Veteran Teacher Resilience : Why do they stay? [1st ed.] 9783030539177, 9783030539184

Table of contents :
Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii
Introduction (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 1-9
A Review of Literature (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 11-23
Methodology (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 25-32
Data Analysis and Findings (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 33-58
Discussion of Findings (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 59-71
Conclusions (Lee Brantley Shields, Carol A. Mullen)....Pages 73-82
Back Matter ....Pages 83-107

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SPRINGER BRIEFS IN EDUC ATION

Lee Brantley Shields Carol A. Mullen

Veteran Teacher Resilience Why do they stay? 123

SpringerBriefs in Education

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Lee Brantley Shields Carol A. Mullen •

Veteran Teacher Resilience Why do they stay?

123

Lee Brantley Shields Campbell County Public Schools Rustburg High School Rustburg, VA, USA

Carol A. Mullen School of Education, VTCRC Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA, USA

ISSN 2211-1921 ISSN 2211-193X (electronic) SpringerBriefs in Education ISBN 978-3-030-53917-7 ISBN 978-3-030-53918-4 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

This book is dedicated to my grandparents whose work ethic and determination serves as an inspiration. The foundation for my faith and perseverance began with them. —Lee Brantley Shields To Ms. Thomas of Adelaide Hoodless Public School in Canada, my Grade 8 teacher who helped me build resilience by gently steering leadership challenges my way. —Carol A. Mullen

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Natalie Rieborn, associate editor of Springer International Publishing in the Netherlands who explained Springer’s SpringerBriefs in Education series. This innovative format combines the elements of journals and books, and explores timely educational subjects in a concise and impactful way. We’re pleased to be adding our volume to it! Natalie was enthusiastic, responsive, and knowledgeable at every turn. Encouraging our book proposal and completion of Springer’s Book Information form, she oversaw the peer review and other publishing steps from beginning to end. Supportive in all circumstances, Natalie is an exceptional guide and coach in the publishing world. We also appreciate the helpful commentary on an earlier version of the manuscript provided by three anonymous, expert reviewers. With gratitude, we also thank the highly accomplished endorsers who took the time to write endorsements. Both the reviewers and endorsers deserve a shout-out for ensuring that this project saw the light of day! Carol’s husband Bill (Dr. William Kealy), always generous, improved the book’s graphical displays. Thanks as well to Gowtham Chakravarthy V., project manager at Scientific Publishing Services, India, who handled the production of our book on behalf of Springer. A very special thanks to Virginia Tech and the School of Education for the support of research projects like ours on the frontlines of education. Lee Brantley Shields, EdD Carol A. Mullen, PhD

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Praise for Veteran Teacher Resilience

“The focus on resilience is very original and an important aspect of why teachers might choose to stay. It is understudied and should provide useful knowledge to policymakers and education leaders. So much ink is spilled extolling why teachers leave—there is a dearth of research on why they stay, which in my opinion is even more important than why they leave. This book makes an important contribution to the literature and will hopefully inspire others to conduct research on the subject.” —Christopher H. Tienken, Seton Hall University, New Jersey “The topic is original. It seems there is much literature on new teachers and why they leave, but little on veteran teachers and why they stay. The topic and the reporting of the findings with suggestions for practices to be implemented in university programs as well as in K–12 schools are very useful. The format this book follows is actually a strong one for other researchers and students in doctoral programs.” —Sandra Harris, Lamar University, Texas

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Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 About This Book . . . . . . . . 1.3 Statement of the Problem . . 1.4 Significance of the Research 1.5 Purposes and Justification of 1.6 Conceptual Framework . . . . 1.7 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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2 A Review of Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Database Search Process and Criteria . 2.3 Synthesis of the Literature . . . . . . . . . 2.4 Policy and Governance Issues . . . . . . 2.5 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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3 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Research Questions and Design . 3.3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Data 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9

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Analysis and Findings . . . . . . . . . . Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Analysis Processes . . . . . . . . . Veteran Teacher Participant Profiles . Ally: Veteran Teacher #1 . . . . . . . . Amy: Veteran Teacher #2 . . . . . . . . Brandi: Veteran Teacher #3 . . . . . . . Brenda: Veteran Teacher #4 . . . . . . Cindy: Veteran Teacher #5 . . . . . . . Dana: Veteran Teacher #6 . . . . . . . .

