Teaching in Good Faith: An Exploration of the Personal, Professional, and Philosophical Evolution of First-Year Educators

<p>The teaching profession is notoriously difficult. The attrition rate for teachers in their first three years is 25% compared to the national attrition rate of 3.4% (BLS, 2016). Many studies indicate that teaching conditions and school culture influence a teacher's decision to stay or leave (Headden, 2014; Loeb, Darling-Hammond, & Luczak, 2005), but very few studies explore in depth the existential shifts that occur in teachers in their first year. It is this researcher's belief that the seed of attrition is planted in the first year, and that by attending with greater sensitivity to the struggles experienced by first-year teachers, schools can increase their chances of retaining teachers in the profession. This phenomenological study takes the first step toward detailing those supports by following a diverse pool of four first-year teachers in various urban settings through their first year. Through the lens of an Existentialist philosophical framework, this research explores in depth the personal, professional, and philosophical evolution of first-year educators.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2017

Author dc:creator

• Newburgh, Katherine

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bruce Uhrmacher, Ph.D.
• Paul Michalec
• Kristina Hesbol

• First year teacher
• Social emotional support
• Teacher attrition
• Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1249

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-2249