INVESTIGATION OF PERCEPTIONS OF BEGINNING TEACHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A NEW TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM

Abstract

Abstract A growing number of beginning teachers are leaving teaching within their first 3 years, with half leaving the profession in the first 5 years. In an attempt to slow this level of attrition, school districts are erecting ambitious induction programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the Mid Atlantic School District new teacher induction and mentoring program according to the input of new teachers and mentor teachers. The intended outcome of the study was to enhance the current new teacher induction program by identifying areas of strength and areas where improvements might be needed. In the evaluation, the researcher used three focus areas of support: professional development, mentor engagement, and professional learning communities. After reviewing the data analysis for this study, the researcher found evidence that the new teacher induction program has areas of strength and areas where improvement is needed. These areas include the need for more one-to-one mentoring, more focused professional development, and the expansion of PLCs. Findings from this study include the positive perceptions of novice teachers for professional development sessions. These opportunities affected the teacher’s positive feelings regarding content specific professional development. Teachers were also positive regarding professional development to various career stages, knowing that several teachers have had previous teaching experiences. Whether the MASD induction program affected the retention of teachers was beyond the scope of this study, the study concluded with the recommendation that the school system should gather enough data to ensure that induction is meaningful and achieves the intended purpose of retaining high-quality teachers in the system.