.7% in the

year 2020. The examples provided by the participants and the TLCC Survey (CDE, 2022)

results indicated a significant impact of meaningful professional development has on

novice educators.

Theme 3. Mental Health Supports and Life/Work Balance

The third theme that emerged was life/work balance. Novice educators are not

only learning to become fully immersed in their classrooms they are also learning how to

balance life outside of the classroom. Many teachers are reported to spend hours after

work to complete all of the necessary work that is assigned to them. This may include
 90
lesson planning, grading, and attending additional coursework outside of the regular

scheduled day. The amount of work that teachers are being asked to do over the past

years has substantially increased and greatly impacts their ability to balance work and

home life. The participants shared their experiences that provide insight on what novice

teachers can expect as they enter their first years of teaching. For example, participant C

states:

“I wouldn’t sugarcoat it, I would kind of be like, it’s tough, you are kind of

always on the go. There’s you kind of have to and you know, you have to be able

to adjust to whatever the it is whether it’s a student behavior or have unexpected

fire alarm, or, you know, whatever it is. But, also to say that it’s worth it. I would

probably also advise, make to do lists and do little things at a time, even if you’re

not fully, you wanting to because it can pile up I would also advise, as tempting as

it is to work outside your contracted hours unnecessarily, even though you’re not

getting paid, make sure you find a good balance between work, and school, or

work in your personal life, because it can quickly snowball”.

Participants reported that mental health supports were needed during the

pandemic, and many found that the schools were not equipped to handle the major

changes that took place during remote learning as well as the return to in-person learning

environment. Participant B indicated that “teachers cannot function in isolation without

their welfare being put first.” Similarly, participant D shared that “you must be very

strong willed and must be willing to learn because it’s a learning face every day.” The

participants responses correlate with the TLCC Survey (CDE, 2018, CDE 2020b, CDE
 91
2022) longitudinal information from Table 4. Educators reported only 68.5% of the total

number of respondents felt they had personal support during the 2022 school year as

compared to 67.7% in the 2020 school year.

Theme 4. Strong Administrative Support

Administrative support and teacher retention has been researched and has proven

to be a significant factor in whether or not teachers remain in the school and/or district in

which they are currently employed. Administrative support includes communicating with

staff, students, and families to ensure that the school is fully functioning. Administrators

provide direct and indirect supports through classroom observations and follow-up with

feedback to teachers. As novice teachers are finding their way in the classroom,

relationships with the building administrator can impact the desire to remain in the field

of education.

In order to gain insight into the perspectives of novice educators one specific

interview question was asked IQ3(a) How would you describe your relationship with

your building administrator? All of the participants spoke about how their experience

with their administrator had highlights as well as areas for improvement. All participants

shared the importance of having a good relationship with their administrators as it related

to maintaining employment in their school. Responses from the participants ranged from

positive, healthy relationships to those that left them feeling they couldn’t reach out or

respond to questions in staff meetings.

Participant H indicated that their relationship was more of a “worker and

employer relationship” and that if they could change the relationship, it would be “to give
 92
teachers a chance to express themselves to channel their issues and concerns.” Their

experience was more of the administrator providing communication about events and

messages from the district. This was not shared with all of the participants as some

indicated that they were able to get to know the administrator.

One example was shared by participant I was that they,

“Felt like the principal was very, very nice to me as opposed to some stories that I

heard from teachers. For me, I felt like I caught a principal who’s kind of God

fearing so he knows how to treat people. He doesn’t treat people badly. He’s

someone very understanding at times and at times he also noticed our personal

values. I felt that he was someone with a good heart”.

Participant J indicated that they had a positive relationship with their

administrator, that they addressed issues in group settings to alleviate any one teacher

feeling pinpointed unless it was a severe case. Participant J also indicated that the school

environment was a “good environment” and that is part of the reason that they were

staying. Another example of the impact of a strong administrative support was provided

by participant E. They stated that they were mentored by their principal and assistant

principal throughout their time. They additionally shared that this was a similar

experience among all of the teachers they worked with and was a significant part of their

desire to work in that particular district.

However, not all of the participants had positive relationships with their

administrators. During the interviews, some participants were hesitant to respond to the

question and further asked if they would be identified in the results. I gleaned from the
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hesitation that some participants did not have good experiences or were guarded with

their opinions. For example, Participant C shared that if they “see a bad admin, I’m gonna

run for the hills.” This response prompted me to allow the participant additional time to

respond to the interview questions as they further went on to share a positive perception

of their administrators. Participant D shared their relationship as “not bad, thought at

times, she’s tough.” They further clarified that “she’s always inclined on getting the best

use of those people who are perfectionist. Like they don’t believe in failure…like failure

is not in their language.”

