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Examining teacher retention and attrition in novice teachers

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Examining teacher retention and attrition in novice teachers

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Content Running head: NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 1
Examining Teacher Retention and Attrition in Novice Teachers
Andrew Dinh
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 2024
Copyright 2024 Andrew Dinh

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 2

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 3
Acknowledgements
To my dearest Lillian: I could not have done this without your everlasting support. I
know the past three years have not been easy, but I always needed you by my side, and you
never wavered. I proudly dedicate this work, and my whole heart, to you. To my friends and
family, thank you for always being in my corner. A man is the sum of the people he surrounds
himself with, and I am fortunate to have such supportive people in my life. To my staff and
fellow administrators, your passion inspires me to be greater than I was. I will continue to work
towards supporting you, my students, and my community. Finally, thank you to Dr. Kim
Ferrario. I appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into guiding me on this journey. It was a
monumental task, and I could not have done it without you as my mentor.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 4
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 5
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study 8
Background of the Problem 9
Organization Context and Mission 10
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions 11
Importance of the Study 12
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology 14
Organization of the Dissertation 15
Chapter Two: Literature Review 16
Historical Perspectives on Teacher Attrition and Retention 16
Teacher Attrition and Retention Today 18
Problems of Administrative Oversight and Lack of Support 19
Lack of Pay 20
Lack of Teacher Preparation 21
Teacher Credentialing 22
Teacher Credentialing During COVID 25
Teacher Training Post Pandemic 26
Cultural and Media Perception of Teachers 27
The Cultural Perception of the “Ideal Teacher” 27
COVID-19 Pandemic Perception 28
Teacher Self-Efficacy and the New Teacher 29
Methods of Building Self-Efficacy 30
Reflective Practices and Self-Efficacy 31
A Strong Credential Program and Self-Efficacy 31
Mentoring and Self-Efficacy 33
Administrative and Leadership Support 36
Experience and Self-Efficacy 37
Professional Development 38
Building a Strong and Supportive Classroom Culture 40
Teacher Self-Care 40
Theoretical Framework 41
Summary 44
Chapter Three: Methodology 45
Overview of Methodology 45
Data Sources 46
Interviews 46
Participants 46
Instrumentation 47
Data Collection Procedures 47
Data Analysis 48
Credibility and Trustworthiness 49
Ethics 50

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 5
The Researcher 51
Chapter Four: Findings 53
Participants 53
Findings for Research Question 1: What Barriers Do New Teachers Persist Through
to Remain in the Field? 54
Theme 1: Administrative Directives as a Barrier 55
Theme 2: Fiscal Barriers 58
Theme 3: Managing the Classroom as a Barrier 60
Discussion for Research Question 1 62
Findings for Research Question 2: What Are the Influences That Help New Teachers
Build Self-Efficacy to Avoid Teacher Attrition? 64
Theme 1: Teachers Who Had Administrative Support Were More Likely to
Have High Self-Efficacy and Subsequently Retain in the Profession 66
Theme 2: Teachers Who Worked at a School With a Strong Supportive
Culture Are More Likely to Retain in the Profession 68
Theme 3: Taking Care of Their Mental Health 69
Discussion for Research Question 2 71
Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations for Practice 73
Discussion of Findings 75
Research Question 1: What Barriers Do New Teachers Persist Through to
Remain in the Field? 75
Research Question 2: What Are the Influences That Help New Teachers
Build Self-Efficacy to Avoid Teacher Attrition? 77
Recommendations for Practice 78
Recommendation 1: Increase Teacher Salary or Housing Incentives Earlier
on in the Pay Scale 79
Recommendation 2: Targeted Training and Professional Development for
New Teachers 82
Recommendation 3: Administrative Professional Development Focused on
Supporting New Teachers 84
Limitations and Delimitations 87
Recommendations for Future Research 88
Conclusion 89
References 91
Appendix A: Interview Protocol 113

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 6
List of Tables
Table 1: Participants’ Years of Experience, Content Area, and Race 54
Table 2: Administrative Directives 57
Table 3: Fiscal Barriers 59
Table 4: Difficulty in Managing the Classroom 61
Table 5: Administrative Support 67
Table 6: School Culture 69
Table 7: Mental Health 70
Table 8: Recommendation Timetable and Staff Responsible 86

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 7
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 42

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 8
Abstract
Education is a field traditionally tied to high attrition and turnover of new teachers with fewer
than 5 years in the profession. However, teacher retention is worthy of our attention since it is a
good indicator of student achievement and a positive school/classroom culture. The purpose of
this study was to examine the lived experiences of new educators to uncover what factors of their
professional life either build or detract from their self-efficacy. This research was conducted
through a series of qualitative interviews specifically targeted toward 10 educators with fewer
than 5 years’ experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants in the study are new
teachers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, grade-level concentrations, and subject-matter
expertise. The key findings describe how new teachers find the low salary, lack of teacher
preparation for classroom management and positive classroom culture development, and
administrative oversight caused negative self-efficacy. In addition, the participants indicated that
a positive school culture, administrative support from school leaders, and focusing on their own
mental well-being helped these teachers develop self-efficacy and remain in the profession. From
these results, it is recommended that school organizations provide higher salaries or subsidized
housing to help the most fiscally vulnerable staff members, professional development for new
teachers to learn to manage classrooms and build positive classroom culture, and provide
professional development for administrators to guide their understanding of how to best support
new teachers.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 9
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
In recent years, public education in the United States of America has seen many shifts in
policy, demographics, public perception, and career training. Public teachers are expected to
balance technological advances in education, social and emotional health education,
collaborative learning, data analysis, and classroom management. In addition to that, teacher
preparation programs have a higher focus on racial equity gaps, secondary language education,
and special education support. Subsequently, these changes have caused stress, mental fatigue,
and burnout among all education staff. All these stressors have been exacerbated with the
COVID-19 pandemic. With higher levels of burnout among teachers, public school districts are
starting to show issues with staffing their classrooms, and many states across the country are
already starting to lower the qualifications for teachers (CS/SB 896—Educator Certification
Pathways for Veterans). The issue of teacher attrition has been exacerbated by the COVID-19
pandemic because of the higher rate of veteran teachers retiring or leaving early (Jotkoff, 2022).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 600,000 drop in registered public educators
(10,600,000 to 10,000,000) from 2020 to 2021. Novice teachers entering the profession are
facing a 50% attrition rate within the first 5 years (Scherff, 2008). Across all levels of
experience, 7% of teachers leave education in the U.S. on a yearly basis as recently as 2014 (U.S.
Department of Education, 2014). On a global scale, the attrition rate varies from 3.3% in Israel to
as high as 11.7% in Norway, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) “Education at a Glance 2021” report. This demonstrates that this is not a
local issue, but a global one.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 10
Background of the Problem
Historically, teacher training models have always been a reflection of societal trends
(Kinal, 2021). There has always been an adequate need for professional practice, but training
was usually provided from other politicians and philosophers. Roman tutors were frequently
bought from outside the country as slaves and sometimes freed for their intellect. Livius
Andronicus was given his freedom after tutoring the children of Livius Salinator as early as 187
B.C (Bonner, 2012). Even then, teachers and tutors were treasured for their professional training
and experience, except value in this case would be placed in the cost of the slave instead of
teacher salary. Eventually, the paradigm of education changed in the Middle Ages, and
universities were established with clergy teachers used as professors to spread the gospel—but
even then, education was locked behind social classes. Training and education were given only
to the nobility or the clergy (Kinal, 2021).
Public education for all became a widespread notion in the past century, and with it came
new training models for educators. With that consideration, the massification of education results
in more teacher responsibilities and subsequently affects teachers’ ability to respond to the needs
of their students (Kinal, 2021). This includes educator roles stepping away from solely being
learning of curriculum and more toward an ethical caring position. This is further reinforced by
the term in loco parentis, which means that educators take the role of a parent when students are
in a school setting (Mor, 2018). Traditionally, this term is used to describe the relationship
between teachers and students when it comes to keeping them safe, but post-modern education is
shifting toward teaching students empathy, caring, collaboration, and sensitivity. This is
particularly glaring as schools start shifting toward teaching social and emotional competencies
to give students better tools to access academic curriculum (Durlak et al., 2011).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 11
Modern teacher training has been used as a strategy to build both self-efficacy and
qualifications for modern U.S. education (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 2011). The link
between low teacher attrition, classroom outcomes, and high self-efficacy has been recorded
before, and teachers with positive teacher self-efficacy have higher levels of job satisfaction and
quit at a lower rate (Zee & Koomen, 2016). This is particularly true as education shifts toward
being more inclusive of diversity to address inequities within political systems and prepare
students for a future of working effectively at the global level. The teacher qualification process
is not without issues, and teachers still feel unprepared for teaching diverse classrooms
(Merryfield, 2000). Unfortunately, building teacher self-efficacy is no easy task, and many new
teachers report high turnover and ineffectiveness even after preparation from university-level
teacher preparation programs (Kane et al., 2007)
District induction programs vary in effectiveness. The mission statement of teacher
induction programs is primarily to provide professional development to train teachers to be
effective educators, but many of these programs have sub-purposes such as teacher socialization,
culture adjustment, and even teacher assessment (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). Although these
things do not contribute directly to a new teacher’s skill in the classroom, they do add to a
teacher’s self-efficacy and emotional wellbeing in the field by providing a professional network
and feedback.
Organization Context and Mission
In this study, counties within the San Francisco Bay Area were the area of focus. For the
purpose of keeping the participants’ identity protected, the work organizations of the teachers
being interviewed will not be mentioned. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the main county
targeted has a combined total of over 240,000 students. Notable statistics for education in this

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 12
main area include having fewer average years of teacher experience compared to the rest of the
state (EdData, 2023). Despite that, the average number of first- and second-year teachers has
reduced from 1,774 to 1,607 from 2017/2018 to 2018/2019 (EdData, 2023).
Demographically, the county in the San Francisco Bay Area is a diverse area. In the
chosen county, there are 49.7% White people, 2.9% Black, 1.2% American Indian, 41.2% Asian,
and 24.7% Hispanic or Latino. In terms of education, this county has 54.4% with a bachelor’s
degree or higher, and 89.2% with a high school diploma or higher (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021).
In regard to teacher training, most districts in the county offer a teacher induction program in line
with the rest of the state. This induction program takes place during the first 2 years of their time
at any public school district and includes mentors, professional development and learning,
networking with peers, and self-assessment of teaching. This program is led in conjunction with
the California Department of Education and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Specifically, many of the goals set during the induction program align with the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and the Continuum of Practice (COP). This is in
addition to the normal coursework and testing that a teacher must go through before they can get
their preliminary credential.
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to examine lived experiences of new teachers (5 years’
experience or less) in the San Francisco Bay Area to identify major barriers and influences in
building self-efficacy that can lead to teacher retention or attrition. Traditionally, teaching is a
field that has high turnover. Subsequently, many school districts are left understaffed or staffed
with underqualified individuals (Borman & Maritza Dowling, 2008). These staffing issues cause
a lesser quality of education for public school students (Kane et al., 2008). Particularly, stressors

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 13
of working in public education, such as public perception, parent denigration, administrative
pressure, and financial pressure, all cause new teachers to leave the field (Roness, 2011). The
research questions that guided this study are as follows:
● What barriers do new teachers persist through to remain in the field?
● What are the influences that help new teachers build self-efficacy to avoid
teacher attrition?
Importance of the Study
When considering the impact of this study, considerations must be made to how effective
a teacher with high self-efficacy, experience, and professional training can be in comparison to
someone with very little self-efficacy and training. The literature currently shows that more
veteran teachers with high self-efficacy are the most effective instructors in a classroom (Day &
Gu, 2009). If the goal for a government educational organization is to achieve student learning,
then it would benefit them to study the importance of helping new teachers push through these
barriers to build self-efficacy and subsequently become better educators.
On the macro level, recent teacher quit rates continue to rise, and there’s an insufficient
number of college graduates to fill the gaps (Cha & Cohen-Vogel, 2011). This issue was further
exacerbated by COVID stressors, when much of the classroom pivoted toward online to reduce
the spread of the virus (Zheng et al., 2022). As previously mentioned, other states in the U.S.
have already reduced teacher qualifications in order to keep public schools staffed (CS/SB 896—
Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans). There is a public push for school vouchers and
charter schools due to the failing quality of local schools, and this will only further reduce
funding and quality of public education (Epple et al., 2017).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 14
Internally, many educational organizations thrive on relationships, small group
leadership, and knowledge that cannot be taught. As an example, teachers who are retained long
enough to become experienced will take internal leadership positions such as site department
heads, coaches, mentors, teachers on special assignments, and administrators (Leithwood, 2016).
Failure to retain teachers will eventually lead to these internal practices and experiences being
lost. Although hiring outside an organization is beneficial to add new ideas and culture, hiring
from within retains current beneficial practices (Monks, 2022).
Another unintended consequence of teacher attrition is the impact on school districts if a
teacher leaves mid-year. Usually, a teacher who quits but decides to stay in education will leave
at the end of the year to adhere to their contract, but teachers who leave the education profession
for good have no problem having their teacher license revoked. This negative impact includes
student outcomes, teacher professional development networks, and school culture, and it’s far
more impactful compared to when a teacher leaves at the end of the year (Henry & Redding,
2020).
Findings from this study may support school districts as they continue to work toward
keeping staffed with qualified teachers in lieu of retirements and staff turnover. Findings may
also support university-level preliminary credential programs as they ready their students to
become future teachers. They may also support educational government at the state and federal
level as they develop teacher readiness programs to clear teaching credentials. In addition, the
findings will support teachers of color and subsequently students of color, because maintaining
support for teachers of color to maintain their work in the field will provide for students of color
more opportunities to learn (Achinstein et al., 2010). Currently, there are disparities in public
education in regard to how schools are funded. Schools with higher students of color populations

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 15
may have equal funding, but this funding is needed to serve students with higher needs and is not
necessarily allocated toward training and retaining teachers. Because of this, more teachers of
color at schools with high populations of students of color are more likely to quit (Adamson &
Darling-Hammond, 2012).
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
To guide this research study, Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory was used. This
theory is used to “explain and predict psychological changes achieved by different modes of
treatment” (Bandura, 1977, p. 191). In the context of teaching, self-efficacy is one of the
strongest indicators of teacher performance and teacher retention (Borman & Maritza Dowling,
2008). Although research indicates that building self-efficacy is necessary for good academic
outcomes, negative self-efficacy caused by negative experiences can halt academic progress in
classrooms and cause teacher attrition (Bandura, 1986). For Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, this
is explained by the idea that fear causes avoidance behavior (Bandura, 1986). For example, if a
teacher were put in a situation that causes them discomfort and they didn’t have enough selfefficacy for that situation, they would start demonstrating avoidance behaviors and attempt to
remove themselves from those types of situations in the future (Kirsch, 1982). The ultimate
avoidance behavior is a teacher leaving the classroom and an educational career.
Since this study explored the lived experiences and challenges faced by new teachers,
using a qualitative methodology allowed valuable insights into their lives (Lochmiller & Lester,
2017). When using qualitative interviews, the experience these questions are exploring can be
sensitive and traumatic, so giving room for the participant to exit or stop the interview at any
time is necessary for this to be ethical (Glesne, 2011).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 16
Organization of the Dissertation
This study is comprised of five chapters. Chapter one provides necessary background
information to understand the problem and gives context for the study and the theoretical
framework that the researcher used to guide the research. Chapter two details current literature
regarding teacher retention and attrition as well as self-efficacy building in public education.
Chapter three provides details to the study methodology, describes the participants as well as
how they were selected, how the researcher collected data, and finally how the data were
analyzed. Chapter four details the collected findings and how they were examined and analyzed.
Chapter five concludes the study by presenting findings as well as recommendations.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 17
Chapter Two: Literature Review
This chapter examines the current literature for teacher attrition and retention. It will
address how teacher self-efficacy, teacher preparation, school culture, and media and cultural
perception affect teacher retention and attrition. The conceptual framework is grounded in Albert
Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, which provides a lens to view external and internal factors that
may affect teacher retention and attrition. To fully understand the literature on teacher retention
and attrition, the historical perspective must be addressed. With the historical perspective to
frame the literature review, the factors affecting teacher attrition and retention will be examined.
First, the four major issues facing teacher retention and attrition are administrative oversight and
lack of support, lack of teacher preparation, cultural and media perception, and lack of pay. With
these factors in mind, the literature review will next address how teacher self-efficacy affects
attrition and retention, in addition to some methods grounded in the literature on ways to build
teacher self-efficacy.
Historical Perspectives on Teacher Attrition and Retention
Historically, teachers in the U.S. had less administrative oversight compared to teachers
in current times, and they were more valued members of the community. Research would later
indicate that these factors contribute heavily to teacher retention (Hylton & Vu, 2019). These
factors were not purposely created and were instead a product of necessity. The founding fathers
of the United States recognized the need for a more formal and unified system of publicly funded
education. Some colonies had already started funding free public education in the late 1780s, but
wider-scale public education did not start until around the 1830s. This movement initially started
with federal ordinances allocating significant acreages of federal lands in new states in support of
public schools. This further built stable communities and provided the funding for an educated