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xii

Contents

4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22

Jake: Veteran Teacher #7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janice: Veteran Teacher #8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jill: Veteran Teacher #9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim: Veteran Teacher #10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim: Veteran Teacher #11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah: Veteran Teacher #12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue: Veteran Teacher #13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim: Veteran Teacher #14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom: Veteran Teacher #15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thematic Outcomes of Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contextual Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Individual Factors of Resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategies Used for Coping with Profound Challenges . 4.22.1 Dealing With Parental Complaints (Theme #1) 4.22.2 Managing Student Behaviors (Theme #2) . . . . 4.22.3 Surviving the First Few Years in Teaching (Theme #3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.22.4 Maintaining Work–Life Balance (Theme #4) . . 4.23 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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5 Discussion of Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found . 5.3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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6 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 Implications for Research . . . . . . 6.3 Implications for Practice . . . . . . . 6.4 Suggestions for Further Research . 6.5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7 Farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries. . . . . . . . . . . .

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Appendix B: Demographics Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Appendix C: Veteran Teacher Interview Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

About the Authors

Lee Brantley Shields, EdD is an administrator at Rustburg High School in Virginia, USA. He was a physical education teacher at two high schools before moving into administration and serving as a school leader. His passion for developing teacher resilience has grown from his experiences in teaching and coaching. His doctorate is from Virginia Tech. e-mail: [email protected]

Carol A. Mullen, PhD is a Professor of Educational Leadership at Virginia Tech, USA. A twice-awarded Fulbright Scholar, she was honored with the 2016 Jay D. Scribner Mentoring Award from the University Council for Educational Administration. She is author of Revealing Creativity (2020) and Canadian Indigenous Literature and Art (2020), and editor of Creativity Under Duress in Education? (2019) and Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education (forthcoming). Her doctorate is from The University of Toronto, which recognized her with the 2020 Excellence Award (OISE Leaders & Legends Awards). e-mail: [email protected]

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List of Figure

Fig. 4.1

Why 15 veteran teachers stayed in the classroom and a rural school area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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List of Tables

Table 1.1 Table 1.2 Table 2.1 Table 3.1 Table 3.2 Table 4.1 Table 4.2 Table 4.3 Table 4.4 Table 5.1 Table 5.2 Table 6.1

Individual and contextual factors influencing teacher resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Individual and contextual factors illustrating dimensions of resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE) (Mansfield et al., 2016) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demographics selection criteria for participation . . . . . . . . . . Veteran Teacher Interview Protocol with literature alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Participant information from the completed demographics survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contextual factors of retention supported with veteran teacher responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Individual factors of resilience supported with veteran teacher responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategies for coping with challenges described by veteran teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teacher resilience dimensions found, supporting data and literature, and implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Factors of veteran teacher resilience from interview data mapped onto resilience dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Action-based framework for building a culture of resilience in schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 1

Introduction

Abstract This chapter introduces a different approach to the research on teacher attrition that examines why teachers depart the classroom and even the profession. Instead, the topic of interest in this book is the perceptions and experiences of veteran teachers who have continued. The focus on why veteran teachers decide to stay addresses a gap in the awareness of this issue within the educational literature. The main purpose of Veteran Teacher Resilience: Why Do They Stay? is to explain factors that influence resilience, and the phenomenon of resilience itself, from the lens of veteran teachers. An additional purpose broadly addresses induction programs and professional development through a framework for developing resilient teachers and a resilient school culture. A qualitative design was used for the research involving the interviewing of veteran teachers from a rural locality in Virginia, USA. Seven key themes/findings arose from the analysis of interview data collected. Insights shed light on the experiences of veteran teachers, how they make meaning of their classrooms and schools, and in particular what can be known about the adversities they face and their resilience. Keywords Demographics survey · Qualitative design · Teacher interviews · Teacher resilience · Veteran teacher resilience

1.1 Overview Here we introduce a different approach to the research on teacher attrition that examines why teachers depart the classroom and even the profession. Instead, the topic of interest in this book is the perceptions and experiences of veteran teachers who have continued. The focus on why veteran teachers decide to stay addresses a gap in the awareness of this issue within the educational literature. The main purpose of Veteran Teacher Resilience: Why Do They Stay? is to explain factors that influence resilience, and the phenomenon of resilience itself, from the lens of veteran teachers. An additional purpose broadly addresses induction programs and professional development (PD) through a framework for developing resilient teachers and a resilient school culture. A qualitative design was used for the research involving the interviewing of © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_1

1

2

1 Introduction

veteran teachers from a rural locality in Virginia, USA. Seven key themes/findings arose from the analysis of interview data collected: (1) purpose in teaching, (2) positive relationships in the milieu, (3) passion for teaching, (4) supportive school culture, (5) passion for curricular content, (6) accommodating work schedule, and (7) no other opportunities available. Insights shed light on the experiences of veteran teachers, how they make meaning of their classrooms and schools, and in particular what can be known about the adversities they face and their resilience.

