Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
4-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Douglas DeWitt
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Rick Breault
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Michael Papadimitriou
Abstract
Teacher attrition presents a persistent challenge for educational systems, with novice teachers leaving the profession at disproportionately high rates during their first 5 years. Rural schools face compounded difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified educators due to geographic isolation, limited resources, and additional workload demands. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate novice secondary teachers’ perceptions of factors influencing their intent to remain in education. In this study, self-determination theory, which examines autonomy, competence, and relatedness as psychological needs supporting intrinsic motivation, and four capital theory, which addresses human, social, structural, and positive psychological capital as interconnected components of retention were used as guiding frameworks. A qualitative research design was used to explore participants’ lived experiences and perceptions. Data were collected through semistructured individual interviews and two focus group sessions with 10 novice teachers at a rural Texas high school. Participants had 0 to 3 years of teaching experience across various academic and elective pathways, with seven having entered education through alternative certification pathways after prior careers. Based on participant responses, their intent to remain in education was influenced by their ability to: (a) develop professional competence and psychological resilience; (b) leadership trust that allowed for autonomy; (c) mentorship and relational support from administrators; and (d) a sense of belonging, and manageable workloads and adequate resources.
Keywords: novice teacher retention, mentoring, early career teachers, mentor and mentee relationships, novice teachers, impact of mentoring
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Allen, Tammy M., "The First 3 Years: Novice Teacher Perspectives on Staying in Education" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1023.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/1023