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 18
populace. Teachers received more leeway to provide context-beneficial education because,
although the federal government originally provided the land grants, the states were the ones
who controlled the area. Teachers were focused on teaching the basics at that time, so they were
expected to teach arithmetic, writing, and reading. This pivoted toward science and more
advanced composition after the age of 13, but most students would leave by then to do farming
or industrial work (Finkelstein, 1989). Having no set curriculum allowed teachers much more
freedom in the methods in which they taught. Also, smaller communities and students spending
less time in classrooms meant that school organizations were much smaller. It was typical for a
community to have only one schoolteacher for students of all ages.
In the late 19th century, the marginalization of teachers began. As a profession, the
American teacher in the 19th century was primarily staffed by unwed or widowed women. Many
national organizations were led by male superintendents and principals, and these leaders would
use women teachers as replacements for their higher-paid male counterparts in order to save
money (Leroux, 2006). These organizations, such as the NEA, would continue to underrepresent
these female teachers by dubious means, like holding meetings during unpaid times (Leroux,
2006). These political machinations added stress to the career and were indicative of future
issues in modern-day education. Horace Mann of Massachusetts in the 1830s began to advocate
for publicly funded education available to all students. These were referred to as common
schools at the time, but one of the major criticisms of common schools was that they needed
substantial numbers of students to maintain funding. Prior to this, private schools were the norm
for American children (Gross, 2018). Another challenge was some citizens didn’t want their tax
dollars to be used to educate other people’s children. Other federal laws trickled in over the next
several decades, and with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 19
Individuals with Disabilities Act, and finally Brown v. Board of Education, public education
began to look like the modern education system we know today (Congressional Research
Service, 2022). Education acts like these eventually culminated in the passing of the No Child
Left Behind Act in 2001 and the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. All these additional laws
equate to higher administrative oversight for school districts and more pressure on teachers as
they try to teach children to reach these new requirements. Additionally, all these new
movements in public education cannot be pushed forward by untrained educators, so training and
education are necessary. For example, many teacher-preparation programs have curricula
dedicated to working with special education students or developing multicultural curriculum
(O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010). Although these movements are beneficial for students, they’re
prime examples of how public policy expectations will add responsibilities without removing
others. The expectation for public educators has changed since the founding of the country; there
seems to be a connection between expectations of teachers from governmental policies, lack of
administrative oversight, and teacher retention. The next section will address the specific issues
and challenges regarding teacher attrition and retention in current times, which have a
longstanding history for decades.
Teacher Attrition and Retention Today
All careers have some form of attrition caused by various sources (Ongori, 2007);
however, the field of teaching seems to have unique challenges. Educators all over the world are
facing higher rates of attrition than other professions (Borman & Dowling, 2008). Modern
teachers face a different reality than past educators. As discussed previously, the modern teacher
faces mounting responsibilities and pressures from administrative oversight and lack of support,
lack of adequate preparation to address mounting teacher responsibilities, negative media

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 20
portrayals and cultural perception, and lack of pay (Billingsley, 1993; Cumming et al., 2015; Le
Cornu, 2010). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported a 600,000 drop in registered
public educators (10,600,000 to 10,000,000) from 2020 to 2021. Novice teachers entering the
profession are already facing an attrition rate of almost half within the first 5 years (Scherff,
2008). Across all levels of experience, 7% of teachers leave education on an annual basis as
recently as 2014 (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). On a global scale, the attrition rate
varies from 3.3% in Israel to as high as 11.7% in Norway (OECD, 2021). This demonstrates this
issue isn’t unique to the U.S.—it is a global issue as well.
Problems of Administrative Oversight and Lack of Support
This issue shows up in multiple ways in a school setting. Ineffective administrative
support could be direct, such as a negative workplace environment and harmful mentoring, or
indirect, such as lack of materials and supplies (Billingsley, 1993). On the other hand, research
indicates that teachers who have had long careers tend to have good relationships with their
administrators and often feel supported (Boe et al., 1999). While evaluating, administrators can
be a cause of tension and stress for novice teachers. This is especially true when the teacher is
confused by or disagrees with the valuation (Sheedlo, 2017). Negative evaluations from
administration can cause demoralization within educators (Bradford & Braaten, 2018).
Currently, principals are perceived as a source of bureaucratic oversight (Gailmard,
2009). Bureaucratic oversight is already seen as part of teacher stress as they implement new
curricula or are evaluated. For novice teachers, professional core relationships are already
important indicators of retention or attrition (Kelchterman, 2017). Administrators are an
important part of these professional core relationships, because they provide necessary support
and feedback when novice teachers are developing, but lack of administrative support can be

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 21
detrimental and cause teacher attrition (Leggett & Smith, 2019). Other research indicates that
negative administrative decisions can cause novice teachers to feel separated from the school
environment. This isolationism causes negative self-efficacy and eventually contributes to
teacher attrition (Newberry & Allsop, 2017).
Lack of Pay
One of the largest challenges with teacher retention is the low pay in comparison to the
educational requirements, responsibilities, and workload (Cumming et al., 2015). These
challenges do not include the fiscal challenges for districts as they now must onboard, train, and
maintain a new set of teachers into their curriculum because of career turnover (Philips et al.,
2016). Above all these issues lies the main problem in which student achievement continues to
suffer as staff turnover leads to instability (Loyalka et al., 2019). Unlike most careers, teachers
have fewer opportunities for career advancement. Most career advancement opportunities in
education are done through new certifications and applying for new positions. As an example,
being an administrator may require teaching experience, but an administrator may not use skills
such as curriculum development or classroom management outside of teacher evaluations. In
other careers, career advancement, as well as other motivators such as title changes or salary
increases, adds to a worker’s self-efficacy (Abele & Spurk, 2009). Teachers, on the other hand,
do not receive that kind of career advancement or title changes, so career self-efficacy is built in
other ways. Pay raises are traditionally done by years of service, and pay raises have a direct tie
into job stability (Bridges et al., 2011). However, raising pay for all teachers is a monumental
task that would require a political shift on a massive level because of concerns of sustainability
(Stanford & Whiteleather, 2023). Instead, districts would benefit from maintaining teachers’ self-

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 22
efficacy through high-quality leadership, professional development, and fostering self-value
through their career’s mission (McDonald et al., 2018).
Current research has indicated that higher pay already correlates with teacher retention
(Hendricks, 2014). Higher salaries also allow for districts to hire more experienced teachers,
which equates to better student learning outcomes (Hendricks, 2015). In studies where teachers
have received salary increases, districts have seen increases in retention rates as high as 17%
(Clotfelter et al., 2008). Salary for teachers is a difficult concept to generalize, because individual
locations have differing funding formulas. This isn’t even mentioning varying costs of living by
location, so a novice teacher who is suffering in one area may have a very different experience in
another.
Lack of Teacher Preparation
Although there is research evidence indicating that teacher preparation programs increase
student learning outcomes, the definition of teacher preparation programs is broad, with many
interpretations. Most programs incorporate different aspects such as curriculum building,
classroom management, mentoring, educational law, and practical experience. With so many
different factors, it’s difficult to say which parts of these truly contribute to a teacher’s
preparation for the field. Studies have demonstrated that practical experience was the biggest
indicator of teacher success (Han, 2023). However, this growth hinges on the proper training of
the cooperating teachers and mentors the novice teacher is placed with (Valencia et al., 2009). In
addition, the novice teacher, cooperating teacher, and university advisor position could be
strained, and the novice teacher must process through the complexities of power dynamics just to
receive their certification (Bullough & Draper, 2004).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 23
Teachers who enter the profession without any kind of training are ill prepared for the
rigors of public education, but modern-day teaching skills are taught in a variety of ways.
Teachers traditionally will receive some kind of credentialing or alternative preparation before
entering the classroom and then will receive some additional training or mentoring when they
first start working. This additional training consists of formal programs, such as induction that
revolves around cycles of inquiry and the California Standards for the Teaching Profession
(CSTP), and informal training, such as professional learning communities (PLCs) and co-teacher
collaboration. Preparation and professional development build up a teacher’s self-efficacy and
are more likely to prevent teacher attrition during the most difficult years of the career (Han,
2023).
Teacher Credentialing
Research indicates that one of the biggest factors for student success is having prepared
and trained teachers through a formal credentialing process (Nye et al., 2004). Recent teacher
credentialing programs have been challenged by how to measure teacher outcomes. Teacher
credentialing programs are defined as post-baccalaureate programs that prepare individuals to
become licensed teachers in a specific state or country. The coursework varies from program to
program and state to state, but, upon completion, a student should be given a license by the local
education authority. Depending on the state or country, these licenses are sometimes considered
preliminary and require more training in a professional setting to be cleared (Shuls & Trivitt,
2015). An argument could be made that credentialing does not adequately prepare teachers
because rigid pedagogy does not allow room for teachers to be flexible when it comes to their
district needs when they enter a new job (Gainsburg, 2012). Subsequently, teachers who adhere
too strictly to the methodologies taught by their programs fail to learn to differentiate instruction

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 24
to meet the needs of specific populations. For example, a teacher who only may have attended a
cutting-edge teacher preparation program that utilizes technology to adhere to the needs of their
students would have difficulty working in settings with little access to that technology. Indeed,
most teacher preparation programs collaborate with local school districts, but they can fail to
adequately prepare their new teachers for working in areas that address varying needs of
different populations of students (Smagorinsky et al., 2004).
On the other hand, research also indicates that the data analysis and cycle of inquiry skills
provide the tools for a teacher to improve on their own (Hagans & Powers, 2015). Although the
outcomes are arguable, the purpose of a credentialing program is to prepare teachers for the
rigors of the classroom (Freedman & Appleman, 2009). For example, a teacher who may not
have experience with the demographics in the new school they’re hired at may use the cycle of
inquiry to constantly change and improve themselves even without the necessary training. Illprepared teachers are more likely to face attrition issues in the classroom, and this is particularly
true if their programs haven’t prepared them for the specifics in demographics and area
specialization when they start work (Cowan et al., 2016). Credentialing and preparation
programs traditionally have a bachelor’s degree requirement, but other focused methods of
teacher preparation have shown that a more focused approach can be successful (Vu et al., 2008).
Preservice Teacher Assessment: edTPA. The edTPA is a nationwide assessment for
teacher candidates that has been recently implemented in teacher preparation programs. Some
states have their own individual assessment programs for teachers. For example, California
passed a law in 1998 that required some kind of assessment for teachers before they received
their certification (CA Senate Bill 2042). Originally, this manifested in the Performance
Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) and then was replaced more recently by the CalTPA

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 25
and edTPA. One of the biggest criticisms of the edTPA is the corporate involvement for the
grading process. These corporations hire outside teachers and educators as external evaluators,
but using corporations as a hiring entity risks opening education to privatization (Sato, 2014).
Another critique is the impersonal nature of assessments compared to growing relationships
between teacher mentor, novice teacher, and the school site. Mentors and school sites are not
trained to ensure success for these statewide assessments. In essence, novice teachers are being
taught to teach, but not to pass the edTPA. These individual homegrown skills are further at risk
because of the nationwide standardization of these assessments. These assessments do not
account for individual district approaches for teacher preparation and local context (Sawchuk,
2013).
Emergency Credentials. Subsequently, teachers who receive emergency credentials due
to teacher shortages are more likely to face attrition issues (Sutcher et al., 2019). Emergency
credentials, as indicated in the name, are used in emergency situations where the state doesn’t
have enough qualified teacher applicants. Some of the research indicates that the student
achievement rate of emergency-credentialed teachers is the same as credentialed teachers
(Goldhaber & Brewer, 2000). Other research indicates attrition issues are a combination of
multiple factors, including lack of formal preparation and support, lack of mentoring because of
their emergency credential, and an increased course load as they attempt to clear it (DarlingHammond et al., 2001).
Alternative Education Certification. Emergency credentials are different from
alternative certifications. Alternative certifications are defined as other pathways outside the
traditional credential program. Data from Texas demonstrate that teachers who go through
alternative certification programs are more likely to face attrition issues than teachers who go

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 26
through a traditional credential program (Guthery & Bailes, 2022). There are some programs that
have demonstrated success because of a focused curriculum for the local demographic needs,
but, even in these programs, the dropout rate is as high as 33% (Sheets, 2004). In specific areas
where there is high need due to lower numbers of qualified teachers such as special education,
alternative education certification programs have filled a need and demonstrated some success
(Esposito & Lal, 2005).
With alternative credentials on the rise, there are issues with the teachers from these
programs. They’re frequently found to have lower self-efficacy when starting their new jobs in
districts and subsequently have higher teacher attrition rates (Guha et al., 2016). Some districts
have found success helping these alternative credential teachers by adding additional preparation
and support during their first year (Harrington & Walsh, 2022). Subsequently, support of
alternative credential teachers is something necessary for districts if they want their new teachers
to succeed. Teacher preparation supports teaching self-efficacy as a structural and organizational
factor, but there are outside factors from culture and media that can also have a negative effect
on teachers staying in the profession.
Teacher Credentialing During COVID
As the world went under lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools
pivoted toward distance learning to meet the needs of students. School districts faced many
issues during this time—technology issues, attendance problems, and learning loss (Tomasik et
al., 2021). Because of these issues, the challenges and expectations for teachers changed rapidly
(Darling-Hammond & Hyler, 2020). New teachers are traditionally trained with practical
experience in the classroom, but new teacher preparation during COVID had to be done through
distance learning. Subsequently, the effects of distance teacher preparation are yet to be seen, but

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 27
if they are similar to student learning and other research on the need for practical teaching
experience, then some loss is to be expected (La Velle et al., 2020).
There are benefits from teacher credentialing during COVID. Research has indicated that
a heavier emphasis on collaboration, reflection, and communication has built self-efficacy in new
teachers before they even entered the classroom (Lei & Medwell, 2021). Additionally, the push
for distance technology allowed for students to utilize more technology in their learning.
Technology can even be used to improve student satisfaction and performance if new teachers
are trained in facilitating conversations between students (Gopal et al., 2021).
Teacher Training Post Pandemic
With the pandemic’s learning restrictions quickly lifting, the teaching field has changed
dramatically. The criteria that make for an effective teacher have pivoted toward widening
participation, increased accountability, data analysis, and technological implementation (Devlin
& Samarawickrema, 2022). Students are emerging from COVID with skill and learning deficits
(Ortiz, 2022). These learning deficits can be due to poor teaching, mental health issues, or other
stressors, but they need specialized care to overcome as the world exits COVID (Walters et al.,
2022). Specifically, students with literacy deficits or special education needs have suffered due
to lacking the individual one-on-one care that they need (Chamberlain et al., 2020).
There are some benefits from COVID teaching. Distance learning created integration
between traditionally classroom-based teaching and more flexible online learning (Al-Freih,
2022). Higher education has benefitted from COVID education because of higher funding and a
more motivated student base (Achille & Fiorillo, 2022). For public education, educators had to
pivot and work with other partners to help them address student needs and are now more aware

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 28
of any possible mental or personal crises that they may face (Darling Hammond, Berry, &
Thoreson, 2020).
Cultural and Media Perception of Teachers
Education is an incredibly important topic for our nation, as demonstrated in a recent poll
where Americans rated education as the third most important public policy topic behind
terrorism and the economy (Pew Research Center, 2017). However, there is very little media
coverage of education. Studies have shown that, of all the national media coverage, education
only takes up 1.4% of the news coverage (West et al., 2009). When educational news is
presented, it usually consists of negative topics such as local violence, budget cuts, or staff
strikes (Coe & Kuttner, 2018). In addition, media coverage regarding education going out to the
general household is negative in nature, and most families gain a negative perception of public
education from what they hear (Coe & Kuttner, 2018). In the past 35 years, education as a
system has usually been seen as a problem for politicians or analysts to fix (Malin & Lubienski,
2015). These negative images give the public the idea that education is constantly failing and
should be fixed by new initiatives. As individuals, teachers are frequently portrayed as selfless
individuals who sacrifice for the good of the students, but even this positive portrayal leads to
false expectations of who educators actually are (Alhamdan et al., 2014). In fictional media, the
constant portrayal of educators as substance abusers, promiscuous, or incompetent has led to less
college graduates becoming educators (Ewing et al., 2021).
The Cultural Perception of the “Ideal Teacher”
Media perception of teachers has a strong influence on teacher self-efficacy. Current
research indicates that there are strong negative portrayals in the media and that these negative
portrayals have detrimental effects on teacher self-efficacy (Keogh & Garrick, 2010). In the