1.2 About This Book Why aren’t we talking more about teachers who stay in the classroom and teaching profession? A veteran elementary teacher found herself musing over this very question. Michelle Usher decided to stay in the classroom where she teaches at Brentfield Elementary School in Dallas, Texas. Contemplating the statistics on teacher attrition, she wondered, “‘Why aren’t we also talking about the people like me who stay?’” (Alvarez & Leigh, 2019). Exactly! We applaud Michelle for her forthrightness and share her curiosity. Over the past 3 years, we have studied this question, and with this book, offer something new to the field. Little is known about why veteran teachers choose to remain in the classroom, making teaching their life’s career. So, we felt compelled to interview veteran teachers to learn about their experiences, how they make meaning of their teaching and profession, and what can be known about the adversities they face and their resilience. Factors (individual and contextual) are uncovered that influence veteran teachers’ capacity to adapt and thrive. Induction programs, professional development, and mentoring are also examined for their importance to education. Understanding that teacher resilience is vital to improving teacher retention, we conducted interviews with 15 teachers in central Virginia, USA, within a rural school area or “division.” (In Virginia, the word division is used instead of district because “unlike school districts in most states, a Virginia school division is not a separate local government” due to its dependency on local government(s) for budget approvals; thus, “legally, it is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia” (“School Division,” 2020). Through this qualitative study, we have been able to identify reasons veteran teachers have remained in the classroom; factors of resilience; significant challenges the teachers have encountered; and strategies the teachers used for dealing with those challenging situations. Data analysis occurred through deductive coding of the transcribed interviews using qualitative data analysis software. The findings identified seven factors that veteran teachers indicated were important in their decision to remain in the classroom. The study also identified 22 individual factors of resilience and 10 contextual factors revealed by the veteran teachers. These long-term educators described four challenges that they have faced in their school division and the strategies they used to overcome those challenges. A goal was to offer a framework for developing resilient teachers and a resilient school culture.

1.2 About This Book

3

A qualitative design was used for the research, enabling us, the two researchers, to learn about the experiences of veteran teachers, how they make meaning of their classrooms and schools, and in particular what can be known about the adversities they face and their resilience. Like qualitative researchers Merriam and Tisdell (2016), we pursued our interest in “(1) how people interpret their experiences, (2) how they construct their worlds, and (3) what meaning they attribute to their experiences” (p. 24). The data we collected from practicing teachers (N = 15) were a demographics survey and individual interviews. Data analysis was conducted through deductive coding using our research questions and concepts from the literature reviewed. The technique of in vivo coding (as per Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña, 2020) helped us track participants’ actual statements, attend to context and nuance by coding words and phrases surrounding keywords, and draw out themes. Features of this book that contribute to its uniqueness are: • Focus on veteran teacher resilience and why veteran teachers choose to remain in the classroom and teaching profession • Use of an interview method involving veteran teachers that illuminates issues of resilience and retention from their experiential viewpoint • Highlighting of 15 narrative accounts of veteran teachers tailored to their perceptions, experiences, and strategies for navigating barriers and overcoming challenge • Combination of conceptual frameworks, research results, interventions, and strategies • Connection of research, policy, implications of the study, and suggestions for future study to practice. At present, there is a need for research that addresses why veteran teachers stay in the classroom and teaching profession. Individual and contextual factors that influence the development of resilience and adaptation by veteran teachers have yet to be fully explored as well as deeply understood. This is the premise of our study. This practice-minded, research-supported book is for school leaders and other practitioners seeking to support both teachers’ resilience and a resilient school culture. It is also for researchers interested in teacher resilience, particularly veteran teacher resilience and the study and development of it. Anyone interested in resilience, particularly within demanding professions, stressful situations, and changing cultures, should find value. We (Brantley and Carol) personally know school and divisional leaders, teacher leaders, teacher education and educational leadership faculty, and master’s and doctoral students with interest in this topic. Some are even keen on conducting a similar study by using our teacher resilience framework and building on our thematic outcomes. We invite you to also consider our seven major themes/findings from interviews with rurally-located veteran teachers that can serve as an advanced organizer for reading this book and following the study. To reiterate, these thematic outcomes are: (1) purpose in teaching, (2) positive relationships in the milieu, (3) passion for teaching, (4) supportive school culture, (5) passion for curricular content, (6) accommodating work schedule, and (7) no other opportunities available.