In order to answer RQ2, What are the reasons novice educators give for choosing

to stay in the field of education? I asked the question, describe your plans to stay teaching

in the elementary setting? In addition to this question, I also embedded prompts that

would lead to responses to the interview questions specific to induction and support as a

novice teacher. The participants provided varied responses with some going into detail

and the majority being brief with either a yes or no response. Most of the participants

responded to the question very quickly and concisely. For example, Participant D shared

that “I feel like I’ll still continue teaching, I don’t have other choices currently …just

need more experience on the job.” They further went on to share the experiences they

were looking for were more trainings, collaboration with other teachers, and a mentorship

program that is supportive and free from judgment. Another example shared was from

participant E:

“Absolutely, that was what I wanted since I was little…I absolutely have plans to

continue in education and to continue to grow my skill set…I love the idea of
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creating curriculum and pursuing additional education to support me as an

educator”.

Participant C shared,

“I still want to teach next year and I’ve been able to honestly see a bunch of

different school environments and kind of makes this decision this is what I want

to continue…I have been very lucky my entire teaching career to build positive

relationships with staff…I think those relationships keep me going because even

on the worst of the worst days, I’ve always had supportive staff around me”.

Participant J provided a much shorter response simply stating that they believed

“in the next 5 years, I’ll still be here…that’s the plan.” Similar to participant J, participant

G simply stated, “that’s what I love doing.” One final example that indicates intrinsic

motivation of teachers comes from participant B:

“I think teaching is fulfilling and I have a passion for that. I just feel that teaching

is sort of a calling and it just depends on how you take it…I cannot see myself in

another industry that I can perform better. It’s something you can continue with,

like, go from one career ladder to another and fulfill a lot and get recognized and

get good positions”.

There appeared to be an overwhelming perception that teaching is about passion and

feeling that you are meant to be in front of students.

Research Question 2

Despite most of the participants indicating that they would remain in the field

there were at least two participants that did not indicate a positive response to remaining
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in the field. Participant A stated that they had mixed feelings about staying in education

due to the amount of work that is required outside of school hours. They indicated that it

had nothing to do with the students or teaching, just that they didn’t feel that they had a

life outside of school. Participant I shared feelings that they would not stay in education

as they were leaning towards a different path that they felt passionate about. While they

indicated they had a passion for education, it would not be for long.

Out of the 9 participants, only 8 said that they would be staying in the field of

education. Supporting information from the TLCC Survey (CDE, 2022) reported they

had 39,147 respondents identified as certified school staff. TLCC (CDE, 2022) indicated

that 47.5 new staff were not assigned a formal mentor during the 2021/2022 SY.

Additionally, only 70.5% of new staff stated they had received supports as a new staff.

TLCC (CDE, 2022) shows 86.8 considered the pandemic negatively impacted student

engagement and that supports for social emotional well-being (staff and students) was not

provided. Among the respondents, 33,014 are teachers, making up 71.6% of the total

number of respondents. Nearly 6.8% of the respondents indicated that they would leave

the field of education, which is an increase of 3% from the 2020 TLCC (CDE, 2020b;

CDE 2022).

Summary

In summary, the transcribed interview responses from novice elementary

educators with less than 5 years of experience showed that their experiences and

perceptions influenced their intrinsic motivation and their willingness to remain in the

field of teacher. After several rounds of coding, there were 4 themes that were clearly
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established: Strong induction programs with an emphasis on mentoring, strong

experiential learning with continued professional development, mental health and

life/work balance, and strong administrative support. Results showed that each of the

themes play an integral role in novice educators’ intrinsic motivation and their

willingness to remain in the field of education.

Participants shared their experiences, both positive and negative, as it relates to

their first years of teaching in public K-12 schools. Results showed 47 initial codes with

31 of the total answering RQ1 and 25 codes answering RQ2. My first related research

question focused on the intrinsic motivation of novice educators. Results showed the

influence that connections with colleagues, being knowledgeable, mental well-being, and

administrative support has on their perceptions of their first years of teaching experience.

The results provided were based on the participants responses to my semistructured

interview questions that allowed respondents to share openly their perceptions and insight

into novice elementary educators. As an additional measure of credibility, the use of

triangulation with the TLCC Survey (CDE, 2018, 2020, 2022). further provided an in-

depth analysis on what impacts retention rates among novice elementary educators.