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 29
media, teachers are portrayed in four ways: caring practitioners, transparent
professionals/unprofessional, moral and social role models, and transformative intellectuals
(Alhamdan et al., 2014). These four portrayals, while positive initially, can result in negative
effects because of how these idealistic expectations clash with the realities of the classroom.
Teachers are expected to build positive relationships with students while developing an engaging
curriculum, but research indicates that this is harmful because it is so far from reality. The
transparent professional is also a portrayal that can be harmful. Media depict transparency as key
in teacher effectiveness, but teachers who are perceived as lacking the willingness to make
sacrifices are negatively perceived by society. Subsequently, this transparency can be seen as
more harmful because it gives society an image of an ideal teacher that many cannot reach.
Furthermore, media perception of teachers as moral and social role models clashes with
the reality of the profession (Alhamdan et al., 2014). Being an ethical teacher means being
straightforward with students on controversial issues (Campbell, 2008). Controversial issues
sometimes go against social norms, and thus the ideal teacher, at times, also goes against social
norms—a contradiction. The ideal teacher portrayal as transformative guides who will eventually
build the future of the nation is also harmful. Teachers are expected to take initiative and guide
students toward becoming worthwhile citizens, but this is harmful because it’s a vast overreach
of teachers’ natural authority. Teachers are expected to teach the curriculum, so the expectation
of teachers as nation builders is only setting up the public perception of educators for failure.
COVID-19 Pandemic Perception
Although the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many teachers to be more creative and to
explore digital tools in the classroom, the initial pivot did cause stress on educators (Paronyan &
Bekaryan, 2023). Overall stressors included teaching anxiety, preparedness, and overall stress

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 30
during this time, but the data are indicative that these stressors are additional to the normal
teaching stressors already placed upon educators (Padilla-Rivas et al., 2023). In addition to these
stressors during the pandemic, people’s perception changed depending on how they felt the
schools were responding during the pandemic.
During the pandemic, many school districts in the U.S. moved to distance learning, and
the teaching community saw a shift in public perception. Initially, the public saw teachers as
heroes, as parents had to manage their children in an educational setting, but this view was shortlived. After several months, some districts opted to reopen their schools despite the ongoing
pandemic, and the media perception changed. Teachers began to be seen as lazy or whiny
because they expressed concern over their own health (Nerlino, 2023). This was already during a
time when teachers were feeling increased stress because of depersonalization from lack of
student contact (Durr et al., 2021). This additional stress caused by depersonalization has been
known to influence personal accomplishment, which, if low, can cause teacher attrition (Benita
et al., 2019). When schools eventually reopened, school staff met with stress caused by the
uncertainty from the feasibility of actual social distancing in school (Pattison et al., 2021). In
addition to concern about their physical health, educators were faced with developing students’
social and emotional skills after almost 2 years of students being separated from one another
(Tan et al., 2021). Today, teachers are continuing to experience difficulties with lingering postpandemic challenges involving the lack of literacy skills in students. With all these factors
affecting teacher retention and attrition, this review will next explore what the research currently
states on teacher retention, which is to support and build teacher self-efficacy.
Teacher Self-Efficacy and the New Teacher

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 31
Teachers with high perceived self-efficacy are more likely to be motivated and develop
their skill sets further. In scenarios where teachers have high self-efficacy, they are much more
likely to avoid attrition. Specifically, they are known to work harder, be more involved in out-ofclassroom activities that contribute to school culture, be more persistent, and be less stressed
(Bandura, 1997). All these factors contribute to higher instructional quality within the classroom.
As districts work toward improving student outcomes and instructional quality, higher selfefficacy is an important thing to develop in new teachers (Holzberger et al., 2013). If the goal for
school districts is to raise educational outcomes in our students, then the best way to do so is to
increase teacher self-efficacy. Considering that teacher preparation across the United States is a
multi-billion-dollar expense for school districts, finding out which processes are most effective
would save money as well.
Although self-efficacy is important, self-efficacy is not a catch-all term for broad
teaching ability. In fact, teachers can have high self-efficacy in different domains and skill sets.
For example, a teacher may have excellent self-efficacy when it comes to collaborating with
other teachers, but that same teacher may have low self-efficacy when it comes to classroom
management or differentiating instruction (Perera et al., 2019). When considering building selfefficacy in the future, school districts and researchers should first analyze in which areas teachers
lack self-efficacy. Identifying areas of need is already part of a teacher’s cycle of inquiry, so
pivoting professional teachers toward developing self-efficacy in their areas of need should be a
clear focus.
Methods of Building Self-Efficacy
Since it is established that teacher preparation programs help develop self-efficacy, which
has a clear connection to higher instructional quality, then looking at specific methodologies

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 32
would prove beneficial to focus on which strategies are most effective. Although research
indicates that self-efficacy can be part of an individual teacher’s personality and psychological
characteristics, there are still things that can be done to cultivate that self-efficacy further
(Klassen & Tze, 2014). Self-efficacy building can assist in things such as classroom
management, data-based decision making, and curriculum knowledge (Sinclair et al., 2021).
Some of the methods of building self-efficacy for teachers involve a reflective practice with
mentors and school leadership, a strong credentialing or induction program, administrative
support and feedback, teaching experience, and professional development.
Reflective Practices and Self-Efficacy
One of the major contributors of developing teacher self-efficacy during these teacher
preparation programs is a constant reflective practice. Teachers who consistently reflect on their
own practices improve their skills and develop higher self-efficacy (Narayanan & Ordynans,
2022). In some programs, this looks like a consistently updated journal of best practices during
their teacher preparation programs (Dessibourg, 2020). Other programs use reflective practices
in small groups or with a mentor to offer someone more experienced to provide a lens on the new
teacher’s experience (Martin-Kerr et al., 2020). This reflective process is usually better than
more direct methods for building up self-efficacy, because it takes different methodologies of
teaching into account. For example, a teacher who matches with a mentor who doesn’t have a
similar style of teaching as them wouldn’t benefit from a direct method of mentorship because
they excel in different things. Instead, a reflective mentoring method would allow them to
continue to grow and develop their own skill set unique from other teachers (Lejonberg et al.,
2015).
A Strong Credential Program and Self-Efficacy

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 33
One of the many strengths of credentialing programs is a higher focus on diversity and
equity in the curriculum (Athanases & De Oliveira, 2008). This focus provides new teachers with
the skill set and the mindset to work on closing the equity gap in public education. Credentialing
also positively affects how teachers are perceived during the interview process and hiring
(Howard & Mayes, 2020). This is due to most teacher credentialing programs requiring a
bachelor’s degree and some kind of state certification. Both factors have been proven to increase
student achievement due to having a better trained individual as the classroom instructor
(Clotfelter et al., 2010).
In credential programs, teachers with BAs in their subject matter receive time and
encouragement to collaborate with teachers from other subject areas. This collaboration has been
shown to help develop better teacher performance outcomes (Van Es et al., 2014). Furthermore,
as inclusion of special education students increases in general education classrooms, combined
credential programs provide benefits for both special education and general education teachers.
Particularly, they learn how to work together to build accommodations for students to access the
curriculum (Young & Keup, 2018). Another positive side effect of collaboration is the collective
knowledge of technology teachers share with each other. Teachers who may be more tech savvy
are more likely to help their colleagues when there is already a collaborative environment. This
is particularly useful considering teaching is a profession where teachers may stay in the same
position for decades without a requirement for them to update their technology skills (Drossel et
al., 2017). As teachers attempt to prepare themselves for a long-term career in education, the
collaborative skills they gain from working with colleagues will help them with student
achievement.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 34
Another strength of credentialing is providing a professional community without the need
for actual hiring. Usually, teachers do not receive any professional community until they get
hired, but credentialing programs are usually done in cohorts. Cohorts allow pre-credential
teachers to connect with other students going through the same rigors and challenges they are
facing, and the collaborative, reflective process encourages growth and development of selfefficacy before they’re even hired (Van Es et al., 2014). These cohorts end up providing support
outside of the normal methods used in the classroom. For example, studies have demonstrated
that cohort members receive affirming support and acknowledgement of personal purpose and
growth when working with a cohort. This is different from teacher collaboration, because the
focus is less about methodology and units and more about professional growth and support
(Cuddapah & Clayton, 2011).
Mentoring and Self-Efficacy
Mentoring is one of the key aspects to building self-efficacy in a new teacher. Many
teacher preparation programs offer some kind of mentoring in which new teachers are paired
with someone with more experience. During this process, self-efficacy building and socializing
lead to higher teacher retention rates (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). Although the concept of
mentoring is similar across all professions, most of the relevant research indicates that most
structured preservice teacher mentoring methods are categorized under four different approaches:
personal growth approaches to mentoring, situated learning approaches to mentoring, core
practice approaches to mentoring, and critical transformative approaches to mentoring (OrlandBarak & Wang, 2021). Adaptable mentors do not always have to stick to the same approach and
may switch out depending on the needs of the novice teacher.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 35
Personal growth approach is about mentoring supporting a teacher’s personal growth in
their career. This leads to higher self-efficacy and increases the likelihood of teacher retention. A
mentor who takes a carefully catered action into finding out a novice teacher’s career goals
before situating all their discussions toward these goals would be considered someone who uses
a personal growth approach. A mentor may use this approach when they want to orient their
discussions toward long-term growth and goals. The issue with this approach is non-alignment
between novice teacher goals and mentor teacher beliefs. For example, minority novice teachers
who wish to pursue more diverse and equitable curriculum goals will clash with mentor teachers
who haven’t received training in equitable curriculum (Zambrana et al., 2015). Another issue
with the personal growth approach is that some mentors view mentoring as an extension of
teaching, or knowledge transmission. This causes direct conflict, because some mentors aren’t
trained in guiding novice teachers in the type of mentoring that novice teachers need to be
tailored to their own growth (Bozeman & Feeney, 2007). On the other hand, having a mentor
teacher well-versed in the context of the school can help a novice teacher align their personal
growth to the needs of the school. For example, a mentor teacher who has experience teaching in
urban schools can help a novice teacher grow and develop when working with these populations
(Chu & Wang, 2022).
Situated learning approaches focus on mentors utilizing their own experiences as teachers
to socialize new teachers. For example, if a novice teacher is worried about a negative parent
interaction, then a mentor teacher can channel their own stories about negative parent
interactions. This grounds the situation in a way that makes it digestible for the teacher and stops
them from spiraling. Past research has indicated that reflection on core experiences is necessary
to learning, and mentoring with someone who has processed a similar core experience is

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 36
invaluable when growing (Craig et al., 2022). As novice teachers eventually grow out of the need
for having a mentor, the cycle of reflecting on situated core experiences is necessary for
continued growth and betterment (Korthagen, 2017).
Core practice approaches focus on modeling core teaching skills and lessons that new
teachers can then utilize in their own classroom. This is particularly useful for novice teachers
who need to work on the content portion of their practices. Although content knowledge skills
are normally taught in teacher preparation programs before they’re even hired, mentors could
provide curriculum tailored for school-specific initiatives and the student population. For
example, a site that is heavily invested in AVID practices may benefit from a mentor teaching a
novice teacher some AVID practices. This approach is particularly effective when the district is
moving toward a new innovative curriculum directive, because the mentor can learn from the
novice teacher as well, and the pair synthesizes and applies the new curriculum together
(Michailidi & Stavrou, 2021). Considering that new initiatives require considerate reflection and
collaboration, building them into mentoring with novice teachers can be valuable (BitanFriedlander et al., 2004).
Critical transformative approaches are about transforming current school practices into
something new. This approach is difficult because it very much requires understanding of current
school practices and processes before any kind of transformation may take place. It also requires
the novice teacher to have certain baseline skills before even starting. As school districts strive
for more equitable practices, this approach is appealing for closing the racial inequity gap (Nash,
2013). Critical transformative approaches are already used in higher education to discuss
curriculum with critical race lenses, but implementing it at the public-school level requires a high
level of social justice awareness (Pérez, 2022).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 37
Although all these concepts of mentoring are used in different ways to help develop a
teacher, only the personal growth approach specifically targets the mentee’s self-efficacy.
Research indicates that the best-developed mentor and mentee relationship is multidimensional
and taps into all four of these approaches depending on the needs and strengths of the mentee.
For example, a teacher who already has high self-efficacy because of past experiences but needs
help socializing new teachers may need a mentor who taps into situated learning approaches. In
summation, the four approaches offer different ways to develop skills, but it is noted in the
research that all new teachers start at different levels in self-efficacy, and developing it if it is
low is key to student achievement and teacher retention.
Consistency of mentoring matters when building teacher self-efficacy and increasing
teacher retention. Research tells us that, the longer the teacher is being mentored by the same
mentor, then the more the novice teacher improves (Desimone et al., 2014). The quality of
mentoring sessions matters as well, which is why it is necessary for professional development on
teacher mentoring as well (Xu & Payne, 2014). In the end, developing high-quality and
consistent mentoring sessions is necessary for novice teachers to develop self-efficacy.
Administrative and Leadership Support
Current research indicates that administrative support is crucial to teacher retention
(Conley & You, 2017). When novice teachers start at a new district, in many ways their principal
is the first point of contact and responsible for them settling into their new role (Davis, 2008). As
novice teachers grow and develop, school leaders are directly responsible for the feedback and
evaluation process to help them grow (Reid, 2020). For example, valuable feedback and an
improvement plan from an involved principal would help a new teacher. The position of power,
control over school culture, and understanding of the contextual needs of a school site mean that

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 38
working closely with principals is invaluable for novice teachers. Research also indicates that
principal leadership help shape teacher self-efficacy at their school site, and novice teachers are
no different (Kurt et al., 2012).
Experience and Self-Efficacy
If teacher self-efficacy is connected to student learning outcomes, and teacher retention
and attrition are related to self-efficacy, then there is a clear connection between self-efficacy
and student learning outcomes. In essence, teachers with experience are likely to have higher
self-efficacy, and teacher self-efficacy is connected to higher student outcomes (Peebles &
Mendaglio, 2014). In the end, very few districts disagree with the idea that more experience for
novice teachers is good, but the real question is what is the best way for them to get that
experience? However, there’s a reason why most teacher preparation programs focus on some
kind of experience in the classroom. Preservice teachers who work in the classroom prior to
finishing their certification usually report higher levels of self-efficacy. This is why so many
teacher preparation programs work closely with local districts to ensure that their teachers get
some kind of classroom experience as part of their preparation. Teachers who have little to no
experience in the classroom often feel unprepared and are more likely to face teacher attrition
(Berg & Smith, 2018). Novice teachers reflect this in their own feelings about experience, with
many self-reporting that experiencing student teaching was the biggest contributor to developing
their skill set (Knobloch & Whittington, 2002).
Not all teacher preparation programs build self-efficacy with their experiences in the
classroom. Bad mentorship, coursework, or classroom issues can actually deter growth of teacher
self-efficacy (Von Hippel et al., 2016). For example, a novice teacher who has a negative parent
interaction or problems managing their classroom to the point of ridicule may cause them to no

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 39
longer want to learn about how to improve their practice. Negative influences may not be just
classroom focused, either. A novice teacher who constantly conflicts with their mentor will be
less willing to develop their skill set and self-efficacy. Thus, it would be beneficial for districts to
build meaningful experiences in the classroom for their novice teachers. Meaningful experiences
can be constructed by identifying key areas of growth, organizing plans on how to improve them,
and reflecting with an experienced mentor or administrator. In sum, utilizing the cycle of inquiry
for novice teachers can provide meaningful experiences within the classroom that help them
grow and develop (Ermeling, 2010).
Professional Development
When teachers finish their various teacher preparation programs, professional
development can be one approach to continuing their learning as educators. Professional
development is typically provided by the school or district, but teachers are encouraged to seek
additional training from outside. Traditionally, this includes post-baccalaureate credits from
college institutions. This is done through additional stipends, different levels of the pay scale, or
certifications for other positions in education. There are connections between increasing teacher
pay with additional post-baccalaureate credits and student achievement (Young & Keup, 2018).
Despite that, monetary benefits may not be the only reason that teachers seek professional
development.
Professional development further increases teacher self-efficacy by increasing student
achievement outcomes and allowing for further professional collaboration (Banerjee et al.,
2016). There may be a connection between teachers who already have high self-efficacy may be
the ones to seek further professional development. It is uncertain whether professional