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1 Introduction

Many of the books available that speak to teacher resilience have a strong selfhelp orientation (some are marketed as self-help), unlike ours, which is academic and field oriented. However, we do offer practical steps for building resilience within humans and organizations, and we also describe implications of our study and offer suggestions for school leaders, policymakers, university faculty, researchers, and other education stakeholders. Our book follows the path of research translated into evidence-informed practice. This is the kind of topical treatment of a subject that fits with books in the social sciences and education. This book is organized into six chapters. This chapter contains an overview of the study, statement of the problem, significance of the research, purpose and justification of the study, and the conceptual framework. Chapter 2 examines recent literature related to the research questions. Chapter 3 describes the methodology used to conduct the study and analyze the data. Chapter 4 provides an overview of the findings from the demographics survey and teacher interviews. Chapter 5 addresses our discussion of the findings, and Chap. 6 covers implications, concluding remarks, and suggestions.

1.3 Statement of the Problem Teachers are the backbone of our communities. In school districts across the United States, they guide and instruct our children every day. They have a tremendous personal impact on young people during the most formative years of their life. However, the current reality of the profession is bleak. Young teachers are leaving in droves, and teacher education programs cannot produce enough graduates to replace them (Qarni & Pianta, 2018). We are amid an ongoing teacher retention crisis, and our schools and communities are suffering because of it (Boyd et al., 2011; Harris & Sass, 2011). The current research on teacher retention indicates a major problem. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, 22% of teachers do not return to their school after year one and 50% do not return after year four (Qarni & Pianta, 2018). In low-income, low-performing schools, these numbers can be even greater (Katz, 2018). Retaining teachers continues to be challenging, particularly in rural communities with low socioeconomic status and schools serving a disproportionate representation of underserved groups (Ingersoll, 2003; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Perrachione, Rosser, & Petersen, 2008; Waddell, 2010). Waddell (2010) and Perrachione et al. (2008) indicated that these demographic factors have a significant impact on a teacher’s decision to remain in the classroom. To improve teacher retention in the face of these hurdles, schools have increased salaries, created induction programs, incorporated PD, and added performance incentives (Garcia, Slate, & Delgado, 2009; Waterman & He, 2011).

1.3 Statement of the Problem

5

However, the current reactive culture to the teacher retention crisis is not a solution to the problem. School administrations have directed financial and instructional resources toward recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers. Losing these new teachers is costly, and replacing them is draining (Boyd, Grossman, Lankford, Loeb, Wyckoff, & National Bureau of Economic Research, 2008).

1.4 Significance of the Research Research on teacher resilience is in its infancy compared with other topics in teacher education, such as retention and attrition (Mansfield, Beltman, Broadley, & Weatherby-Fell, 2016). Exploration into the reasons veteran teachers remain in the classroom, their resilience, and their experiences is significant. The knowledge and insights gained could assist school leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders in understanding the dynamics that sustain teachers in a position where they can help shape the future through the children and youth they teach (Schaefer, Long, & Clandinin, 2012). Very little attention is paid to teachers in their later years of service, even though they hold positions of responsibility and have the power to change lives. Veteran teachers have experienced policy and social changes, making them an excellent resource for discovering the motivations and resilience that encourage teachers to stay, as both professionals and human beings (Day & Gu, 2009). In addition, they are likely more effective after experiencing more adverse situations. It has been said that the more experience teachers gain in the classroom, the more likely they are to remain in the profession (Inman & Marlowe, 2004). Teacher experience with respect to how many years have been spent in the classroom has been shown to increase and improve retention (Ingersoll, 2002; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005). Novice teachers are 1.5 times more likely to leave compared with experienced teachers (Kukla-Acevedo, 2009). It could take a novice teacher up to 5 years to improve student performance and develop the self-efficacy required for proficiency (Rivkin et al., 2005). As teachers mature and grow in the classroom, they develop resilience (Politore, 2004; Taylor, 2013). Teachers that persevere 10 or more years are less likely to leave (Inman & Marlow, 2004). Human beings often learn best from the experiences of others (Taylor, 2013), thus identifying resilience through the experiences of veteran teachers is key for developing effective induction programs and PD to improve teacher retention (Fontaine, Kane, Duquette, & Savoie-Zajc, 2012; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Williams, 2003; Yonezawa, Jones, & Singer, 2011). This study examines the experiences of veteran teachers in central Virginia, the largest region in the state with rural areas and urban centers.