In Chapter 5, I provided further interpretations of the findings, any limitations and

implications of this study, as well as recommendations for future studies in the area of

novice elementary educators’ and their willingness to remain in the field. I provided a

summary of conclusions. Additionally, I provided recommendations for policy makers

and legislators.
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Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Introduction

In this qualitative study, I sought to understand the experiences of novice

elementary educators and their willingness to remain in the field. Participants were

selected through purposeful sampling and provided their responses in a 45–60 minute

semistructured Zoom interview. I interviewed nine novice elementary educators who had

5 or fewer years of experience in education. SDT served as a framework to analyze the

effects of autonomy, competency, and relatedness, which provided relevant, meaningful

data that were coded and thematically analyzed to detail findings in which

recommendations and implications were later introduced.

The findings from this study confirm the knowledge of the literature review in

Chapter 2. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged describing the experiences of

novice elementary educators and the willingness to remain in the field. The themes

corresponded with RQs 1 and 2 simultaneously. The themes that emerged had significant

factors that explained both the intrinsic motivation as well as the reasons educators chose

to remain in the field. RQ1’s intrinsic motivation factors are found throughout Theme 1

(strong induction programs with an emphasis on mentoring) as well as Theme 4 (strong

administrative support). The themes from RQ2 focused on mental health, life/work

balance, experiential training, and ongoing professional development. The themes

discussed will support and extend the knowledge for this study.
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Research Questions

The following research questions were used to seek supporting data on

understanding intrinsic motivation of novice elementary educators and their willingness

to remain in the field.

RQ1. How does intrinsic motivation influence novice elementary educators’

willingness to remain in teaching?

RQ2. What are the reasons novice educators give for choosing to stay in the

field of education?

Conceptual Framework

First established in 1985, SDT (Ryan & Deci, 2017) specifically addressing social

and psychological conditions that influence growth and development was selected to

provide a lens that supported the semistructured interview process outlined in the

methodology of this study. SDT provided a viable framework to explore intrinsic

motivation among novice elementary educators. Specific psychological factors were

focused on for this study: autonomy, competency, and relatedness. Autonomy,

competency, and relatedness were targeted because the primary purpose of SDT is to

account for human tendencies rather than dictating a scenario in which people would

make forced decisions that may or may not hold value to their persons. Environments that

support and promote autonomy, competency, and relatedness in the field of education

were explored to support the RQs.

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Interpretation of the Findings

Strong Induction Programs With an Emphasis on Mentoring

In the study, the participants described experiences of lack of an induction

program and lack of a strong mentor. The research suggested that induction programs

with strong mentors can impact the decision to remain in the field and continue with the

current setting. Nine novice educators participated in the study, and only one served as a

special education teacher in kindergarten to fifth grade. All the participants were entering

the field of education with a traditional pathway of a 4-year college prior to teaching.

Two of the participants were in their first 2 years of teaching, and neither of them

were aware of induction programs. Each was assigned a mentor; however, neither were

receiving ongoing professional development in the areas of curriculum and behavior.

Strong induction programs with an emphasis on mentoring for novice elementary

teachers is a critical need to mitigate the detriment to the district finances and school

culture (Foster, 2022) Induction programs with mentoring can provide real-time benefit

to novice educators if the rate and frequency of mentoring hours are met at a moderate

rate (Caven et al., 2021). Participant B provided a glimpse of their interactions with their

mentor:

“She was available when needed and she was very friendly. She didn’t have

negative attitude towards me, because I was a bit young and she was a bit older.

So definitely did not expect that you will click immediately but the good thing we

did”.
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Participants who shared that they had a mentor indicated that the relationship with

the mentor influenced their ability to connect with the school as well as their willingness

to work harder for their administrators. Participants shared the value of a mentor and the

connections that they were able to make. Additionally, they expressed how connections

with being partnered with the right mentor made the difference in their experiences with

their classrooms and their school.

Strong Experiential Training Accompanied With Continued Professional

Development

In this study, college preparation and district professional development were two

of the identified factors that influence educators’ decision to remain in the field. Rose and

Sughrue (2020) supported earlier research that suggested that alternative methods to

obtain education degrees limited the depth of coursework and limited opportunities for

up-and-coming educators. Participants discussed the feeling that colleges prepared them

with coursework and lacked in providing them with real-life experiences and what to

expect as they entered their own classrooms. Participants reported that “basic things”

were not provided, such as information on handing conflicts in the organization and/or

with students. Not only were the participants reporting lack of experience, but they also

reported that there was a lack of professional development within the districts.