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 40
development increases self-efficacy or those teachers who seek further professional development
already have a high self-efficacy (Yoon & Kim, 2021).
Current literature states that teachers seeking additional professional development gain
more teacher self-efficacy through the process and that this is particularly valuable when
fostering the development for new teachers (Watson & Marschall, 2019). Internally, many
districts continue to train their teachers in the most recent practices. These internal professional
developments range from basic classroom skills such as classroom management to new
techniques and curriculum. The district determines the need for which skills need to be
developed and then trains educators (OECD, 2015). As schools face new reforms, many of the
professional developments are surrounding topics such as special education initiatives and
culturally relevant pedagogy (Bhopal & Ramie, 2014).
With the proliferation of school choice leading to a greater number of charter schools,
magnet schools, and private schools, many educational organizations are also utilizing their
internal professional development to train specific skills. For example, STEAM magnet schools
are focusing on using professional development for building self-efficacy and STEAM skills in
their educators (Romero-Ariza et al., 2021). This professional development and self-efficacy
building is particularly important when working with staff who may not have a STEAM
background. An example from the literature would be using continuous development at the
elementary level for teachers with education backgrounds but no STEAM backgrounds (Rich et
al., 2021). Research indicates that internal professional development works best when paired
with external professional development. Externally, teachers receive focus on professional
networks that enhance their pedagogical practices and collaborative skills in specific content
areas. Internally, professional development allows for internal department reforms as well as a

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 41
forum for teacher discussions. Both contribute to building self-efficacy and are particularly
valuable when retaining new teachers and avoiding attrition (Morris et al., 2003).
Building a Strong and Supportive Classroom Culture
Research has already indicated that leveraging positive student relationships into a
supportive classroom culture is a key factor in classroom management (Robertson & Tolley,
1989). Subsequently, new teachers who value these relationships are more likely to have positive
classroom experiences and increased student achievement. This benefit has already been
demonstrated in fields where authenticity and creativity are necessary, such as writing and selfexpression (White, 2000). There is also a strong correlation between teachers who implement
culturally responsive pedagogy and high teacher self-efficacy (Santiago-Rosario et al., 2023).
Higher teacher self-efficacy results in higher teacher retention, and this will allow more teachers
to reach veteran status and improve student academic outcomes.
The importance of classroom culture for student self-efficacy and achievement has
already been noted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students who had to transition to distance
learning felt a loss of classroom culture and dissatisfaction with the curriculum and their
instructor (Goke et al., 2021). Furthermore, the lack of teacher and student interaction leads to
lack of attachment. Attachment to school, the student body, or staff has already been
demonstrated as a key indicator of student success, so lack of classroom culture is a deficit to
student achievement (Bergin & Bergin, 2009). In addition, a strong supportive classroom culture
means finding ways to address inevitable conflict. Teachers who can address conflict early on
using restorative practices will be able to resolve issues early before they escalate to a level that
would cause irreparable damage to the classroom community (Thorsborne, 2013).
Teacher Self-Care

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 42
When considering the stressors of the job, being able to take care of mental health and
administer self-care is something that is necessary for teachers to master (Murphy et al., 2020).
Strong self-care routines allow teachers to deal with stress, manage their time, and build selfefficacy (Kuebel, 2019). Teacher self-care takes form in many different methods. This includes
self-care fueled by compassion from the value teachers take from their work and relational selfcare from support from colleagues and administration (McMakin et al., 2023). That said, there
are barriers to self-care. These barriers stem from lack of time during the normal school day, and
this is especially true for new teachers, as they must spend more time on curriculum building
(McMakin et al., 2023).
Theoretical Framework
When considering how school districts retain teachers and avoid teacher attrition, current
research is indicative toward the idea that preparation, mentoring, and support to build selfefficacy are the methods to retain teachers. Going forth, the purpose of this study is exploring
key factors that contribute to teacher attrition and how school districts can use professional
development, teacher preparation programs, and mentoring and support to prevent this. An
essential lens to examine these key factors is Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory to provide
perspective in which to view how teachers develop self-efficacy expectations when first starting
their career (Bandura, 1986). In his Self-Efficacy Theory, Bandura states that people gain selfefficacy through mastery experience, social modeling, improving physical and emotional states,
and verbal persuasion. Figure 1 provides the conceptual framework.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 43
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework
Using Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, it can be identified whether teacher preparation,
economic factors, and cultural perception can contribute to or detract from teacher self-efficacy.
For teacher preparation, past research has indicated that teacher preparation done correctly can

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 44
contribute to teacher self-efficacy and thus increase student outcomes and teacher retention
(Watson & Marschall, 2019). On the other hand, teacher preparation done poorly without
consideration for context or the individual teacher will end up hindering growth of self-efficacy
or damaging it entirely (Von Hippel et al., 2016). When considering teacher preparation, the
mounting responsibilities that teachers must be prepared for add to the length and the rigor of
teacher preparation, yet mentors are frequently unprepared for these new responsibilities.
In most other careers, job advancement and salary raises are part of self-efficacy that
eventually contributes to job satisfaction and retention (Abele & Spurk, 2009). Educators do not
have this kind of advancement and instead rely on pay steps for years of experience or additional
stipends from other responsibilities. Additionally, most districts that offer pay for years of
experience will eventually cap out, while other careers offer advancement opportunities
throughout someone’s work tenure. All these issues, combined with low salary, result in high
turnover (Cumming et al., 2015). This ties into Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory in two main
ways. First, higher salary leads to better physical and emotional states, because people no longer
have to worry that their basic needs being met, such as housing and food (Haushofer & Fehr,
2014). Secondly, job advancement is in itself a form of mastery experience, and, while teaching
does offer mastery experience, this experience is less concrete than promotions or salary raises
(Ballout, 2009).
Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory also provides a lens through which we can observe
negative culture depictions that affect teacher self-efficacy. In popular media, it’s not uncommon
for teachers to be portrayed as incompetent, promiscuous, or substance abusers (Ewing et al.,
2021). When considering Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, this negative portrayal could be
considered putting educators in a negative emotional state. Not only that, but negative portrayals

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 45
of occupations also reduce the number of people who pursue those occupations. As an example,
accountants are usually perceived in the media as dull rule followers, and now there are less
people pursuing accounting as a career (Jeacle, 2008).
Summary
In summation, stressors from lack of administrative support, extra responsibilities due to
new political movements adding job requirements, negative portrayal in culture and media, and
low teacher pay add to high teacher attrition. One of the key ways to retain teachers is to
implement strong teacher development through mentoring and professional development.
Mentoring and professional development have to be done with fidelity in order to build any selfefficacy, and training must be provided to the mentors so their mentoring can be context and
novice teacher specific. Negative instances of mentoring and professional development can
actually detract from teacher self-efficacy. Researching how all these factors intersect could
provide greater insight into teacher retention for novice teachers.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 46
Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to analyze lived experiences of new teachers (5 years’
experience or less) in the San Francisco Bay Area to identify barriers to building self-efficacy
and what influences help build self-efficacy. Traditionally, teaching is a field that has high
turnover. Subsequently, many school districts are left understaffed or staffed with underqualified
individuals (Borman & Maritza Dowling, 2008). These staffing issues cause a lesser quality of
education for public school students (Kane et al., 2008). Particularly, stressors of working in
public education, such as public and cultural perception, administrative pressure and lack of
support, and financial and economic pressure, all cause new teachers to leave the field (Roness,
2011).
The research questions guiding the study were as follows:
1. What barriers do new teachers persist through to remain in the field?
2. What are the influences that help new teachers build self-efficacy to avoid teacher
attrition?
Overview of Methodology
The objective of this study was to analyze the lived experiences of new teachers;
therefore, the approach I used was a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the
experience and stressors of new teachers in public education today (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017).
Phenomenological qualitative approach is best defined as a method that focuses on the
phenomenon from the perspective of individual experience. Qualitative data was to be collected
from new teachers who fit the criterion of the sample by working professionally with fewer than
5 years’ experience. to provide the insight needed to understand what factors are affecting
teacher attrition and retention. To provide flexibility, data were collected using semi-structured

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 47
interviews, which is when the interviewer has an idea of the questions they will ask, but the
phrasing and order of questions are not set. This is being used because the research questions
being answered needed exploratory and detailed responses. Questions were preplanned
(Appendix A), but follow-up probes were used flexibly depending on the interviewee’s
responses during the interview process.
Data Sources
Data were sourced using interviews with new teachers on Zoom or Google Meet.
Interviews were conducted with new teachers who have recently started their professional career
with fewer than 5 years of experience. The interviews were conducted from August 2023
through September 2023. This timeframe allowed for reflection, possible follow-up interviews,
and data verification.
Interviews
Interviews were conducted with new teachers who have recently started their professional
careers with fewer than 5 years’ experience. The semi-structured nature of the interviews
allowed flexibility while still allowing for patterns to emerge (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017).
Interview questions were aligned with the research questions and Bandura’s Self-Efficacy
framework. The semi-structured interviews were used because specific information regarding the
interviewee’s experience was desired by using specific targeted questions, but follow-up probes
were asked if needed to allow for further exploration of interviewee insights (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016).
Participants
The participants of this study were selected using purposeful sampling because they
needed to fit certain criteria of their career choice and length of experience. Several key

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individuals who met the participant requirements were identified as interviewees from
professional connections, and from there, chain sampling connected more participants to the
study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The methodology used here was contacting multiple school
leaders and having them reach out to their new staff. The school leaders would send Google
Forms if they were interested, and then the researcher would follow up with consent forms and
schedule an interview. Convenience sampling would not work because the teachers around me
were not the new teachers. Subsequently, established teachers already have a survivorship bias,
because the ones who have quit early in their career wouldn’t be available. For the research
study’s participants, we avoided at-risk populations, and all populations were interviewed with
their consent to avoid pressure (Rubin & Rubin, 2012). The goal was for at least 10 participants
to be interviewed, or until saturation was reached in the responses. As a current administrator, I
was looking for new teachers who are not connected to my organization in any way due to my
potential position of power. For this, I purposely selected teachers that were not at my current
school site. In terms of teacher preparation, I had no particular selection method to differentiate
alternative credential programs, traditional credential programs, or emergency credential
programs. I also did not differentiate between subjects and grade levels. As long as the
interviewee was a preliminary or cleared credentialed teacher in their work context with fewer
than 5 years of work experience as a teacher, then they were able to provide valuable insight.
Instrumentation
During interviews, interviewees were asked nine pre-planned questions, but follow-up
questions and probes were used to elicit further information. Providing a variety of questions
using Patton’s (2002) question matrix allowed for a more thorough set of answers and allowed
me to identify patterns in their answers. Questions asked about their experiences and behaviors,

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 49
ethnic identity and demographics, hypotheticals, how they feel, ideal scenarios, and opinion and
values. All these different questions related to my research questions, as seen in Appendix A. In
terms of the conceptual framework, all questions were tied to either economic well-being,
cultural and media perception, administrative support, and/or teacher self-efficacy (Appendix A).
Data Collection Procedures
As a former teacher mentor and current administrator, I have met and formed
professional relationships with many different novice teachers over the years. From these
professional relationships, I used chain sampling to connect with several key participants who fit
the criteria for the research study. We met and exchanged emails and phone numbers. I used my
network of administrators, teacher coaches, and mentees to refer participants to me. I had a
Google form to collect email addresses, names, relevant information (grade taught and
experience), and most accessible times so I could follow up and schedule an interview. After
receiving the contact information of prospective new teachers, I communicated the purpose of
my study while highlighting the confidentiality if they chose to proceed. I also communicated
with the prospective participant that I would be storing the interview recordings and
transcriptions with secure services to further ensure anonymity. Recordings were used to
maintain research validity when analyzing common themes. I also informed that they could
choose to stop the interview at any time if the topic caused discomfort.
If the qualified participant consented by signing the informed consent form, I scheduled a
1-hour Zoom or Google interview and used the record feature to make sure I had an accurate
transcription of our interview. Before starting recording, I reassured participants that they have
confidentiality and that the data and transcription will be stored in a password-protected location.
I informed them that they could decline any question and stop the interview at any time.

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Data Analysis
After conducting my interviews to the point of saturation or ten different new teachers, I
used Zoom Transcription to transcribe my interviews into written format. In order to keep
accurate transcripts, I immediately revised and added to the Zoom transcript, since this process
was time sensitive. From there, I analyzed and compared the transcriptions for common themes
to fully capture the lived experiences of these novice teachers (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017). To
do this, I used a process called Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). TCA is a descriptive
presentation of the qualitative data gathered from the participant’s semi-structured interview
transcripts. In order to do this, I used Zoom Transcripts in combination with my own manual
analysis to identify key themes. I utilized the following steps: familiarization, coding, generating
themes, reviewing themes, defining themes and naming themes, and writing up the analysis
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). From there, the research findings from the thematic content analysis
were organized according to each of the two research questions. From the transcripts, quotes
were gathered that were the most representative of the findings. This comparative method of data
analysis identified responses in the interviews that were related to the research question and
coded them as units of data. These units of data revealed information about the study, able to
“stand by itself” without any additional context (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 203). From there, I
used these units of data to break down information and code it with categorical data and organize
it. In between identifying categories, I constantly reflected on researcher positionality and bias to
avoid skewing the results.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
As the researcher, I am the key instrument for data collection and must be aware of how
my positionality and bias may shape various aspects of the study. As a career educator with over

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 51
a decade of experience, my own experiences have contributed to my perceptions. As a current
administrator who manages teachers and works with new teachers in induction programs, my
perceptions may be affected by my past experiences. As someone who had a particularly difficult
time during my novice teaching years, my perception may be affected by that as well. All these
things may have caused me to focus in on certain interviewees’ experience over others. Thus, I
had to be aware of how I am perceived by the participants and my own past experiences because
they may shape the study, so steps had to be taken in order to ensure credibility and
trustworthiness.
The best way to address these, as Maxwell (2013) says, is to “identify the specific threat
in question and to develop ways to attempt to rule out that particular threat” (p. 123). In this case,
the two major threats were possible researcher bias and reactivity. My influence over their
answers could muddy the answers, and my own feelings about novice teachers could have
caused me to focus on answers more than others. One of the ways I addressed this was by using
Maxwell’s Respondent Validation to solicit feedback from my own participants. I consistently
followed up with my participants and asked for feedback. I also purposefully sought out
participants from different districts and concentrations in teaching, and this provided me with
triangulation. When possible, I removed my identity as an administrator out of the interviews and
only presented myself as a researcher.
Ethics
Ethically, there were many things to consider when conducting these interviews. Novice
teachers are in a vulnerable position, because they may not be tenured and can be let go without
cause in many districts. Interviewing and speaking negatively about the pressures they face may
cause them to fear repercussions from their district. For example, if a new teacher commented

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 52
that one of their major stressors was how their administrator doesn’t support them in dealing
with parents, they may fear that that information getting out would expose them and make it
more difficult for them to get a job. In terms of my identity as a school administrator, I make it a
point to not interview anyone in my organization, because I have clear positional authority over
these other teachers. For researchers, the interest, needs, and protection of our interviewees are
some of the most important things we can ensure (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017). Fear of gaining a
negative reputation in their work context is a legitimate concern, and making sure that the
participant is anonymous is key to preventing that.
Furthermore, by placing myself in a position of discovery, I am exploring concepts that
may be uncomfortable for the participant. For example, teachers discussing how they may be
facing poverty due to low income may cause trauma. As a researcher, it would be unethical to
force discussions that are traumatic and painful on my participants. Providing clear options for
the participant to withdraw at any time allowed participants to step out if the trauma ever became
too difficult for them to discuss (Glesne, 2011). Secondly, making sure interviewees are well
aware of their anonymity and how I will be protecting it was key (Glesne, 2011). Informing them
that anonymity protected them from any negative reputation issues from future employers
allowed them to speak more freely. Finally, the research in question is a clear benefit to the
educational field and society (Glesne, 2011). This benefit outweighed any risk the participant
may have faced.
The Researcher
As an Asian American male whose parents were war refugees, I need to be aware that my
experience as a new teacher may be different than those of other ethnicities. For example, my
family has a perception of educators from their formative years in Vietnam that doesn’t match

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 53
my actual experience as a teacher in the U.S. My father said that educators in Vietnam used
canes or rulers to discipline students. As an English teacher, who was formerly an English
learner myself, my English skills may be called into question since my home language is not
English. My parents were not products of the western school system that I am currently part of,
which provides a unique lens to view education. Also, cultural perceptions of educators vary
from culture to culture, so I needed to be aware of that bias. For example, as an Asian American,
I’ve had many parents and students assume that I was the math or science teacher instead of
English. Asian female teachers may be perceived as meek and unable to manage a classroom
because of this. All these microaggressions and biases affect how teachers are perceived and how
they are treated. As a male, I also need to understand my positionality as a male educator may
affect my perception of how female teachers may experience the beginning of their career.
Before I was an administrator, I taught middle school English language arts for 10 years. In
addition, my colleagues and I practiced inclusive co-teaching with special education and ELD
students. Currently, I am an assistant principal at a comprehensive high school, and I’ve just
completed my first full year.
As someone who faced challenges as a novice teacher and as a current administrator, I
must be aware of my relationship with the problem of practice and with the participants. For
example, my own history of frustration when starting this career could cause me to be biased
toward teachers who may be having difficulty as well. On the other hand, my role as an
administrator whose job is to make sure our novice teachers do well may cause me to be biased
toward novice teachers who find their administrators cause them stress. For example, if a novice
teacher said that their administrator was overbearing and always snooping in their classroom, my

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 54
administrator side might view that as justified, since my assumption would be that their assistant
principal was just checking in and making sure the novice teacher felt supported.
When looking at my identity, it could be assumed that I have bias toward novice teachers
because of my own difficulties. On the other hand, I may have been perceived as biased against
novice teachers in my own role as an administrator because it’s one of the most common
complaints for teacher attrition. Either way, part of mitigating these biases and assumptions was
a constant reflection of who I am and the goal of my study. Being aware of my biases allowed
me to overcome them and focus on the truth. Milner (2007) states that being aware of your own
racial positionality and its relation to your participants is key to overcoming possible bias.

