Attrition, Retention, and Development of Early Career Teachers: Pan-Canadian Narratives

Authors

  • Benjamin Kutsyuruba Queen's University http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5162-0099
  • Keith Walker University of Saskatchewan
  • Maha Al Makhamreh Queen's University
  • Rebecca Stroud Stasel Queen's University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2018.v24i1.376

Keywords:

teacher induction and mentoring, early career teacher, teacher development

Abstract

Our pan-Canadian research study examined the differential impact of teacher induction and mentorship programs on the early-career teachers’ retention. This article details the stories from our interview participants (N=36) in relation to what their lived experiences were during their first years of teaching and how they dealt with the requirements, expectations, and challenges. Their narratives were analyzed through the lenses of early career teacher attrition, retention, and development. Our findings showed that despite geographic, contextual and policy differences, there were striking similarities in teachers’ lived experiences and in the impact of these experiences on their decisions to stay or leave and predispositions towards personal and professional development as teachers.

Author Biographies

Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Queen's University

Associate Professor, Educational Policy, Leadership, and Law and Associate Director, Social Program Evaluation Group (SPEG) at the Faculty of Education, Queen's University.

Keith Walker, University of Saskatchewan

Professor in the Department of Educational Administration in the College of Education and in the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at University of Saskatchewan.

Maha Al Makhamreh, Queen's University

PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education, Queen's University.

Rebecca Stroud Stasel, Queen's University

PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education, Queen's University.

Downloads

Published

2018-06-21