Professional development was significantly impacted during the pandemic; however,

participants in the study were not 1st-year teachers and had knowledge of district

professional development prior to the pandemic. Participants reported that training

courses were not aligned with new initiatives, nor did they feel that there was enough
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professional development for the curriculum they were expected to teach. Aligned with

this finding were the findings from the TLCC longitudinal survey indicating results

declining from teacher retention. The perceptions of professional learning aligned to

needs from 65% in 2018 to 58.7% in 2022. While there were no data on adequate time

for professional learning in 2018, only 57.3% of educators reported that there was enough

time in the district for professional development. Participants who had some positive

experiences attributed this to having more experiences during college in the classroom

and meaningful professional development in their respective districts.

They all reported that they felt inadequate in their 1st year of teaching. One

participant stressed the importance of training and having more experiential learning

about what it is to be a teacher before entering employment. The participants further

explained that college does not prepare teachers for day-to-day duties and everything else

that encompasses a “real” elementary teacher. Elementary educators are not content

specific and therefore do not have the same needs as secondary teachers (Luesse et al.,

2022). Luesse et al. (2022) concluded that content-specific professional development did

not provide conclusive results, as the subgroup required further investigation.

Connections from postsecondary settings and school districts are necessary prior to

ensure that novice elementary educators are prepared to enter the career world of

education. Whether the connections provide additional experiential learning such as

additional requirements of student teaching or mandatory induction programs that

provide grade-level-specific trainings with grade-level mentors, novice elementary

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educators agreed that something would need to occur if they were expected to return to

the school district.

Mental Health Supports and Life/Work Balance

Another factor that influences novice educators’ decision to remain in the field is

their mental health and work/life balance. During the COVID pandemic, educators made

a major shift in how education was provided to their students. Many states went to a

completely remote scenario in which educators and students were in their own home

environments for their school day. This scenario led to many significant struggles in

managing their workload and their life balance. Similarly, Walter and Fox (2021) posited

that during the COVID-19 pandemic, educators reported feelings of disconnect and a loss

of autonomy, which led directly to attrition rates. Disconnect and lack of satisfaction

continue to be a struggle for many educators. Uncertainty and feelings of being

overwhelmed were shared by many of the participants in this study.

The participants agreed that this was not an ideal situation, and many felt that

there was a loss of professional development and connections with students. However,

many of the participants stressed the importance of understanding that the school day

begins very early and extends past the school day as teachers must prepare for the next

day. Participant A shared that “teaching does not end; it doesn’t stop when you leave the

classroom.” Participants also shared that there are days when it is a struggle to leave the

classroom even for basic needs.

An additional consideration for balancing work life stems from Participant C’s

thoughts on advice they would give anyone who would want to go into teaching: “not
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going to sugarcoat it, it’s hard” and “make lists to do and do little things over time

because it can pile up” ... “as tempting as it is to work outside of your contracted hours

unnecessary, even though you’re not getting paid, make sure you find a good balance

between work, and school, or work and your personal life, because it can quickly

snowball.” Similarly, Participant F reiterated that “mental health awareness is coming out

so broadly, so I feel also that the teachers also need that kind of mental health.” They

went on to indicate that there should be mental health awareness woven through

postsecondary preparation courses, not just when teachers enter their own classroom.

Walter and Fox (2021) also reported that mental health awareness was observed in the

way educators were supported with well-being strategies and noted the importance of

being “heard, safe, and valued” (p. 46) as the demands of teaching required structured

frameworks.

Strong Administrative Support

Strong administrative support was a consistent characteristic that participants

attributed to their willingness to remain in the field of education. Participants freely spoke

of their experiences with their administrator and whether they had positive or negative

interactions with the building and district leaders. The experiences shared are similar to

the longitudinal statistics provided in Table 4. The TLCC survey (CDE, 2018, 2020b,

2022). According to the TLCC longitudinal data, personal support rose from 67.7% to

68.5% between 2020 and 2022. Satisfaction with recognition decreased from 73.7% to

72.9% as educators perceived that their administrators were not providing accolades for

performance (CDE, 2018, 2020b, 2022).