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Chapter Four: Findings
This study examined the barriers and influences that affect new teacher retention and
attrition in the San Francisco Bay Area. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived
experiences of new teachers and understand how these experiences shape their decision to stay in
the teaching profession or leave. The following research questions guided the interview process
in order to better understand which factors and experiences impact teacher retention and attrition:
1. What barriers do new teachers persist through to remain in the field?
2. What are the influences that help new teachers build self-efficacy to avoid teacher
attrition?
The theoretical framework guiding this study is Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory.
Self-Efficacy Theory is used to “explain and predict psychological changes achieved by different
modes of treatment” (Bandura, 1977, p. 191). This framework is used because it makes the
connection between psychological and emotional well-being and the experiences and treatment
of the new teachers. Interview responses were captured using the Zoom recording and
transcribing features as well as handwritten field notes. From there, the interview transcripts
were analyzed, and key themes were identified and documented.
Participants
The participants for this study were all new teachers with fewer than 5 years’ experience
in the San Francisco Bay Area. Of the 10 participants, six of them identified as Asian American,
one identified as Middle Eastern, two identified themselves as Caucasian, and one of them
identified as Hispanic. From these 10 participants, six were from the secondary levels of
education, and four taught in elementary schools. Participants are listed in Table 1 with the years

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 56
of experience, type of public school, and ethnicity. All were on preliminary credentials, and all
were either in an induction program or had finished their induction program.
Table 1
Participants’ Years of Experience, Content Area, and Race
Participant Level Taught Years of Experience Race
# 1 Secondary Less than a year Asian
# 2 Elementary 1 year Asian
# 3 Elementary 2 LatinX
# 4 Elementary 3 Asian
# 5 Secondary Less than a year White
# 6 Secondary 3 Asian
#7 Elementary 3 White
#8 Secondary 2 Asian
#9 Secondary 2 Asian
#10 Secondary 3 Middle Eastern
Findings for Research Question 1: What Barriers Do New Teachers Persist Through to
Remain in the Field?
Of the 10 teachers, all reported some kind of barrier that made it difficult for them to
persist in education, but the types of barriers varied. The majority of the participants indicated
that administrative directives was one of the major barriers that they had to overcome to remain
in the profession. This oversight ranged from lack of guidance and preparation to micromanaging
or even lack of behavioral support (Billingsley, 1993; Cumming et al., 2015; Le Cornu, 2010).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 57
Another major barrier that multiple participants cited was low salary. Participants 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, and 10 all indicated that the low pay was an especially significant impact on their decisions
regarding employment (Bridges et al., 2011). Finally, the last common theme was lack of
preparation when it came to the day-to-day running of the classroom and promoting a positive
classroom culture. This meant anything from classroom management to curriculum planning or
the day-to-day responsibilities of a public education teacher such as duties or IEP
accommodations (Han, 2023).
Theme 1: Administrative Directives as a Barrier
Of the 10 participants, eight indicated that administrative directives were something that
they struggled with. For new teachers, this can mean anything such as policies that they do not
know how to navigate, adding extra duties and assignments that the new teacher was not ready
for, or the feedback and evaluation cycle causing stress.
Additional Responsibilities
In response to an interview question asking if they’d ever consider leaving teaching,
Participant 6 stated, “Yeah, actually, last year, I was just planning on not teaching anymore
because just the admin really made it hard for me, you know. They put a lot more work on me,
and without getting compensated for it.” Other participants noted that the administration was
supposed to be there to assist and support them, but instead added more responsibilities and
weren’t readily available for assistance. Participant 4 noted that, as the new teacher, they were
sometimes assigned more difficult responsibilities without their input, and they’d feel reluctant
to push back because of their inexperience. In addition to this, administrators would often add to
new teacher workloads by using them for new types of curriculum or professional development.
This ties into past literature that indicates that new laws and educational movements require

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 58
additional training to implement, and Participant 4 was given these responsibilities without the
key training to implement them with fidelity, so, subsequently, it’s a significant barrier
(O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010).
Feedback as a Source of Anxiety
Although feedback is a key part of developing as an educator, some of the participants
found that the feedback and observations can be daunting and anxiety inducing. Participant 2
noted that, in her first 2 years, the constant observation was a challenge to their confidence.
I think that’s a big challenge of like with confidence and stuff, cause you kinda wanna
teach toward you. Want to take their feedback, and you know, do their feedback. But it’s
also like a mental battle like, Am I doing enough? Are you doing enough to impress the
admin, or anything? So I would say that a big challenge of mine last year is trying to
hopefully impress my admin with my observations.
In the long run, feedback and observations can be helpful in growing as an educator, but constant
observation was a stressor that detracted from the mental well-being and self-efficacy of new
teachers and eventually led to mounting stress and possible attrition. Although past research has
indicated that negative feedback or feedback that the teacher disagrees with could cause tension
and stress, the participants indicated that it was just the mere presence of the observation and the
evaluation that caused anxiety, not the feedback itself (Sheedlo, 2017). Table 2 provides some
key quotes that demonstrate how admin directives can be a barrier that new teachers must
overcome.
Lack of Support
Participants also noted that lack of support in certain areas caused them additional
stressors. For example, administrators who failed to maintain a safe school atmosphere or

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 59
weren’t available when the new teachers needed them. Past research has already indicated the
necessity for a positive classroom culture when managing a classroom, but teachers found it
difficult to do so without administrative support (Robertson & Tolley, 1989). Subsequently, lack
of consequences and reinforcement when addressing student behaviors tie into negative
classroom cultures and cause loss of self-efficacy (Goke et al., 2021).
Table 2
Administrative Directives
Participant Example Quote Subtheme
Participant 2 “Observations are definitely something that is
taken very seriously. And our admin gives a lot
of feedback which is really great in some
senses. But sometimes it could be
overwhelming.”
Feedback as a source of anxiety
Participant 4 “I’m only in my third year in this school
district, but every year I’ve been the RSP
cluster teacher, and that’s really hard for me to
learn as a new teacher while still learning the
basics”
Additional responsibilities
Participant 5 “The way they handled students with
inappropriate behaviors was outrageously
inappropriate in schools, and I think their
handling of this aspect could be a hundred
percent better. It’s not the worst I’ve heard. I do
think it has to do with California Laws, but at
the same time, I think the admin team could be
a lot more quick to action when it comes to
removing certain students from the learning
environment”
Lack of support
Participant 1 “I recently took three days off to attend a
professional development on PBL, and as a first
year teacher having a sub for the first time for
that long made me lean toward negative, though
I understand the push toward PBL, but I’m
wondering if there was a better way for admin
to incorporate that training time.”
Additional responsibilities
Participant 6 “And the adults, the admin, really made it hard
for me, you know. They put a lot more work on
me without getting compensated for it”
Additional responsibilities

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 60
Participant 8 “It felt like I always had to ask for help before
an admin asked me if I needed help.”
Lack of support
In summary, the administrative directives could serve as a barrier for some new teachers,
but how they do so varies. Some feel that the evaluation process adds too much pressure to their
already strenuous job duties as they struggle to adjust. This runs antithetical to the purpose of the
evaluation process, which is to provide necessary feedback for teachers so they can reflect and
improve. Other participants felt that administrative directives such as professional development
use up important time and effort that they need to hone their teaching skills in the classroom.
Finally, participants felt that administrators who weren’t doing their part in managing the school
climate by maintaining discipline and safety negatively impacted the classroom culture and their
self-efficacy.
Theme 2: Fiscal Barriers
Past research has already indicated that higher salary leads to less teacher attrition, but
participants indicated that much of their thought process was about building a secure future and
how difficult it would be with low pay (Hendricks, 2014).
Concerns Over Low Pay
Out of the 10 teachers interviewed, nine indicated that they had concerns over their fiscal future.
The tenth teacher indicated that she did not have to worry about her financial situation because
she was still living with her parents, but she did indicate that she did “feel discouraged at a
certain point when [she] first was paid.” The other nine teachers had concerns about how they
would be able to provide for their families if they were to continue in the teaching profession.
Participant 6 indicated, “It’s rough, you know, like I just got paid on Friday and my whole
paycheck is gone because of rent and car payments, and so I don’t really have enough to save.
It’s hard.” Several participants noted that their issues with the fiscal barriers are region specific.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 61
As most of the participants were from the Bay Area, most were facing issues living in a very
high-cost-of-living area. Other participants indicated that they felt that they were being
undercompensated for the amount of hours they put in. Some participants stated that this was
more region specific. Participant 5 indicated, “Yes, teachers aren’t paid well, but they can still
make a living depending on where you work. But yeah, I mean we’re underpaid.” All these
things combined led to low self-efficacy and discouragement. Some participants indicated that
the fiscal barriers have led them to possibly facing teacher attrition.
Low Pay in Comparison to Level of Training
When asked if any barriers made participants feel like leaving the profession, Participant 8
stated, “I think so. I sometimes feel like the work that I do is not compensated well enough for
me to continue to work as hard as I am.” These comments are in line with what past research has
indicated. Participants feel that their overall salary is low when considering the educational
requirements, responsibilities, and workload that they must manage (Cumming et al., 2015).
Overall, a recurring theme that was highlighted while analyzing and coding the interviews is that
new teachers felt an increased pressure from fiscal barriers stemming from low pay, and this
increased pressure increased their desire to leave the profession.
Region Specific Fiscal Challenges
This emerging theme of fiscal barriers from the interviews reveals a growing
dissatisfaction with how teachers are paid. In California, most credentialed teachers require a 4-
year degree as well as a credentialing process, so teachers feel discouraged by their low income.
The participants that did not indicate that they were fiscally struggling had some outside fiscal
support. Participant 1 stated, “I currently live with my parents, and my brother, and I. I often
think that if I were living independently for myself that I would not be as mentally okay as I am

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 62
right now being a teacher.” Participant 2 also added, “I’m very lucky where I am currently living
at home with my parents, so it’s been nice because I haven’t had to pay rent in the Bay Area.”
Participant 9 also indicated, “It also helps that I still live with my parents. Even though I pay
rent, it’s definitely not the amount of what rent is in the Bay Area.” From these responses, it can
be concluded that this fiscal barrier is one of the causes of low self-efficacy and teacher attrition.
Table 3
Fiscal Barriers
Participant Example Quote Subtheme
Participant 2 “I think it makes me sad to know that
teachers, you know, don’t get paid
enough and it makes me feel almost
disrespected when I hear other people
like being able to climb up such a high
financial ladder. I mean we get paid
well here in California, but even just
like nationwide nationally, it’s like it
almost makes me feel disrespected
when I hear that.”
Region specific fiscal challenges
Participant 3 “It’s a very tough situation. Like, it’s
something that my boyfriend and I are
always talking about. Like, what are we
going to do? Because I can have a job
anywhere I go, but that doesn’t mean
I’ll get paid well. With the salary I’m
making now, I’m not going to be able
to afford a house here in ******. I am
getting older, and it’s like, how long
can I stay here? And it’s a very hard
situation. It’s a good thing I don’t want
any kids right now, but if I did, I’d
definitely have to think about my
profession.”
Region specific fiscal challenges
Participant 5 “You’re working a very different
amount of hours than you’re being paid
for. That part is frustrating. Because if
you’re economic, then your income is
supposed to reflect the kind of work
Low Pay in Comparison to Level of Training

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 63
you do, and ours definitely does not.
That’s something that toggles in my
head a lot because it’s frustrating that I
put in so many hours of work already,
and it’s only halfway into my first
year.”
Participant 4 “I would like to see another salary
increase. I know we had one recently,
but it’s really hard to keep up with the
cost of living. I think it’s hard for
everyone, so I don’t think we make
enough.”
Concerns over low pay
Participant 6 “As a beginning teacher right now in a
public school, it’s rough. I just got paid
on Friday, and my whole pay check is
gone because of rent and car payments,
so I don’t have enough to save. And it’s
hard. It’s a grind.”
Concerns over low pay
Participant 7 “I definitely feel like we do not get
paid enough for what we do. I feel like
I work a lot more hours than what we
do get paid, especially living in this
area. It’s really hard because
everything is so expensive.”
Low Pay in Comparison to Level of Training
Theme 3: Managing the Classroom as a Barrier
Past research already indicated that teachers who had negative experiences in the
classroom would have negative self-efficacy, and participant responses reflected this (Von
Hippel et al., 2016). Of the 10 participants, seven participants indicated that they felt unprepared
for the rigors of the classroom setting. The research interviews revealed that this included things
such as classroom management and culture, IEP accommodations, and lesson planning as
common stressors (O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010).
Responsibilities and Role of an Educator
Participant 1 stated,
One of the first barriers that come to mine is the logistics of running a classroom. For me,
grading is something that’s on my mind, especially with recent district policy about

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 64
grading since we, as a district, have been trying to move more toward standards-based
grading. We’re not quite there yet, but I find myself in a weird place. Like I’m not sure if
I’m supposed to do it the way we did it before, or start learning toward the new standard
grading space. I don’t have confidence to say “Okay, this is how my grade book should
be, and this is the right way to grade students’ because I don’t have any experience with
that per se.”
Although classroom management is one thing, the actual logistics of grading, IEP adherence, and
curriculum building is a responsibility that participants found difficult. In addition, one of the
key responsibilities of being a teacher is being able to communicate and collaborate with
families. Participants noted that they had difficulty with this because of their own inexperience.
Participant 3 stated,
For me, it’s just kind of being a new teacher with no kids of my own. It’s easy to say
things like, “Why do you have your kid on the tablet for so long?” You know I don’t
have kids to share that experience with, so it’s easy for me to kind of give parent advice,
but I’m not a parent. So I think that’s something I definitely think is a challenge
Since many of the participants were young and did not have children, they found parent outreach
and communication to be difficult. All these barriers are things that new teachers felt were
caused due to their inexperience or lack of preparation.
Fostering a Positive Classroom Culture.
Some of the challenges presented from the participants indicated that there were issues
managing classroom culture in a positive and constructive manner. Participants stated that they
had difficulty riding that line between being a positive role model that encourages a classroom
culture of learning and being a friend to the student. Past research has already indicated that

