Principal's Role in Teacher Retention

The purpose of this study was to examine the role ofthe principal in the retention of new teachers. Amodel was developed based on Chapman's (1983, 1984)research to determine how principal supportinfluenced teacher reported likelihood of staying inteaching after the influence of other personal andexperiential factors was removed.The primary research question was, "How does thequality of the first employment experience,particularly the role of the principal, contribute tobeginning teachers' reported likelihood of remainingin teaching?" This study holds special relevance forprincipals, new teachers, policy-makers, universitypersonnel, and school board members. Support fromprincipals and other teachers emerged as strongreasons for remaining in teaching. Respect from theprincipal, support from colleagues, and enablingbureaucracy were significant predictors of likelihoodof remaining in teaching. Several implications forteacher preparation programs, school leadership andpolicy development, as well as recommendations forfuture research, are included.

Autorentext

Faith Ann Spinella, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of New Orleans. She is currently the Director of Religious Education, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana. Dr. Spinella's experience in the educational arena has provided her with expertise in teacher education, program development, and leadership.

Klappentext
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the principal in the retention of new teachers. A model was developed based on Chapman's (1983, 1984) research to determine how principal support influenced teacher reported likelihood of staying in teaching after the influence of other personal and experiential factors was removed. The primary research question was, "How does the quality of the first employment experience, particularly the role of the principal, contribute to beginning teachers' reported likelihood of remaining in teaching?" This study holds special relevance for principals, new teachers, policy-makers, university personnel, and school board members. Support from principals and other teachers emerged as strong reasons for remaining in teaching. Respect from the principal, support from colleagues, and enabling bureaucracy were significant predictors of likelihood of remaining in teaching. Several implications for teacher preparation programs, school leadership and policy development, as well as recommendations for future research, are included.