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Participants shared a range of perceptions about their building leaders, from

motherly to businesslike. Some participants reported that they heard “horror stories”

about administrators who were uncaring and demanding. Participant D shared that their

administrator was “tough” and was “always inclined on getting the best use of those

people who are perfectionist … like failure is nothing like close to what they want …

failure is not in their language, it’s either when you do it or do.” Not only did the

participant share that this changed their thinking on how to approach “failures,” but it

made them more determined to not let themselves down as an educator.

Participant E discussed a positive relationship with their administrative team, as it

was composed mostly of women who grew up with technology and were progressive in

their approaches to supporting students and staff. They shared that their administrators

“really wanted consistency across the board … they want the same things I want, which

is important to me.” Participant E also discussed the initiatives that were taking place in

the school and how they supported social emotional learning in student learning.

Not all participants had positive experiences with their administrators. Several

reported negative interactions that impacted their willingness to remain in the field.

Participant F indicated that

“you have to understand that every management in every school is different. You

might have a very good like head teacher, who’s very understanding, or an

administrator very understanding and elsewhere there’s nothing like that. So, it

depends on your resilience … spirit”.

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Participant C shared that they look for administrators who are “very

approachable” and “supportive” as they have “heard horror stories about micromanaging,

unapproachable administrators.” These varying types of administrators significantly

impact educators’ decision to remain in the field of education (Conley & You, 2017;

Olsen & Huang, 2019; Urick, 2020). Similar to Urick’s (2020) position on integrated

leaders, participants shared the perception that leaders who were able to provide

managerial tasks, transformative practices, and instructional leadership were among the

most highly thought of leaders. School and district administrators continue to hold a

unique position in teacher retention rates among novice educators. The higher levels of

support and recognition allow educators a sense of determination and autonomy within

their classrooms. The “resiliency” is found in the levels of self-accountability and

collegial respect for their fellow teachers and administrators.

Psychological Principles

The three psychological principles of SDT (Deci & Ryan, 2002) are autonomy,

competency, and relatedness. Operational definitions of these terms were presented in

Chapter 1 based on those definitions, a brief summary of each is presented below:

• autonomy: individual interests, values, and experiences as an expression of

self

• competency: direct foundational knowledge of instruction and student

behaviors

• relatedness: external factors such as training, administrative support, collegial

camaraderie, and school culture

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Based upon these factors, the following findings provide further corroboration of

the aforementioned themes.

Autonomy

Participants reported that their sense of self either stayed true to their initial

dreams or changed over the period of entering a new school from their first belief of

nervousness and fear to becoming more confident in themselves. Participant D indicated

that in the beginning they were “so worried if I was gonna be liked, if the students are

gonna love me, and if other teachers were friendly, because I’m a law kind of person who

really doesn’t like disturbing people”; this shifted to thoughts of

“I feel like it has changed my attitude so much … like my entire me in terms of

being so positive about like…. I’ll just don’t see the negative side, I will not

concentrate on the failures or on the things that are preventing me from

succeeding, you know, I’ll definitely want to be on the safe side, and to be

inclined toward the achievement bit, because I don’t want to disappoint myself

and that motivates me also to work so hard”.

Participant G reported that they would “stay teaching for some time … maybe I’ll

just go back to school, but still teach … I think that’s what I love doing.”

Similarly, Participant B stated that “I think teaching is a career that I had always

thought about and seeing, like many children depend on teachers most of the time and it’s

a very fulfilling career … It’s quite highly marketable.”

“Having a strong passion for education” is something that Participant C shared

with their remarks of

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“I absolutely love, I mean, it’s so cliche because like, every teacher says it, but I

truly love working with kids. It’s kind of funny, because growing up whenever

my mom was always like “Oh, you could get a job at summer camp” I’m like,

absolutely not, though, you know, it’s just a totally different setting. I enjoy the

structure of the classroom and we have an opportunity to build a community and

you know build this level of respect. I’m insanely hug on positive relationships

with students”.

Similarly, Participant H answer in response to the question “What made you want

to become a teacher?”:

“I don’t know. But it’s like something that I had wanted since I was you. I always

loved to become like my teacher. I wanted to be like my teacher, or

maybe…okay, lests say it’s the teacher that made me to want to do what I am

doing. Yeah, right, I always wanted to be like my teacher…and finally, I’m here”.

Competency

Participants provided direct insight on their reflection on how well college

prepared them, the professional development that was provided in the district and school,

as well as their reflections on what it takes to be a teacher. Participant C shared their

experience in a typical 4 year degree program as

“so just kind of your typical yeah, two years, you get into the program leading up

to your junior year and then those two years I’m looking for a pre service teacher

option or opportunities…. so those were the classroom experiences and then the

class or the actual classes kind of varied, you know we took it down to the basics
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… it was kind of laying the foundation and obviously would never be enough to

prepare me fully for actually teaching. I would definitely say that I got more

experience my student teaching year”.