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 65
positive classroom culture is beneficial for student learning, but these participants had difficulty
setting this environment up (Robertson & Tolley, 1989). Furthermore, participants who indicated
that they had difficulty managing the classroom and setting up a positive classroom culture have
weaker self-efficacy (Santiago-Rosario et al., 2023). The results of the study have demonstrated
that new teachers need classroom management and a positive classroom culture to build selfefficacy and stay in the career.
Table 4
Difficulty in Managing the Classroom
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
Participant 4 “I think new teachers should learn
how to deal with families and
classroom management before
stepping foot in a classroom. Not on
the job, but probably beforehand.”
Responsibilities and Role of an Educator
Participant 10 “I think probably making sure you
have some kind of classroom
management foundation. A lot of
times it’s easy for younger teachers to
try to be a person that acts more like
a friend to the students, and by doing
that you’re just digging yourself in a
pretty deep hole early on in the
school year. So just making sure that
teachers have strong classroom
expectations from the beginning and
being consistent with it.”
Fostering a Positive Classroom Culture.
Participant 9 “So that was pretty difficult to
understand, because in my teaching
credential, we didn’t really talk about
IEPs. Well, we did have a class, and
they briefly mentioned what an IEP
is, but like I’ve never been in an IEP.
I don’t know like anything about
students and accommodations in the
legal sense.”
Responsibilities and Role of an Educator
Participant 8 “One training I think that is needed is
true classroom management training.
I think as a new teacher, classroom
Fostering a Positive Classroom Culture

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 66
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
management is one of the hardest
things that we have to deal with day
to day. I think it’s an aspect of the job
that when classroom management is
good, the job becomes easier. When
it’s not good, the job becomes much
harder.”
Participant 6 “I think one of the things that for new
teachers that they don’t really prep us
on is classroom management. I feel
like that can scare a lot of new
teachers, especially with behaviors
after COVID.”
Fostering a Positive Classroom Culture.
Participant 5 “One barrier is not having a lot of
development in the behavior
management cluster management
aspect. They talk about it in my
program, but it wasn’t something that
was emphasized over something like
equity.”
Fostering a Positive Classroom Culture.
In conclusion, one of the major themes that revealed itself through these qualitative
interviews is the sheer lack of preparation many of these new teachers felt when it came to their
day-to-day running of the classroom. Additionally, part of managing the classroom is developing
a positive community in the classroom (Robertson & Tolley, 1989). Teachers who build
relationships with their students build attachment and create a desire for students to want to be in
the classroom (Bergin & Bergin, 2009). Community development like this would be beneficial
for new teachers as they strive to build self-efficacy as professionals.
Discussion for Research Question 1
When looking at the qualitative interview data, a majority of the participants indicated
administrative directives, fiscal barriers, and difficulty managing the classroom. Administrative
directives are an issue in any kind of job, but as political pressures increase on education, schools
find themselves in situations where teachers must implement new techniques, new

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 67
accommodations, and new practices to meet the needs of the public. One of the more notable
parts of administrative directives is that they are very subjective. Although one participant may
find their administrators stopping into their classroom stressful, another found their
administrators stopping by to be a form of support that built up their self-efficacy. This could be
due to fear of negative feedback or additional responsibilities (O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010).
Alternatively, negative feedback and interactions have already been demonstrated to be the cause
of negative self-efficacy in new teachers (Sheedlo, 2017).
The notion that teachers are paid little is so common that it has entered American pop
culture, but many of the participants resonated with this idea to the point where it could be
considered true. Although teacher pay may be low, many of the participants echoed the lack of
pay for the extra hours that they put in and the inability to afford to start a family and plan for
their future due to low income (Hendricks, 2014). These feelings are especially true when the
participants indicated the years they had to put into secondary training and college degrees
(Cumming et al., 2015). These findings may be region specific, because pay ranges from district
to district, but so do cost of living and state and county living assistance. This mounting
frustration has led to these participants indicating that they have considered leaving the
profession for something that will allow them to settle down and start a family.
Finally, difficulty managing the classroom is something that many of the participants
indicated was a barrier. This included things such as classroom management of student
behaviors, IEP accommodations, and parent outreach (O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010). Negative
experiences in the classroom are already a strong indicator of negative self-efficacy (Von Hippel
et al., 2016). Although teacher preparation programs include training on these teacher
responsibilities, the practical application of these skills is more invaluable when it comes to the

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 68
immediate handling of these issues. Furthermore, although school culture and mentoring help
with these issues, teachers with a harmful school culture and unhelpful mentors do not receive
the support to overcome these issues. Additionally, teachers who have difficulty building
positive classroom culture are more likely to have problems managing the classroom. Lack of a
positive classroom culture has already been demonstrated to cause loss of learning as well (Goke
et al., 2021). If these participants developed the skills to build a stronger and positive classroom
culture, their students would be more successful and develop positive self-efficacy (Bergin &
Bergin, 2009).
Findings for Research Question 2: What Are the Influences That Help New Teachers Build
Self-Efficacy to Avoid Teacher Attrition?
The qualitative interviews revealed varying degrees of self-efficacy building for each
participant depending on school culture and their teacher preparation programs. Participants
indicated that the strongest builders of self-efficacy that helped them remain in the profession
were school culture, administrative support, and their own practices of taking care of themselves.
New teachers need different types of support to develop self-efficacy, so the type of
interactions from their administration may or may not meet their needs. As mentioned
previously, some new teachers feel a level of anxiety when their administrators visit their
classroom, while others value the feedback and visibility (Newberry & Allsop, 2017).
Subsequently, the ones who do value administrative visibility feel that the constant feedback is a
necessary part of their growth (Leggett & Smith 2019). These cultivated relationships for growth
lead to teacher retention and longevity and eventually a sort of institutional knowledge that will
help with internal leadership (Leithwood, 2016). In administrative training programs, the focus is
traditionally on California education code, school law, and impacting positive change for student

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 69
achievement, but there is a dearth of new teacher support. Administrative training focuses on
working with teacher unions and community stakeholders, but new teachers receive very little
focus. The qualitative interviews demonstrated that strong administrative support came from
regularly checking in with new teachers to provide support. Additionally, participants indicated
that administrative feedback was necessary for their growth.
School culture was also a strong indicator of self-efficacy building as well, but only if the
school culture is one that is collaborative. Teachers who work at a school with a positive school
culture are more likely to work harder, be more involved in classroom activities, and eventually
develop enough self-efficacy to avoid attrition (Bandura, 1997). Participants indicated that strong
school culture helped them overcome some of their professional barriers. This can be in the form
of navigating their professional career, working with families and students, or emotional support.
School culture derives from administrative organization or can evolve organically from having a
strong core of experienced teachers. Good school culture can be difficult to build without
direction, but school administrators can build professional time for staff to bond and assist each
other through difficult times (Kurt et al., 2012). Unfortunately, schools with already high teacher
attrition are less likely to have a positive school culture, because there aren’t enough veteran
teachers to guide the new ones through school and district policies and practices (Henry &
Redding, 2020).
Finally, participants indicated that taking care of their mental health and well-being was a
necessary part to building self-efficacy. Participants noted that this was particularly relevant after
COVID because of the increase in student behavioral issues and learning deficit (DarlingHammond & Hyler, 2020). Participant responses stated that the skills needed to take care of their
mental health were either taught to them by more veteran teachers and mentors or were self

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 70
developed from their past experiences (Day & Gu, 2009). Having a strong mental health support
system and maintaining it was key to taking on the difficulties of being a new teacher.
Theme 1: Teachers Who Had Administrative Support Were More Likely to Have High
Self-Efficacy and Subsequently Retain in the Profession
Past research has indicated that administrative support is crucial to teacher retention
(Conley & You, 2017). For new teachers, having strong administrative support allows them to
navigate many of the challenges of public education. As mentioned previously, negative
administrative interactions can be considered administrative directives and be considered a
possible cause of teacher attrition, but good administrative support helps teacher retention.
Administrators Visiting Classrooms and Support
Participant 1 indicated,
Administrators often, whether it’s the vice principal or my principal, visit my classroom
every once in a while just to observe the students for a few moments. Not too long,
maybe 5 minutes. They ask me if I need anything during my preps, so I feel very
supportive in that manner. I feel like I could ask them questions that come up while I’m
teaching or ask them for advice since I know my principal used to be a middle school
math teacher. So yeah, I’ve never felt pressure in a negative way. When I do see them, I
feel a responsibility to honor their efforts in investing in me by giving me their time and
also everything that they do for students at school.
Additionally, participants indicated that they valued administrators who allocated professional
development time for collaboration with veteran teachers. This differentiated from mentor
meetings because it was specified for curriculum building with teachers working with similar
grades or subject matters.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 71
Administrative Feedback and Communication
Although past participants have noted that constant administrative observation is a barrier that
they had to overcome to develop self-efficacy in the profession, Participant 1 noted that these
observations made her feel supported. Others noted that good administrative support came in the
form of school organization and directives. Participant 2 noted,
A lot of times we kind of do what we are told when the admin tells us to do something. I
feel like that’s kind of the vibe at our school, because other schools have an admin versus
teacher culture, but we do what we’re told. I also think it’s because we’re a school of
very new teachers. Support wise, they’re always there.
Table 5
Administrative Support
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
Participant 1 “Supportive administration? I
automatically think of my principal
and vice principal at my school.
Both of whom have very much been
supportive of me from day one.
They’re always communicating with
me in a friendly manner.”
Administrative Feedback and Communication
Participant 2 “They give a lot of feedback, which
is great. They’re very organized, and
it’s definitely an admin run school.”
Administrative Feedback and Communication
Participant 3 “I really like this principal, like. I
don’t know much about her. And
then you got talking to her. And it’s
like, Okay, cool like, she’s very,
very sweet and you know, very
helpful, very knowledgeable. And so
that was something that definitely
helped me in the beginning.”
Administrative Feedback and Communication
Participant 4 “I think I am pretty good now. I’m
only in my third year, but I’ve
gotten better at turning to my admin
for support, especially when it
comes to really extreme behaviors in
Administrative Feedback and Communication

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 72
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
the classroom that affect my ability
to teach or keep my students safe.”
Participant 6 “He knows what we’re doing, and
he trusts us. I’ve had administrators
before where they treated us like
support staff, so it’s really refreshing
to have an administrator that values
us as teachers.”
Administrative Feedback and Communication
Participant 7 “We have a weekly PD for teachers
under 5 years experience and that’s
an hour a week. We meet and we
collaborate and talk about our needs.
Admins set up this meetings, and
they’re always there. They’ll come
to the classroom and check in on us
when we need something. So I feel
like we have very supportive
administrators.”
Administrators Visiting Classrooms and Support
In conclusion, teachers who reach veteran status already cultivate strong relationships
with their administrators (Kelchterman, 2017). This theme illustrates that good administrators
have a significant impact on how a new teacher develops self-efficacy. This self-efficacy is key
to teacher retention, but, as demonstrated earlier, too many administrative directives cause
negative self-efficacy and cause teacher attrition.
Theme 2: Teachers Who Worked at a School With a Strong Supportive Culture Are More
Likely to Retain in the Profession
Past research indicates that strong school culture shaped by principal leadership is
invaluable for new teachers (Kurt et al., 2012). The qualitative research participant responses
mirrored past research in this sense. Of the 10 participants, eight indicated that positive school
culture was one of the things that improved their retention in the teaching profession. On the
other hand, the other two participants indicated that a negative school culture ended up affecting
their self-efficacy and mental well-being while working as teachers.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 73
Positive Relationships with Coworkers
Participant 1 indicated,
I think a lot of my current survival situation can be attributed to my relationship with my
coworkers. I think I’ve developed a comfortability with being like “Hey, I noticed that
you had this resource. Can I use this or can I observe this?” or “Can you watch me teach
and give me feedback?”
The kind of support Participant 1 is describing will eventually lead to veteran status and then
their own contributions to the school culture.
Administrators Create a Positive School Culture
Although Participant 1’s school culture stems from a collaborative culture of teachers who
naturally work together and help each other out, Participant 7 states that a collaborative culture is
structured by administrative support to provide time and opportunity:
We have weekly PDs for teachers under 5 years of experience structured by our assistant
principal. So that’s an hour a week, and we meet and we collaborate and we talk about
what needs we want. And then I think it’s very open. The admins are always there for us,
and they’ll come check in on us in the classroom and see if we need anything.
Past research indicates that administrative influence has a strong contribution to a school’s
culture (Kurt et al., 2012).
Table 6
School Culture
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
Participant 9 “Like I said, admin being visible
and interacting with students and
getting to know them adds to
school culture. The students are
able to see everyone on campus
Administrators Create a Positive School Culture

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 74
is here to support them. The
administration is nor just for
punishment, but they’re also a
part of our education.”
Participant 5 “Admin create a pretty good
culture at this school, so I think
I’m lucky to have such a positive
and friendly admin team that sets
up activities for staff.”
Administrators Create a Positive School Culture
Participant 4 “I think school culture might be
the biggest reason to stay or
leave. It was actually really hard
for me at my school for the first
two years and only this year I
felt like it’s gotten a little bit
easier. So school culture has a
really big impact on my sense of
belonging and wanting to be at
work.”
Positive Relationships with Coworkers
Participant 1 “I think school culture definitely
matters a lot. I feel confident
going to my school everyday
knowing students are doing their
best to be respectful to each
other and to be respectful to me.
I feel like if I did not have that
reassurance, I would be reluctant
to go to work.”
Positive Relationships with Coworkers
Participant 7 “I feel like it’s been very
beneficial. I feel like it helps me
really want to do well. It’s a
good work environment, and I
look forward to going to work
everyday.”
Positive Relationships with Coworkers
In conclusion, school culture is a strong indicator whether a teacher will retain in the
profession. School leaders have a strong effect on school culture and ultimately can put into
place policies that encourage the growth of school culture. Furthermore, school cultures that are
collaborative places where veteran teachers help newer teachers build self-efficacy.
Theme 3: Taking Care of Their Mental Health

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 75
Of the 10 participants, five indicated that being able to take care of their mental health
and well-being was key to building self-efficacy as a new teacher. Taking care of their mental
health varied from managing workloads or finding methods after work to decompress.
School Culture Embracing Mental Health
Several of the participants noted that learning to work with other veteran teachers taught them
how to pace their workloads so it wouldn’t cause stress. Participant 3 noted,
There was a big push for mental health in our society and making sure you have time to
take care of yourself, so I think that’s one thing you really need to be able to do as a
teacher. Put yourself first.
Being able to manage time is key to negating some of the workload that teachers face, which is
already one of the key challenges to building self-efficacy (Cumming et al., 2015). Furthermore,
veteran teachers collaborating with new teachers is essential to positive school culture. School
organizations where veteran teachers are separated and even alienated from new staff are likely
to have growth and progress die out as older generations retire.
School cultures embracing mental health is especially true after the COVID-19 pandemic
shifted a majority of school classrooms to distance learning. As teachers pivoted, they had to
utilize new skills, techniques, and technology to teach their classes, and this major shift was a
cause of stress (Zheng et al., 2022). Because of this, participants indicated that districts refocused towards building school culture connections and stress managements.
Balancing the Workload
Other participants noted that one of the key challenges of being a new educator is balancing the
workload while learning to manage a classroom. Participant 5 noted, “So I’m still developing my
curriculum, which can be very challenging and mentally exhausting, but it’s not yet to the point

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 76
where I want to quit. I can see why people don’t make it through the first year.” According to the
participants, one of the key factors to balancing the workload is prioritizing one’s own mental
health first before the responsibilities of the job was necessary. Also, participants indicated that
although the high workload was to be expected and they were supposed to feel prepared for it,
they still did not feel prepared when they entered the career. This ties into the past literature
which indicated that novice teachers frequently feel unprepared for the rigors of the teaching
career path (Han, 2023). Some of the participants indicated a desire for self-care strategies to be
taught in professional development programs or as part of the teacher preparation programs. On
the opposing side, other participants indicated that they had more success figuring out the
balancing act on their own.
Table 7
Mental Health
Participant Example Quote Subthemes
Participant 3 “For me, something that has really helped
me out is just putting yourself first and
putting your mental health first. Knowing
that if it doesn’t get done today, it’ll be
here tomorrow and it’s going to be okay”
Balancing the Workload
Participant 5 “A big barrier is how to develop material
and time manage when you get home,
because I work 12- to 14-hour days. It’s
something you’re kind of prepared for,
but you’re not prepared for it. So life is
kind of how we’re overworked and
underpaid”
Balancing the Workload
Participant 7 “I think a lot of self care strategies would
be beneficial for new teachers to retain
them. Helping them take breaks or having
someone to talk to.”
Balancing the Workload
Participant 8 “I think the biggest thing I’m still
working on is making sure that I have a
healthy balance of the work I do at school
and the fun I have at home. I think it’s
really easy for me to neglect my personal
Balancing the Workload

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 77
fun because I have a lot of
responsibilities at school”
In conclusion, being able to take care of themselves is a key factor in teacher retention.
New teachers who have strong support systems in place that help them develop coping methods
and stress management skills are more likely to retain in the profession.
Discussion for Research Question 2
Participants noted that good administrative support, school culture, and mental well-being
techniques are all key to retention as a new educator. On the other hand, poor administrative
support and unnecessary oversight can actually be a barrier to building self-efficacy. Participants
noted that negative administrative directives were frequently the cause of unnecessary stress and
a higher workload. Bad management causing workers to leave is not unheard of, but in the field
of education, administration guides curriculum, new teacher onboarding, collaboration, and
school discipline. When those things go well, new teachers feel supported enough to continue
building self-efficacy and eventually reach veteran status (Leithwood, 2016). This is especially
true as new teachers need constructive feedback to grow better and improve their practices
(Leggett & Smith, 2019).
School cultures that are collaborative and supportive for new teachers allow them to grow
and develop the tools and positive self-efficacy they need to continue to stay in the profession
(Bandura, 1997). This includes classroom management, curriculum planning, and understanding
the logistics of parent outreach and special education. Positive school cultures stem from
teachers who are willing to go out of their way to help others to build a better school
environment. This means working not just with other teachers, but with administrators and
parents as well. Furthermore, administrators can build time for bonding and building positive
school culture in their staff (Kurt et al., 2012).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 78
Finally, learning how to take care of one’s mental well-being is an important factor to
teacher retention. Although this skill is overlooked by teacher training programs, the qualitative
interviews revealed it to be a key factor to managing the stress of being a new teacher. This is
particularly necessary as many of these new teachers started after COVID and are dealing with
learning deficit caused by distance learning (Darling-Hammond & Hyler, 2020). Of the
participants, several indicated that mental well-being maintenance was taught to them by veteran
teachers as part of their mentoring or part of their school culture, but others were able to develop
their own mental coping techniques by themselves (Day & Gu, 2009).