6

1 Introduction

1.5 Purposes and Justification of the Study Research on teacher attrition examining why teachers depart the classroom and even the profession is extensive. As we will reveal, poor working conditions, lack of administrative support, non-competitive compensation, and poorly executed induction programs are among the factors contributing to teacher attrition (Allensworth, Ponisciak, & Mazzeo, 2009; Boyd et al., 2011; Curtis, 2012; Dupriez, Delvaux, & Lothaire, 2016; Fontaine et al., 2012; Guarino, Santibanez, & Daley, 2006; Kersaint, Lewis, Potter, & Meisels, 2007; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012). We decided to take a different approach to teacher retention and resilience by examining the perceptions and experiences of veteran teachers who have continued to teach in a rural locality. The main purpose of our study was to identify factors that influence resilience, and the phenomenon of resilience itself, from the lens of veteran teachers. An additional purpose broadly addresses induction programs and PD through a framework incorporating key themes from our teacher interviews. Perhaps surprisingly, there is not an abundance of research investigating the impact of teacher resilience on teacher retention (Mansfield et al., 2016), particularly as concerns veteran teacher resiliency. This book adds to the teacher education literature in these areas so school leaders can utilize our results to find creative ways to develop and sustain teachers (Schaefer et al., 2012). By identifying factors of resilience based on the experiential data associated with veteran teachers, district and school leaders will be able to develop effective induction programs, PD, and training to improve teacher retention, enhance satisfaction, and encourage resilience (Fontaine et al., 2012; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Williams, 2003; Yonezawa et al., 2011).

1.6 Conceptual Framework For our purposes, resilience is defined as a process of adaptation where teachers employ strategies to overcome adversity in their profession (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Beltman, Mansfield, & Price, 2011; Mansfield, Beltman, Price, & McConney, 2012; Mansfield et al., 2016). This definition has value for our research in light of the notion that resiliency is a “process” by which teachers “adapt” and the notion that resiliency is a human capacity that can be developed and learned by anyone (Aguilar, 2018; Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Beltman et al., 2011; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016; Polidore, 2004; Taylor, 2013; Toktas, 2019). Research on resilience has associated this attribute with “numerous positive outcomes for teachers including job satisfaction, commitment, efficacy, motivation, well-being and positive sense of identity”; more recently, resilience has been recognized as a “non-cognitive” capacity of preservice and novice teachers (Mansfield & Beltman, 2019, p. 583). Yet, resilient teachers are not somehow protected from

1.6 Conceptual Framework

7

distress and difficulty; rather, they learn how to “bounce back” from these challenging experiences, developing insight and personal growth. From this psychological perspective, resilience involves “adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors” (American Psychological Association, 2020). A review of the literature identified individual and contextual factors that influence this adaptation. Individual factors of resilience include personal resources (Ainsworth, & Oldfield, 2019; Beltman et al., 2011; Mansfield et al., 2016) and contextual factors occur outside of the individual teacher (Ainsworth, & Oldfield, 2019; Beltman et al., 2011; Mansfield et al., 2016). Table 1.1 highlights the individual and contextual factors that we identified from the relevant literature. Each is listed with the number of sources in which the factor is mentioned. Table 1.1 Individual and contextual factors influencing teacher resilience Individual factors Factor

Contextual factors Source

Factor

Source

Self-efficacy

10

Administrative support

7

Positive relationships

7

Meaningful participation in decision making

7

Passion for their career

5

School culture

6

Optimism

4

Work conditions

5

Commitment

4

Competitive compensation

5

Emotions

4

Reduced workload

5

Intrinsic motivation

4

Opportunity to build professional relationships

5

Perseverance through challenges

4

Sound PD

3

Religion

3

Behavioral climate

2

Flexible locus of control

3

Empowerment

2

Professional autonomy

3

Motivated students

1

Making a difference

3

Small class size

1

Reflection

3

Parental support

1

Problem solving

3

Financial support for programs

1

Ability to bounce back

3

Clear administrative goals

1

View of education as important

2

Autonomy within the classroom

1

Calling to teach

2

Facilities

1

Professional skills

2

Safety

1

Values

1

Mentoring programs

1

Beliefs

1

Love for children

1

8

1 Introduction

Much international research investigates individual and contextual factors associated with resilience. However, to the best of our knowledge at the time of this study, there was little research conducted in the United States that investigated the process of adaptation for veteran teachers in rural school areas. Thus, the present study acknowledges this gap and addresses the resilience of veteran teachers. Our conceptual framework, based on Mansfield et al. (2012), was developed through an in-depth review of the literature on teacher retention and resilience. Their multidimensional framework addresses the resiliency of teachers as perceived by graduating and early career teachers. The Mansfield et al. study identified 23 aspects of teacher resilience classified into four dimensions of resilience: • Professional factors: committed students, organization and preparation, effective teaching skills, adaptability, reflection • Social factors: strong interpersonal and communication skills, problem solving, building support and relationships, seeking help and advice Table 1.2 Individual and contextual factors illustrating dimensions of resilience Professional