They further went on to indicate that

“I student taught in that district, in my student teaching year happened to be the

year they were rollin in this new Math and ELA curriculum. So, I actually got all

the formal training on it prior, so that helped”.

Participant A shared some interesting details regarding their coursework and

educational experience trainings.

“I think my education experience has been ample becoming a teacher in regard to

what I have been training to pursue. It prepared me by giving me life experience

situations by giving me teaching practice … the coursework did not prepare me to

enter public school, because what I studied for was high school … I would more

say that my experience prepared me for teaching elementary”.

Participant B expressed how their college experience prepared them to become a

teacher:

“Oh, my college was very helpful in how they prepared me, in that I was able to

know what to do, especially in terms of the class setup, because at times, you

don’t even know what to expect and besides, students are very different. So I feel

like I was equipped with that flexibility, and communication skills, and being

resilient in a way … All the course that I took were quite like, reflect of what to

expect in the class setup and it was quite exciting, because most of the things that
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I got to learn in the class setup I was able to apply now in my job, although I think

more of the teaching practice should have happened”.

Relatedness

Connections through administrative support, mentoring and induction, and overall

feelings of belonging were strongly represented in the participants responses to how they

felt their experiences shaped their determination for staying in education. Participant E

shared their experiences of having two mentors with a very different example of a

positive and a negative mentoring. The expressed that

“I don’t think that candidates are vetted particularly well for mentor teachers … I

was paired with a teacher who is considerable more old school and traditional …

because I do think that what you learn from observations and from being in

environments with good teachers I’ve learned many good things … I was

switched mentors to one who was more familiar with technology and supported

me with encouragement. The switch made a significant impact on the remainder

of my school year”.

They further went on to express their admiration for having an administrative mentor

program:

“they have a mentor program within the building and then a mentor program with

administration and with the assistant principal as well … that administration piece

just seems to be very supportive for teachers within the district, wish is a huge

part of why I wanted to work within this district”.

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Participant C reported they did not have an induction program and were not

assigned a mentor, their experience in their first year was described as

“so my first year of teaching, I had a tough class, I could go on and on about it.

But I was basically told by my teammates, who were all veteran teachers,

“Natalie, you’re not being supported the way you should,” which was, you know,

I’m naive, I’m new, I’m trying to keep my head above water. But I had some

rough behaviors and there was no accountability … I was considered a late hire

and at the district it was a quick section popped last minute due to numbers. So,

my program was very expedited”.

However, their experience with their administration painted a different perspective:

“and I know it’s a good relationship. They’ve seen me teach a lot so they started

asking questions. “Oh you’ve done this before, hey what are your plans for the

fall” and they wanted to build a good relationship basically, to try to establish

something you know, futuristically speaking”.

Participant J shared that their school culture provided them with a positive

experience:

“my school has that kind of environment that is quite positive. Like there’s a lot

negativity and attention is given to great aspirations. I feel like I have matured

over time, I have gotten a lot of motivation. The administrators are good, like,

whenever they need something addressed they’ll just call you, not in a group so

you will not be pinpointed. You know, at times when you’re being pinpointed at
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times it feels very frustrating, so they really don’t do that not unless it’s a severe

case … it’s a good environment, that’s the reason I’m staying”.

Participant H expressed their positive experiences with their administration.

“Okay, I got support from the administration, of course, they give me the

necessary resources, the equipment that I’ll be using in the classroom and I’m told

to socialize with the other teachers so it will be easier because we’ll be sharing

ideas”.

Limitations of the Study

In the initial proposal one of the identified limitations was COVID-19 pandemic

social distancing guidelines. Several districts response to my request to interview their

teachers was negative or denial of the request due to the increased burdens on teachers

due to COVID-19. However, the use of professional databases such as LinkedIn, as well

as the use of Facebook and the Walden Pool, recruitment and interviews were conducted

using Zoom.

The limitation that unexpectedly appeared was the pool of applicants on the

Walden pool generated participants that did not meet the criteria; however, potential

participants were provided with the study consent form and reported their ineligibility.

This presented some potential bias as the study moved forward. There were two

interviews that were discontinued after the beginning due to responses to Interview

question 1 How would you describe your educational experience prior to becoming a

teacher? as they indicated that the participants were in fact not novice educators with less

than 5 years’ experience.

