Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and immediately thereafter, digital instruction became commonplace within the modern classroom. The Georgia Department of Education mandates that teachers utilize technology as a best-practice, and uses that expectation as a component of teacher evaluations throughout the year. Despite the urging to integrate…

Teachers and students constitute the primary relationship dyad in the school--the most common and routine interactions influencing the learning process. It is straightforward to observe the connection between teacher well-being and student well-being and learning; when teachers are well, they can more effectively address students' needs. When…

This quantitative correlational study explored the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic job factors and overall teacher job satisfaction, focusing on their impact on teacher retention in four California charter schools. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between various intrinsic,…

The Oregon community college system employs a full-time faculty workforce that is overwhelmingly White. This study aimed to research why the representation of faculty of color in the state's community colleges remains low by conducting interviews with faculty of color about their experiences at these public 2-year institutions using…

This research focuses on the endangered species of Black Male Educators (BMEs) and aims to shed light on their lived experiences within the educational system. The underrepresentation of black male teachers in the United States school systems is a significant problem, as it has been linked to negative academic outcomes for students, particularly…

Working conditions have been shown to have a significant influence on teachers' retention decisions. Despite disparities between rates of retention for Teachers of Color (TOC) and their White peers, extant research related to links between working conditions and retention tends to treat teachers as a monolithic group. The goal of this study was to…

Job satisfaction and intent to stay in a nursing faculty position are critical in enhancing nursing education quality and addressing the current nursing shortage by attracting future nurses to the workforce. The unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic could have affected faculty members' job satisfaction and decisions regarding remaining…

Students' academic success within most schools depends on retaining highly qualified teachers, instructional leadership practices, effective management systems, and various forms of community support. Additionally, the role of the assistant principal is now even more of a pillar and necessity for school improvement while fostering student…

Teachers deserve a voice. Their experiences should be known in order to identify troublesome factors that often make school a constraining place. Their stories, no matter how messy, must be explored to better understand why our society loses many passionate educators. Through autoethnographic inquiry, I analyze my own story using creative works…

Because the dominant narrative in the media around teachers is fixated on the burnout and unhappiness they are experiencing, this dissertation study explored the joy female Critical Teachers of Color experienced while teaching during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this qualitative study, I employed both autoethnography and portraitures as a way…

Mentoring has the potential to benefit preservice, new teachers, and experienced teachers, but it is a complex process with few agreements about what might make it most effective. Furthermore, due to teacher demographics affecting the availability of veteran teachers, mentors are consequently drawn from various career points, and some of them have…

Studies have consistently shown that teacher retention is affected by elements such as school climate, student discipline, student achievement, working conditions, school leadership, and collegial relationships (Berg, 2020; Cameron, 2007; Dahlkamp, Peters, Schumacher, 2017, Davis, 2019). However, there is not significant data that is specific to…

Teacher retention has long been a problem, but recent escalations in retention rates across the country have districts scrambling to correct the problem through incentives such as increased pay and teacher workdays. However, the problem seems to be much deeper and goes beyond compensation. Research has suggested that teachers are inadequately…

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive inquiry was to describe the experiences of early career, elementary teachers working in high-need schools in New York City (NYC). This study examined teachers' experiences in the workplace and how their experiences contributed to their feelings of self-efficacy and intent to remain in their high-need…

On September 10, 2020 after two days of synchronously teaching Zoom classes, I posted the following message on my personal Facebook page: "I've learned that I am more excited to 'see' students than any sane person should be, somehow I now wave all the time, and students showing off their pet pig is a thing in my classes now." This…