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 79
Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations for Practice
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived in experiences of new teachers to
explore how they build self-efficacy and whether or not they decided to remain in the profession.
These barriers or support provide us necessary information to better understand what the ultimate
causes of teacher attrition are and how school districts and leaders can contribute to teacher
retention. The following research questions guided this study:
1. What barriers do new teachers persist through to remain in the field?
2. What are the influences that help new teachers build self-efficacy to avoid teacher
attrition?
This chapter will review the findings presented in the previous chapter and discuss how
they relate to the theoretical framework and the literature. Subsequently, there are several
recommendations based on the qualitative findings in order to improve teacher retention and
reduce attrition. The recommendations are the following:
1. Increase teacher salary or housing incentives earlier on in the pay scale or across the
board. Some districts already honor experience from other districts and start these
experienced new hires higher on the schedule, so it is already built into the budget.
Teachers struggle at the beginning of their career when the pay is the lowest. This is
particularly true for teachers with student loans or in high-cost-of-living areas.
a. An alternative to this would be student loan forgiveness or tuition reimbursement
for certifications after several years of service.
b. Another possible alternative would be home down payment assistance with low
interest rates. These rates would be dependent on years of service within the
district.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 80
c. Finally, low-income apartments for new teachers could be run by the district and
dependent on employment. Rent-controlled apartments would provide more
savings potential for new teachers.
2. Teachers need more professional development to deal with the rigors of the profession.
Participants have indicated that this includes classroom management, positive classroom
culture building, relationship building, IEP adherence, and navigating administrative
directives. Subsequently, positive classroom culture building and relationship building
will contribute to a positive school culture as well.
a. This training can come from the district. This would allow for teachers to be able
to train the demographics of the school districts. Additionally, they would be able
to align their training to district LCAP goals. Also, this can be seen as
professional development or a more hands-on mentoring approach to provide
teachers with both the focused, individualized training they need as well as the
broad instruction to all new teachers.
b. This training can also be provided through teacher preparation programs. An
argument for this would be that this training would be given at a time where the
new teachers have more time to process these lessons, because they wouldn’t be
working a full-time job, but the counterargument to this would be that they
wouldn’t have the practical practice that they would get from the district. Also,
the training they would receive wouldn’t provide any demographic-specific
instruction.
3. There should be greater emphasis on new teacher support for administrative training and
professional development. For example, districts that emphasize new teacher retention

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 81
may work with their school administrators to input systems and practices to build selfefficacy.
Discussion of Findings
Research Question 1: What Barriers Do New Teachers Persist Through to Remain in
the Field?
Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory already indicated that those who receive positive
psychological treatment would eventually develop enough self-efficacy to retain in the teaching
profession (Bandura, 1977). Traditionally, a professional in a career path would build selfefficacy as they develop their skill sets, and public educators are very much the same way, but
negative experiences can cause teacher attrition (Bandura, 1986). These barriers have been
studied in the literature before, but the participants from this qualitative study indicated that the
major barriers were administrative directives, fiscal barriers, and managing the classroom.
Administrative directives are not a new stressor to teachers (Roness, 2011), but the
qualitative interviews from the study expanded on what kind of pressure these administrative
directives cause. Although past research has indicated that the administrative directives stem
from new government laws and regulations, these qualitative interviews revealed that many
administrative directives barriers came from poor management or decisions adding stress on top
of an already full list of job responsibilities. For example, districts implement new plans of
action or curriculum changes, but for new teachers who are already learning to manage the
curriculum and classroom, these new directives take professional development—and
professional development takes valuable time out of a new teacher’s classroom. As much as the
research indicates that professional development is good for a teacher’s self-efficacy, the
qualitative interviews indicated that these professional development plans caused frustration and

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 82
anxiety because the participant had to leave the classroom (McDonald et al., 2018). These
directives also include a rather central part of teacher development: teacher evaluation. Past
research has already indicated that these evaluations can be a barrier to self-efficacy (Bradford &
Braaten, 2018). That said, the research specifies that this barrier is caused by feedback that the
teacher did not agree with or was confused by, but the research participants stated that the major
cause of stress was the evaluation itself. The act of knowing that someone was watching their
teaching was a barrier not the feedback.
Fiscally, the notion that teachers are underpaid has always been a known cause of
attrition and a barrier to building self-efficacy (Cumming et al., 2015). Participants echoed this
mindset, and a majority of the participants indicated that they were well aware of the stigma
around teachers and pay when they entered the profession, but it was still a barrier because they
found themselves having difficulty paying for their day-to-day expenses. For the participants in
the study, they also indicated that some of this anxiety was region specific. The San Francisco
Bay Area is considered one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the world, so working a
low-paying job such as a teacher makes it difficult for them to do anything more than just get by.
Participants also indicated that they eventually wanted to have a family and a home, but they
wouldn’t be able to afford that unless they were in a different profession. In short, the findings
from the qualitative interviews echoed what the past literature stated.
Classroom management has always been a necessary part of teacher training, but the
research participants indicated that it was a barrier for them (Han, 2023). In particular, the
participants emphasized the need for learning to communicate with parents and managing special
education accommodations and disciplinary measures in the classroom. Although all these skills
are touched on in teacher preparation programs, the literature indicates that poor mentoring and

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 83
student teaching could leave the teacher feeling ill prepared (Valencia et al., 2009). None of the
participants indicated that their teacher preparation program made them feel unprepared, but they
still felt the stressors of dealing with these situations. Participants also felt that navigating special
education was difficult because they felt added pressure due to the legal requirements of
individualized education plans (O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010). It’s important to note that, as many
participants indicated difficulty with this portion of this job, they didn’t feel that the
credentialing process or student teaching left them without the skills to handle these.
Additionally, classroom culture fostering was a needed part of teacher preparation and mentoring
but was frequently not mentioned. This lack of training ended up being a barrier for some of the
participants and negatively impacted their students’ learning environment and own self-efficacy
(Bergin & Bergin, 2009).
In short, some of the barriers the participants stated aligned with the current literature, but
their responses further shed a light on some of the barriers.
Research Question 2: What Are the Influences That Help New Teachers Build Self-Efficacy
to Avoid Teacher Attrition?
The findings from the qualitative research study highlighted some key influences for new
teachers to build self-efficacy. The three major themes that were prevalent after analyzing the
data were administrative support, strong school culture, and taking care of their mental health.
Past literature indicates that these positive influences help new teachers build self-efficacy, so
analyzing how teachers interpret and interact with these influences would be beneficial.
(Bandura, 1977). First, the literature focused on administrative support has stated that it’s
absolutely necessary for building self-efficacy in new teachers (Conley & You, 2017). Despite
that, how this looks varies from participant to participant. Although past research indicates that

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 84
feedback is invaluable for teacher growth, some participants found this to be a barrier they had to
overcome to build self-efficacy (Reid, 2020). Other participants’ responses were more in line
with what the past literature indicated. Participants also stated that they believed that a strong
school culture helped them build self-efficacy. Secondly, past literature has also suggested that a
strong school culture contributes to a teacher’s self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997). The research study
participants identified that the most useful parts of school culture were teacher collaboration and
a positive school environment for the students. Although past literature has indicated that
collaboration was indicative of high self-efficacy, the collaboration that these participants
referred to was much less formal (Banerjee et al., 2016). These usually involve being able to ask
more veteran teachers questions about the school or how to handle parents. These situations
wouldn’t normally warrant a formal professional development meeting, because they are an
expected part of a teacher’s responsibilities, but for new teachers with very little experience
handling the day-to-day roles of a teacher, it’s an invaluable opportunity. Finally, being able to
take care of their own mental health was an essential part of building self-efficacy for the
participants of the study. The research study participants noted that they were aware of the stress
that they would undergo, so they would either reach out to other veteran teachers for help coping
with the rigors of the job, or they would use their own techniques.
Recommendations for Practice
As districts all over the country grapple with difficulty filling open teacher positions,
being able to hire and retain new teachers is an essential part to providing a quality education for
students. Subsequently, based on the responses by the participants in the qualitative research,
there are several recommendations.
Recommendation 1: Increase Teacher Salary or Housing Incentives Earlier on in the

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 85
Pay Scale
Many of the participants in the study stated that they had worries about being able to
afford living costs. These barriers directly affected the teachers’ desire to stay in the profession,
and many of the participants noted that the pay was a driving force when considering quitting.
Past research has already indicated that higher salaries have led to teacher retention (Hendricks,
2014). Teacher retention by raising salaries may even end up saving money, because districts and
educational organizations will not have to onboard new teachers (Philips et al., 2016). In the
past, salary raises were given depending on years of service, and studies have already
demonstrated that this leads to more school stability (Bridges et al., 2011). Despite that, the main
issue with tying salary raises to years of service is that newer teachers are the ones who need the
most money. Some of the participants even indicated that they weren’t even able to make sure
the bills they had for the month were covered. Subsequently, increasing teacher salaries or
providing affordable housing assistance would help new teachers as they enter the lowest-paying
part of their careers. This is especially true in high-cost-of-living areas or areas where the salary
of a teacher hasn’t increased with rising inflation. That said, this could be considered unrealistic
as school districts across the country already have stretched budgets.
A method of operationalize this would be to average salary increases so the majority of
pay raises occur at the beginning of a teacher’s career versus the end. The consequences of this
for the district would be a higher cost for personnel and benefits. Originally, the higher pay for
veteran teachers was a reward for years of service and loyalty towards the district, but in lieu of
lower teacher attrition rates for new teachers because of low pay, districts should pivot towards
higher pay raises for new teachers. When budgeting for personnel, districts plan to have a certain
percentage of veteran teachers and novice teachers, so such a massive switch would be untenable

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 86
and cause chaos at the beginning, but incremental change would be easier for the district to
manage. For example, instead of new teachers starting at step 1 and making the minimal amount,
the district could start the new teachers at step 3 to 5. Although the first year, the district would
take a hit, districts are used to altering a teachers pay depending on years of experience. Teachers
who come in with previous years of experience are already awarded with additional steps. This
proves that there is a pathway already set in place for newer teachers to make more, but there
needs to be more of a political willpower to push districts to do so.
The main challenge with raising salaries for teachers is that districts have a limited
amount of funds, and raising salaries includes raising benefits as well. Percentage raises across
all levels of experience would quickly bankrupt districts. Therefore, the best method to increase
salary would be to shorten the step scale. Instead of taking 10 years to reach the top of the pay
scale, it would be more beneficial to have teachers start at a higher salary and cap out earlier.
Having an earlier higher income would allow them to do things such as pay off student loans or
start saving up for a down payment. Additionally, many new college graduates are at the most
financially vulnerable parts of their life when they start their teaching career. They either owe
student loans or may have just finished paying a very large sum of money to receive formal
education. The best way to help alleviate this stressor is to offer some kind of tuition
reimbursement or student loan forgiveness. The federal government already offers student loan
reimbursement for teachers. This only works at select schools that already have staffing
problems, but this effort could also be extended to focus on other areas of the country as well.
Alternatively, there are other districts that have invested in teacher retention by focusing
on one of the biggest costs of living: rent. Districts can invest in teachers by working with city
and state officials to offer subsidized housing in a local area. This allows them to be invested in

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 87
the local community instead of commuting from somewhere more affordable. Additionally, the
low cost of living will allow them to better save up for a down payment when they eventually
reach a point where they can no longer stay in subsidized housing. The challenge to this would
be how a school district can afford to subsidize housing when they’re already having difficulty
managing the budget, but subsidized housing already exists at the city, county, and state levels. If
educational organizations work with government organizations, they should be able to add
teachers or prioritize teachers to the subsidized housing wait lists.
At school organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, raising teacher salaries would be
no easy task. Declining enrollment will already affect many district budgets, and many unions
have already negotiated large salary raises and cost-of-living adjustments. Despite starting
salaries in the region being much higher than the national average, new teachers are still
struggling because the cost of living is much higher in the San Francisco Bay Area than other
parts of the country. Subsidized housing is already at a level in the area where our new teachers
no longer qualify for the minimum. Subsequently, the best possible solution for local school
organizations would be to implement a differently structured salary schedule. Currently, most
districts require 10 years before teachers reach the top of the salary schedule, but restructuring
the salary schedule could have our new teachers start higher up and then reach the top earlier.
To apply these strategies, the rollout would take some time. The first step would be to
meet with key district personnel in charge of budgeting such as chief business officers or
assistant superintendents of business and see if it’s a cost the districts could afford without
causing an issue. Also, as the area quickly gentrifies due to local tech companies, more tax
income will allow for a higher budget. Secondly, meeting with the teachers’ union will allow us
to discuss the most equitable ways to distribute pay raises. If key stakeholders can agree to

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 88
distribute more of the budget earlier on in the pay scale, then teachers can better be retained and
build higher self-efficacy. Timeline wise, budgets are allocated a year ahead of time, but
projected growth for enrollment in our district is estimated for 3 years ahead. Understanding this
information is absolutely necessary when making a plan.
In terms of subsidized housing, this is difficult because it’s out of the area of our control
as educational leaders. Subsidized housing is very much controlled by the city but bringing it to
the attention of local or state policy makers and making it a talking point would allow them to
spearhead initiatives to allocate more subsidized housing for public educators. On our end, as
organizations that deal with the public directly, staff members could advocate for public
initiatives. Contractually, this could be tricky, because educators must remain impartial, but they
would be able to advocate for it through phone calls or picketing during their private time. In the
past, our union has had great success identifying key areas of the city where picketing would
give visibility. By collaborating with local policy makers and giving visibility to these issues,
change for subsidized public housing can be made. The timeline for this is more difficult because
the next time California votes for a ballot measure would be 2024, but reaching out to local
policy makers and drafting a plan would take significantly longer. If this were to be
implemented, then it would be best to plan for 2026 ballot measures.
A more direct approach for districts who have more available land would be to build
subsidized housing directly. There are districts in California who have already worked in
partnership with local governments to build apartment buildings that allocate low income
apartments to educators. Alternatively, partnering with local governments to purchase
government land at a low interest rate would also be beneficial in the long term. Subsidized

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 89
housing such as this gives new teachers more room in their finances to eventually save up and
purchase more permanent housing.
Recommendation 2: Targeted Training and Professional Development for New Teachers
The participants indicated that they felt there was a dearth in their knowledge when it
came to addressing the logistics and management of their classrooms and curriculum.
Furthermore, focus can be given on how to set a positive classroom culture for their student
populations. Positive classroom cultures help build self-efficacy for teachers and will allow them
to persist through their negative experiences in the classroom. The research has already indicated
that negative experiences in the classroom built negative self-efficacy, so training for them to be
able to process and handle these situations would be beneficial (Von Hippel et al., 2016).
Targeted training would help with common new teacher issues such as IEP accommodations,
classroom management, building a positive classroom culture, and curriculum planning
(O’Gorman & Drudy, 2010). Additionally, training would focus on restorative practices to
address conflict in the classroom before they cause harm to the school classroom culture
(Thorsborne, 2013). Finally, teacher self-care would address the stress from the work
environment. This is especially important during the first years of work when the stressors are
the highest (Murphy et al., 2020).
The counterpoint to this is that some of the participants indicated that they felt anxious
because of the additional professional development that they had to undertake on top of their
responsibilities. To rectify these issues, districts can allocate additional paid days on weekends or
at the beginning of the year to provide extra training to the teachers. This will be outside of their
contractual time and optional, so this will allow teachers to receive the necessary training to
handle some of the rigors of the profession. Additionally, these professional development days