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Recruitment of participants took a considerable amount of time leading to

expansion of geographical locations. COVID-19 restrictions were in place; therefore, all

the interviews were conducted using Zoom. Remote interviews remove some of the

ability to build a relationship with the participant as it can be difficult to observe all the

body language and subtleties of interviewing may be missed. The participants were

willing to be audio-recorded for their interviews; however, at least half of the participants

felt uncomfortable having their cameras on. This made the interview process difficult,

and I had to build relationships with the participants with my ease and tone of voice. I

practiced considerable wait time with minimal interruptions to allow for increased natural

responses. This left the researcher to rely solely on notes taken during the interview and

unable to observe the teachers in a natural setting.

Another limitation presented the need to expand participant pool to include novice

educators outside of grades 3 through 5. Interestingly, only one additional participant fell

outside the grade range as they were elementary special education teachers serving K-5.

The participants received an email requesting permission to proceed, only those

participants who responded were sent consents.

The transferability of this qualitative study may pose limitations. The research

design, sampling, methods, and RQs were to understand the experiences of novice

educators in grades 3 through 5 and their willingness to remain in the field of education.

Education systems have had considerable changes over the past 10 years, which spans the

time of this initial planning of this study. However, the participants' views and responses

should be considered as relevant keys to understanding the modern field of education.

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Some potential biases may have impacted the study, providing limitations. For

example, I am a female in a district level leadership specific environment. Also, I have

served in the evaluative role of an elementary principal and a director of special

education and may have tendencies due to those roles and experiences. However, to

minimize any personal bias, I was able to balance follow-up questions and probes after

the main questions. Internet interviews provide a significant strength within the platform

as it pertains to lack of judgment or criticism (Rubin & Rubin, 2012). Data collected after

the interviews was later transcribed and emailed back for any additional comments,

feedback, and accuracy. This process entailed member checks that included the

participants (Patton, 2015). At no time during the interview or follow-up process did I

influence the participants’ responses.

Recommendations

The data supports several recommendations with regards to retaining novice

elementary educators. Based on the research findings, it is first recommended that

research continues around understanding the various dynamics of why educators remain

in the field of education. The world of education is vastly changing over the years,

whether it is to maintain in the political environment or to meet the demands of the new

learners entering the school systems. To understand how to continue to retain quality

teachers, researchers need to consider the duality of the factors that influence novice

educators.

The experiences of novice elementary educators in grades 3 through 5 and their

willingness to remain in the field entailed probing and understanding their perspectives of
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factors that influence their decisions as well as understanding the influence of SDT as

they navigate their educational system. From the study, recommendations were generated

concerning key factors that influence novice educators’ willingness to remain in the field.

In the study, the participants described experiences of lack of an induction program and

lack of a strong mentor. The research suggested that induction programs with strong

mentors can impact the decision to remain in the field and continue with the current

setting. Nine novice educators participated in the study, and only one served grades

Kindergarten to fifth grade. All the participants were entering the field of education with

a traditional pathway of a four-year college prior to teaching.

Two of the participants were in their first two years of teaching and neither of

them were aware of induction programs. Each was assigned a mentor; however, neither

were receiving ongoing professional development in the areas of curriculum and

behavior. Strong induction programs with an emphasis on mentoring for novice

elementary teachers is a critical need to mitigate the detriment to the district finances and

school culture (Foster, 2022). Induction programs with mentoring can provide real time

benefit to novice educators if the rate and frequency of mentoring hours is met at a

moderate rate (Caven et al., 2021; Zumwalt et al., 2017).

The second recommendation is to improve the collegiate preparation through an

investigation within teacher readiness of third- and fourth-year teaching candidates.

Higher education has an obligation to provide high quality candidates prepared to enter

classrooms. The exploration and consideration of additional experiential classroom

learning should be included in the investigation of teacher readiness. The investigation of

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teacher readiness must go beyond the coursework and include more “real-time”

experiences that include understanding student behavior, school characteristics, managing

workloads, and strategies to maintain self-satisfaction. The inability to recruit students

into the field of education is even more critical as the nation continues to struggle with

staff shortages.