Social

Motivational

Emotional

Professional autonomy

Positive relationships

Optimism

Religion

Commitment

Problem solving

Education viewed as important

Values

Flexible locus of control

Opportunity to build professional relationships

Self-efficacy

Beliefs

Professional skills Meaningful participation Calling to teach in decision making

Emotions

Making a difference

Intrinsic motivation

Passion for their career

Reflection

Perseverance through challenges

Love for children

Work conditions

School culture

Ability to bounce back

Small class size

Motivated students

Administrative support

Competitive compensation

Financial support for programs

Parental support

Reduced workload

Clear administrative goals Behavioral climate

Mentoring programs

Sound PD Facilities Safety Note Individual and contextual factors are specified from sources reviewed; contextual factors are differentiated with shading; the factors illustrate Mansfield et al.’s (2012) dimensions of resilience

1.6 Conceptual Framework

9

• Motivational factors: optimism, persistence, focus on improvement, self-efficacy, setting realistic goals and expectations, maintaining motivation and enthusiasm, enjoying challenges • Emotional factors: sense of humor, not taking things personally, regulating emotion, bouncing back from challenges, coping skills, caring for one’s own well-being. After synthesizing the literature, we developed Mansfield et al.’s (2012) framework using the four dimensions—professional, social, motivational, and emotional. Then we assigned individual factors (e.g., professional autonomy) and contextual factors (e.g., commitment) of resilience from multiple sources for each dimension (e.g., professional) (Table 1.2).

1.7 Summary Developing resiliency is a complex, perhaps enigmatic, human process of growth, yet our qualitative study was designed to help with understanding this phenomenon. The conceptual framework Mansfield et al. (2012) developed was based on factors of resilience stemming from graduating and early career teachers’ perspectives. Guided by the conceptual framework developed from our review of literature sources, we explore the factors of resilience using the lens of veteran teachers. This research expands on the original framework, adding insights gained from study of veteran teachers. Implications for induction programs and PD for school leaders are also addressed. Retaining teachers and helping to develop their resilience is something we both take seriously in our respective roles as educational leaders, whether in school-based administration like Brantley or university-based educational leadership programming like Carol. As a school administrator, Brantley felt this information would serve him and his colleagues in developing programs to retain teachers. In fact, his divisional leaders encouraged study of our topic as an avenue for improving culture schoolwide and districtwide. Our hope is that other practitioners and researchers will find benefit in this book and pursue effective ways to enable teacher retention and resilience.

Chapter 2

A Review of Literature

Abstract This chapter of Veteran Teacher Resilience offers a review of the literature addressing teachers’ development of resilience. The review explains individual and contextual factors that impact teacher resilience. The database search process and criteria used for locating relevant contemporary literature are covered. A synthesis of sources, based on findings, is described in some detail. Also, practices that support teacher resilience are identified. The synthesis is organized around findings pertaining to individual and contextual factors of teacher resilience that impact teacher resilience, stress and burnout, and strategies for improving teacher retention and potentially developing cultures of resilience. Teachers who choose to remain in the classroom and the teaching profession likely demonstrate factors/characteristics of resilience. A conceptual framework from the literature—Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE)—is included as a table with a components analysis. An indication from published research is that school leaders can increase teacher retention by implementing practices that improve teacher resilience and that create a culture of resilience. Policy and governance issues and implications are included. Keywords Contextual factors of teacher resilience · Individual factors of teacher resilience · Literature review · Database search process · Veteran teacher resilience

2.1 Overview In this review of the literature, we offer a review of the literature addressing teachers’ development of resilience. The review explains individual and contextual factors that impact teacher resilience. The database search process and criteria used for locating relevant contemporary literature are covered. A synthesis of sources, based on findings, is described in some detail. Also, practices that support teacher resilience are identified. The synthesis is organized around findings pertaining to individual and contextual factors of teacher resilience that impact teacher resilience, stress and burnout, and strategies for improving teacher retention and potentially developing cultures of resilience. Teachers who choose to remain in the classroom and the teaching profession likely demonstrate factors/characteristics of resilience. A © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_2

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2 A Review of Literature

conceptual framework from the literature—Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE)—is included as a table with a components analysis. An indication from published research is that school leaders can increase teacher retention by implementing practices that improve teacher resilience and that create a culture of resilience. Policy and governance issues and implications are included.