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 90
would allow new teachers to receive allocated time to bond and commiserate with other new
teachers. Teachers already have difficulty bonding with other teachers, because they traditionally
stay in their classrooms and only interact with students, but having the opportunity to meet and
collaborate with other teachers to solve each others’ issues would be a net positive for school
culture.
Targeted training for these issues can begin earlier at the teacher preparation stage.
Outside of emergency credentials, teachers need to finish some kind of practical experience such
as student teaching before they can be hired, but this is traditionally under the heavy supervision
of a veteran teacher. Although none of the participants indicated that this experience left them
unprepared for the rigors of teaching, targeted instruction for navigating the scenarios that a
teacher needs to face would be more useful for their day-to-day workloads. As it is, many
teaching preparation programs focus on the curriculum building and pedagogy of being a
teacher, but the main issues that these new teachers face are usually with navigating special
education accommodations, parent outreach, or managing the workload. The participant
responses also reflected that they felt that a strong school culture of collaboration helped them
with curriculum building, so support is already provided for that sector.
At local school organizations, professional development days have been allocated toward
other district directives or cut due to teacher contracts. In order to implement professional
development days for our new teachers, local organizations could allocate some of our funding
toward optional Saturday development. This would have to be paid at the district’s academic pay
rate or a stipend for further training. Furthermore, identifying targeted subjects would allow for
more selectivity for our teachers. If there were paid Saturday professional developments for

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 91
classroom management, special education accommodations, and other needs of the teachers, then
new teachers could select the professional developments they need.
To implement this training, several steps must be taken. First, key district personnel in
charge of managing the budget must ensure that there is enough budget for paying new teachers
for their time and stipends for those developing the lessons. Secondly, to conduct these
professional development days with fidelity, feedback must be collected on these topics. Since
data cannot be gathered until after the new teachers put them into practice, it would be wise to
build this into the teacher evaluation process, which incorporates a significant amount of
reflection already. Subsequently, a plan must be made to gather this feedback and analyze the
usefulness of it. Thirdly, districts can schedule and hire skilled veteran teachers who can provide
these professional development training, and then make sure they have adequate time and
funding to develop curricula. Finally, site administrators can reach out to new teachers and have
them sign up. Although they could send out a broad email, targeted suggestions toward teachers
who may be having these issues would be ideal. Site administrators have a better understanding
of the needs of their school site and the challenges their teachers face. Timeline wise, it would be
best practice to plan a year ahead of time before rollout to allocate resources, hire training staff,
and develop curriculum.
Recommendation 3: Administrative Professional Development Focused on Supporting
New Teachers
Current administrative training focuses on how to implement change and adhering to
California education code, but very little time is spent focusing on teacher retention. Current
research already indicates that good administrative support leads to teacher retention and
building self-efficacy (Conley & You, 2017). Subsequently, focused administrative training for

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 92
school leaders to support new teachers would help reduce teacher attrition. Participant responses
indicated that they wanted to see their administrators and feel supported, but other participants
felt that they were being watched or their administrators were unavailable.
Subsequently, training that focuses on teacher outreach or building relationships with
new teachers would be beneficial. This training could also be invaluable for school leadership
shaping school culture, which past research indicates also helps teacher retention (Kurt et al.,
2012). Also, training that focuses on either restructuring the evaluation process to cause less
anxiety within new teachers or prepares the new teacher for having their administrator observing
would help with building self-efficacy. The observation process is a necessary part of teacher
improvement, but working on setting the expectations with new teachers will allow
administrators to continue observing and providing feedback without causing anxiety for their
new teachers.
Other training methods would focus on school culture and organizing collaboration time
to strengthen collaborative teacher and administrator relationships. Participants stated that they
felt that allocated time toward collaboration was more beneficial than professional development
on curriculum or district directives. For school administrators, it can be difficult to manage
teacher contractual time effectively because they must be balanced with school and district
directives. Any additional time must be paid for and cannot be mandated unless it is written in
the teacher contract, but allocating time toward collaborating for new teachers would help
increase self-efficacy within new teachers.
Currently, local district administrative training is not focused on teacher retention and
attrition. Although the local school districts aren’t finding teaching positions difficult to fill,
there are areas where we’re having difficulty. In particular, special education and English

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 93
language development teachers have been difficult to find and more difficult to retain.
Administrative training on building relationships and support with these new teachers would be
beneficial and help in teacher retention. Since administrators will not be paid for going to
professional development, funding is not a concern. The main concern for implementing these
trainings is calendaring them in a way that doesn’t clash with other administrative
responsibilities. Thus, the first step would be to look at the calendar and allocate key days for
these kinds of training. Secondly, developing a curriculum and feedback loop would be
necessary. At this point, if we would be using outside expertise, then we would have to look at
our professional development budget to make sure there is enough funding. Finally, scheduling
check-ins throughout the year to check for feedback and effectiveness would provide the fidelity
needed when rolling out a plan like this. Much like teacher professional development, rollout of
new professional development takes a year in advance for it to be done with fidelity. Hiring
outside trainers, scheduling professional development on the administrator calendar, and then
developing curriculum would take a year before implementation of the next school year.
Table 8
Recommendation Timetable and Staff Responsible
Recommendation Timeline / Resources Staff Responsible
Recommendation 1: Increase
teacher salary or housing
incentives earlier on in the
pay scale or across the board.
Planning and bargaining take place
during the school year before
implementation. This is longer if
collaborating with policy makers.
This requires constant budget
checking to see if it’s sustainable.
Constant collaboration to analyze
budget to see if it’s sustainable. This
needs to be done years ahead of time
to project enrollment numbers and
ensure sustainability. If it is not
Negotiations
Committee
Teachers Union
Chief Business
Officers
Local and State
Policy Makers

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 94
Recommendation Timeline / Resources Staff Responsible
sustainable, then other methods must
be found.
Recommendation 2: Targeted
training and professional
development for new teachers.
Planning starts the year before
implementation.
Professional development budget
must be approved and managed by
business services.
Curriculum must be proposed to
district learning and development.
Internal hiring must be done by
district learning and development.
New teachers
Site administrators
District Office
Learning and
Development
District Offices
Business Services
Recommendation 3:
Administrative training and
professional development on
how to support new teachers.
Planning starts the year before
implementation.
Professional development budget
must be approved and managed by
business services.
External hiring must be done by
district learning and development.
Site administrators
District Office
Learning and
Development
District Offices
Business Services
Limitations and Delimitations
There are several limitations and delimitations to this study. First, for limitations, I could
not control the truthfulness of my subjects. I also had to have a practical number of participants
because of time constraints and availability. For delimitations, choosing to have a broader
approach for my participants backgrounds, such as allowing any teacher preparation programs or
any grade level, could have allowed for more obscure datasets. Different teacher preparation
programs build self-efficacy differently because of different methods, and having an unfocused
participant pool may cause difficulty with that.
Additionally, several other limitations came to light during the research process. Cost-ofliving anxiety was something attributed to the high-cost-of-living area in which the participants
lived. Asking questions that would explore their financial background would be beneficial as

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 95
well. For example, participants who already have their student loans paid off may feel less stress
and have higher self-efficacy. Alternatively, participants who live at home with their parents may
have very different reactions to their self-efficacy when they first start working than someone
who is a single parent and has to provide for their children.
Exploring the variability of teacher preparation programs as well as district new teacher
onboarding across regions would be beneficial to understanding self-efficacy and teacher
retention and attrition. Different states have different laws regarding their certification process,
and these different certifications may have allowed for higher teacher self-efficacy and retention.
Districts also have different onboarding processes and professional developments for their new
teachers, so understanding how these different approaches impact self-efficacy would provide
valuable information to understanding the main causes of teacher attrition.
Recommendations for Future Research
The causes of teacher attrition still need to be explored more. For future research, the
main recommendations needed to further address the problem of practice would be a wider study
that analyzes different techniques and practices from districts and teacher preparation programs
in different regions. By comparing and contrasting school culture, teacher preparation programs,
administrative directives, and cost of living, the problem of teacher attrition could be better
addressed and understood. From here, we can identify best practices for other districts and school
organizations to implement to retain their new teachers.
Subsequently, an individual focused study of the different effects of cost of living in
comparison to teacher salary may be beneficial to understanding how teacher attrition is affected
by cost of living. In this study, the participants who indicated that their pay affected their selfefficacy mentioned that the area that they work in is a very high-cost-of-living area. In other

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 96
areas, the salary schedule for new teachers and cost of living may be better balanced, and
exploring this may provide better insight into how salary correlates with teacher self-efficacy.
Subsequently, analyzing how different districts handle their salary schedules may be more
equitable and provide insight on best practices for other districts.
Finally, the last recommendation is to study administrators and their effects on new
teachers. Understanding how school leaders structure their programs and teacher contractual time
to best support new teachers would reveal best practices that other schools may implement. Also,
studying how administrators build relationships with their new teachers so they are in a position
to observe, evaluate, provide feedback, and reflect while causing as little anxiety and disruption
as possible would be beneficial. These considerations would further explore how school
environments and administrative directives can either cause teacher attrition or help teacher
retention.
Conclusion
Considering the stress modern society has put upon public education, studying what
barriers public school teachers face on a daily basis is necessary. This research indicated that
barriers teachers had to face were administrative directives, fiscal barriers, and issues with the
day-to-day management of their classroom. Subsequently, the participants also indicated that
having supportive administrators, a strong collaborative school culture, and mental wellness
techniques helped them build self-efficacy about their teaching skills.
Teacher attrition is affecting districts across the country. Studies have already linked
teacher experience with quality of student education, but teachers cannot reach that stage if
they’re already facing attrition at the early onset of their career. Furthermore, if educational
organizations and state governments cannot invest in educational staffing to the point where

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 97
classes are being taught by confident and skilled educators, there will be a dearth of academic
progress for the next generation of students. If education is society’s priority, then understanding
the reason why teachers face attrition is a necessary study.

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 98
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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Hi, thank you for meeting with me today for this interview. I just wanted to double check and
make sure you got these consent forms I sent over earlier and that you’ve had a chance to review
them. If not, I have some extra copies here, and I can answer any questions you may have had
about them. As previously mentioned in the documents I sent earlier, I’m interviewing you for a
study that examines teacher attrition and retention in newer teachers.in the San Francisco Bay
Area. When I use the words “attrition” and “retention,” I’m referring to the process in which
teachers either keep working or quit the profession before they reach veteran status. When I
mention newer teachers, I’m particularly interested in teachers with less than five years’
experience in teaching. For example, a teacher who has worked six years in one district but
switches to a new role does not count.
You’ve been invited to participate in this study because you have recently finished a teacher
preparation program, and you’ve been working in a public or charter school as a classroom
teacher for less than five years. Teacher preparation programs are defined as any kind of program
that you’ve completed prior to starting a job as a teacher. This can include credential programs,
internships, or alternative programs. I may ask you questions about how you feel like your role
as a teacher is perceived outside of the classroom, and I will also ask you questions about how
you are supported in building self-efficacy as a teacher. Self-efficacy is defined as an
individual’s belief in their own abilities to reach their set professional goals.
With your permission, is it alright if I record this interview? I will make your name anonymous
when I transcribe it. I will be using pseudonyms for you and all the other participants, and I will
remove all identifying information from the transcript. You don’t have to answer all the
questions, and you can stop the interview at any time. Thank you for agreeing to participate, and
I am excited to hear more about your experience as a new teacher.
1. What are the influences that contribute to lack of self-efficacy in new teachers?
2. What are the influences that help new teachers build self-efficacy to avoid teacher
attrition?
Interview Questions Potential Probes RQ Key Concept
Addressed
Question
Type
Background Information
I’d like to start asking some questions about your background

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 121
Interview Questions Potential Probes RQ Key Concept
Addressed
Question
Type
1.Please tell me about
your background in
education.
a. Subject
b. Grade level
c. What kind of school do
you teach at?
d. What is your ethnicity?
f. Are you the first in your
family to graduate from
college?
N/A Teacher
Preparation
Background
2. If you went through a
teacher induction
program, describe how
confident it made you
feel when teaching?
If you didn’t go through
an induction program, was
there any other informal
novice teacher support
and did or did not support
you for the classroom?
RQ1
RQ2
Teacher
Preparation
Background
3. What are some of the
skills and behaviors new
teachers should have to
push through barriers to
stay in the profession?
RQ2 Self-efficacy Opinion
Teacher Preparation Program: Thanks for that information. I’d like to ask you some
questions about your teacher preparation program.
4) What are some of the
key barriers you have
faced as a teacher, and
how have these
challenges impacted how
confident you feel about
teaching?
Have you ever considered
transitioning out of the
teaching profession
because of these
challenges?
If so, what were the
primary reasons behind
your consideration, and
what ultimately
influenced your decision
to stay or leave?
RQ2 Teacher
attrition and
retention
Experience
and
behavior
Cultural and Media Perception: I’d like to ask you how you feel about the public perception
of your job. This can be considered culturally or in popular media. During this time, I may use
the term self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is defined by an individual’s belief in their own abilities to
reach their set professional goals.
5) When you see your
profession being
displayed in the news or
Does it affect your selfefficacy? If so, how?
RQ1
RQ2
Cultural
Perception
Feelings

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 122
Interview Questions Potential Probes RQ Key Concept
Addressed
Question
Type
fiction, how do you feel
teachers are portrayed?
How does it make you
feel about your job?
When you tell others
about your profession,
how do they react, and
how does that make you
feel?
Admin Oversight and Support
Thank you. I’d like to ask you some questions about your administrators supporting you at
work. This can mean a principal, a dean, or any other school leader who’s responsible for
your development as a teacher.
6. How would you
describe your relationship
with the school
administration? What
type of support did they
provide for you, or did
they not provide for you?
A principal has a lot of
control over a school
culture. What role does
the school culture play in
your decisions to stay or
leave teaching?
Can you describe any
aspects of the school
culture that have impacted
your job satisfaction and
commitment?
RQ1
RQ2
Administrative
Oversight
Feeling
7. Can you describe any
specific instances where
administrative decisions
or policies have
positively or negatively
affected your job
satisfaction and
commitment to the
teaching profession?
RQ1
RQ2
Administrative
Oversight
Opinion
Economic Well-being
I’ll be asking questions moving toward your perceived economic well-being. In this case,
economic well-being means your salary and how it affects your standard of living.
8. How do you perceive
the relationship between
your salary and staying in
your position?
Have you ever considered
leaving your current
position due to concerns
about your salary or
financial stability?
RQ1
RQ2
Economic
Wellbeing
Opinion

NOVICE TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION 123
Interview Questions Potential Probes RQ Key Concept
Addressed
Question
Type
What impact does it have
on your standard of
living? How does this
affect your performance
as a teacher, and how?
Closing Questions
Thank you. Now I have some closing questions for you. These are more hypothetical and
opinionated, but I want to assure you that your opinion is valued no matter what, and your
opinion is anonymous.
9.Put yourself in the
shoes of a mentor teacher,
professional development
coordinator, or
administrator. What
practices and training
would you have for new
teachers to retain them
and help build confidence
in teaching?
RQ1
RQ2
Self-Efficacy Ideal
position
Closing Comments:
Thank you for meeting with me and giving me insight about teacher retention. Everything
you’ve told me today will help me with this study. If I have more questions, would it be alright if
I contacted you with follow up questions? Email would be best, but I can do a phone call as well.
Thank you again, and here’s a little gift for participating.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Dinh, Andrew (author)

Core Title Examining teacher retention and attrition in novice teachers

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Educational Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2024-05

Publication Date 05/07/2024

Defense Date 02/28/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag novice teacher,OAI-PMH Harvest,self-efficacy,teacher attrition,teacher mentoring,teacher preparation,teacher retention,teacher salary

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Language English

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Advisor Ferrario, Kimberly (committee chair), Muraszewski, Alison (committee member), Riggio, Marsha (committee member)

Creator Email andrewsidinh@gmail.com,asdinh@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113925203

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