Implications

The understanding of novice elementary educators’ willingness to remain in the

field continues to be limited. Few researchers have considered a multi-pronged approach

to understanding why some educators leave and why some choose to stay. These

challenges and barriers are even more significant as the nation continues to struggle with

staff shortages in the field of education. For example, understanding the over-arching

theme of combined efforts of induction programs and professional development can lead

to direct policy making for districts as well as suggestions for state legislators (Zumwalt

et al., 2017). In this study, the purpose was to explore the experiences of novice

elementary educators’ willingness to remain in the field. Several of the results and

findings lead to understanding the multi-faceted perceptions of why decisions to stay are

made and why some choose to leave. The findings revealed 4 major themes that novice

elementary educators that impact their decisions: strong induction programs with an

emphasis on mentoring, strong experiential training accompanied with continued

professional development, mental health supports and life/work balance, and strong

administrative support.
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Identifying local and state systems to support novice educators may be impactful

in the efforts to retain high-quality educators in elementary education. Tracking these

efforts should be considered as part of the existing evaluation tools used to determine

proficiency and performance of districts and state agencies. Higher education must also

share in the responsibility to produce high quality teachers that are prepared to enter the

classroom with not only the knowledge of pedagogy but also the preparedness to manage

student behaviors and district expectations. Educators entering the classroom are often

overwhelmed with expectations and conditions and leave the field for higher pay in other

careers (Saks et al., 2021). While there are no clear models for predicting who will stay

or who will go, the burden often falls on the district to determine the answers while

facing economic challenges with the costs of hiring and training new staff. Qualitative

data could help support not only higher education practices but also district policies on

how to best support incoming teachers. Responses from state surveys as well as district

surveys of educators may also provide significant insight on which policies are providing

a positive impact on the retention rates. Higher education may consider expanding

current practices or student teaching and/or experiential opportunities for teacher

candidates. States that currently require ongoing professional development or college

units to continue to maintain licensure, may consider what level of supports they are

providing to the educational community in terms of resources and free to no-cost

professional development.

Legislative committees that support public education through bills and funding

may benefit from being provided samples of district performance in the area of retention
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rates. Legislative champions run their elections based on promises made to communities,

tracking school and district performance needs to have more qualitative data provided to

make informed decisions on how well districts are really doing. Legislators should

consider hosting townhall meetings with their constituents as well as district leaders to

ensure that “voices” are heard from multiple perspectives. As districts in one state use

BEST grant dollars as a means to improve their districts through additional resources,

curriculum, staffing, and facilities, the community has a direct impact on whether the

district receives grant dollars. Staff shortages should not solely burden school districts,

higher structure levels must get involved if they are ever to see significant changes.

Education champions must continue to forage for greater understanding of how

local and state policies impact the retention difficulties that many districts are facing on a

day-to-day basis. By prioritizing the impact of student performance, the shift must also

include our impact on educators’ knowledge and well-being. Positive social change can

happen when education champions provide safe spaces for relevant and meaningful

conversations include how the field is approaching solution oriented problem-solving to

the significant challenges in the loss of our educators over time. Thusly, this study helped

provide input to policy makers at the local, higher education, and state level decision

makers.

Conclusion

This study provided an opportunity for 9 novice elementary educators to share

their experiences as they were entering the field of education and factors that influenced

their decision to remain in the field of education. The participants provided a fresh
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perspective to the continued challenges that have plagued the nation for several years.

They equally assisted in a better understanding of a multi-pronged approach to this

dilemma that must be considered as we move forward to recruit and retain educators. The

participants freely provided their insights and experiences over Zoom meetings all while

on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were either entering their

second year or as high as fifth year educator.

The results and findings of the study coincide with much of the research that has

been conducted over the past two decades. Participants expressed similar frustrations

with issues/concerns of the past. To understand another dynamic of retention rates, this

study approached the problem using SDT, specifically focusing on autonomy,

competency, and relatedness. The participants were able to provide significant details on

each of the SDT principles and the influence of each on their decisions to remain in the

field.

The educators in this study were open with their perceptions and offered

suggestions on how to improve systems. Many expressed the joy that teaching brings and

that there is a distinct difference in having a job versus choosing to do something you

love every day. Educators across states are rising to the challenge of staff shortages to

ensure that our students receive the very best education. Districts are continuing to

problem solve on how to ensure educators are not getting burned out and remain in their

current position to provide consistency to students. The multi-pronged approach to this

significant challenge must be in the forefront of our policy making and supports we

provide our local and higher education agencies. My final thought is that educators
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entering the field hold a unique perspective on how they will succeed within the first 5

years, and it is up to those in leadership positions to ensure that they are supported.

Educators continue to provide the beacon of hope to all our students and families.