2.2 Database Search Process and Criteria This review of literature provides a synthesis of sources found in databases utilizing Virginia Tech’s online library. A thorough database search process took place from 2018 through mid-2020. The EBSCOhost database was particularly useful with respect to our key terms. Our descriptors produced the following results (from the highest to the lowest yield): teacher shortage (21,623), teacher retention (9064), teacher commitment (7131), teacher hope (6032), teacher attrition (3122), teacher passion (2230), teacher resiliency (861), why teachers stay (147), teacher grit (100), veteran teacher resilience (5), and experienced teacher resilience (5). Literature was gathered from a global perspective, but with a focus on the United States. Parameters were set at the onset of the literature review process: topical peerreviewed scholarly research (articles, books, dissertations, and reports) that provides the most comprehensive, contemporary, and credible information available. Full-text sources were utilized to expedite the search process. The most recent and relevant research was collected between 2000 and mid-2020. When these parameters were exercised in the search of research databases overall, these results were produced: teacher retention (2842), teacher attrition (1353), teacher shortage (2395), teacher commitment (2285), teacher resiliency (219), teacher passion (302), teacher hope (909), why teachers stay (15), teacher grit (10), veteran teacher resilience (0), and experienced teacher resilience (0). Research was searched for factors that contribute to veteran teacher resilience specific to the decision to remain in the classroom and profession. Articles were excluded that were not relevant to K–12 education and factors that did not influence teacher retention. Abstracts were read to determine potential significance. If an article was deemed significant, the article was read, and references were noted to review for additional sources. A literature review table (Appendix A) was then created using the research that was most relevant to the topic, although only select sources are included in the appendix. The author, year, research title, results, themes, school leadership implications, and methods were entered for each study. Studies that did not meet the inclusion or exclusion criteria but were found to have potentially useful data were collected and added to a reference database. Research was downloaded, printed, and saved to Google Drive for ongoing consideration and analysis.

2.3 Synthesis of the Literature

13

2.3 Synthesis of the Literature Resilient teachers can have a positive effect in schools struggling with teacher retention throughout the United States (Allensworth et al., 2009; Guarino et al., 2006; Ingersoll, 2003; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Johnson, Berg, & Donaldson, 2005; Perrachione et al., 2008; Waddell, 2010). The word resilience in and of itself can take on different meanings based on who is involved in the conversation. It can mean overriding optimism, bouncing back from adversity, or acting to better oneself through challenges (Perkins-Gough, 2013). The research has indicated several individual and contextual factors that impact the development of teacher resilience (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019). Individual Factors of Teacher Resilience. Individual factors are personal resources that are available within the individual teacher (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016). Several studies have attempted to characterize the themes or aspects of the resilient teacher. Polidore (2004) identified the individual resilience factors of three African American female teachers that had faced significant adversity throughout their long careers. The researcher developed a resilience theory featuring eight themes: moral/spiritual support, flexible locus of control, control of events, importance of education, positive relationships, bias for optimism, enjoyment of change, and deep commitment. These themes were supported by Taylor (2013), who found similar themes in a study involving four African American teachers with a combination of 134 years of experience in rural schools. However, Taylor’s research added one additional theme, self-efficacy, due to the professional competence and self-confidence the teachers displayed. Gu and Day (2013) developed similar themes in research that explored the importance of resilience in teachers, including self-efficacy, commitment, positive relationships, and a calling to teach. They found that teachers’ ability to become (more) resilient fluctuated based on the personal, relational, and organizational settings in which they worked. Hong (2012) also identified self-efficacy, beliefs, emotions, and positive student relationships as variables of teacher resiliency. Differences were examined between teachers that leave and stay; teachers who left the classroom displayed a weaker self-efficacy (compared with those who stayed), and they had had less support from their administrators. These findings from Hong support the research of Gu and Day (2013), demonstrating that the ability to become resilient may fluctuate based on setting. Perrachione et al. (2008) conducted research to identify individual and contextual factors that influence teacher job satisfaction and retention. They found that the individual factors of working with students, job satisfaction, and personal teaching efficacy influence retention. Yost (2006) examined components of confidence and personal self-efficacy in a study investigating major obstacles successful novice teachers face during their first year of teaching. The researcher looked at how those obstacles shaped teachers’ current views and if they used critical reflection as a problem-solving tool. The research yielded that successful field and student teaching

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2 A Review of Literature

experiences in teacher education programs positively impacted confidence and selfefficacy. This confidence led to a higher level of competence in the first year of teaching. Tait’s (2008) research similarly found that building resilience through experiences can boost a teacher’s confidence and self-efficacy. The goal was to discover whether relationships among resilience, personal efficacy, and emotional competence impact first-year teachers’ sense of success, confidence, and commitment to the profession. The results indicated that novice teachers that demonstrated high levels of resilience, personal efficacy, and emotional intelligence shared similar skills. According to Tait (2008), they had the capacity to “demonstrate social competence; take advantage of opportunities to develop personal efficacy; use problem solving strategies; display the ability to rebound after a difficult experience; learn from experience and set goals for the future; take care of oneself; and maintain a sense of optimism” (p. 69). Bennett, Brown, Kirby-Smith, and Severson (2013) examined factors that influence teachers’ decisions to remain in teaching. They found that teachers who stuck with teaching had a passion for their career. They stated that they felt their job was a calling and noted origination on a personal and spiritual level. The challenges of teaching, especially in school divisions where there are significant contextual factors, make identifying and developing individual qualities associated with resilience important. Martin (2016) sought to identify how passion and perseverance for long-term goals may impact the retention of special education educators who teach students with severe disabilities. Research has indicated that special education teachers have a lower retention rate than general education teachers (e.g., Martin, 2016). Finding and retaining teachers in this field continues to be frustrating. In Martin’s study, the teachers that displayed passion and perseverance, and remained as special education teachers, were observed to have developed positive relationships; persevered through obstacles and roadblocks; worked diligently; and loved their work. Measuring these qualities in a teacher can be difficult. Robertson-Kraft and Duckworth (2014) identified why some novice teachers may outperform their colleagues and remain in the classroom. Utilizing Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly’s (2007) grit scale and definition of grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, they examined novice teachers’ level of grit. Specifically, their interest was in studying intrinsic qualities of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. Results indicated that novice teachers who displayed more grit outperformed their colleagues and stayed longer in their schools. Passion and perseverance also contributed to novice teacher retention. In research that supports Robertson-Kraft and Duckworth’s (2014) conclusions about novice teachers’ grit, Chiong, Menzies, and Parameshwaran (2017) analyzed the motivations of experienced teachers in England. They sought to understand the reasons long-serving teachers stay in the profession and whether their motives change over time. It was found that passion for teaching students and perceived mastery of their own skills were reasons teachers stayed in the profession.

2.3 Synthesis of the Literature

15

Levine (2013) examined teacher perspectives on the role of hope as a sustaining influence for teachers. The researcher concluded that teachers who stay in the classroom feel they are making a difference through advocacy, have a faith-based call to teach, and have attained professional autonomy and respect. Towers (2017) explored how long-serving teachers account for why they choose to stay in teaching in challenging London primary schools. The study found several themes that fall in line with other research: making a difference in children’s lives, the bonds and dynamic relationships formed with colleagues, and love for the children and people at their school. The teachers talked about being comfortable and confident in their abilities, displaying self-efficacy in their job. In earlier research, Walker (2004) sought to determine why teachers chose to stay in an urban school setting. Three factors were found to be statistically significant, including a feeling of effectiveness in working with urban children, the establishment of good collegial relationships within the district, and a sense of self-satisfaction. Cultivating resilience must take on a multidimensional approach due to its complexity. The motivational component of teacher resilience plays a critical role in a teacher’s ability to persevere in the classroom, be effective, and show improvement (Good & Brophy, 1994). Students’ capacity to persevere, learn, perform, and improve is linked to the motivation of their teacher (Schunk, Meece, & Pintrich, 2020). A teacher’s motivation activates and guides his or her work, facilitates the development of high achievement, and maintains behavior (Gagne; 2004; Green, 2002). This drive to perform can come from the teacher or environment (Covington, 2000; Woolfolk, 2001). Woolfolk (2001) defined intrinsic motivation as an individual’s internal, personal factors such as needs, interests, curiosity, and enjoyment. Factors impacting an individual’s motivation from an external source, such as incentives or consequences, are considered extrinsic motivators (Covington, 2000). Herzberg, Mausner, and Synderman (1959) developed an extensive two-factor theory that differentiated between individual and contextual motivational aspects in job conditions. They referred to the individual factors as content or motivators, and they included achievement, advancement, work, responsibility, and recognition. The contextual factors from their study included company policy and administration, technical supervision, working conditions, salary, and interpersonal supervision. The individual and contextual motivational factors operated independently and impacted worker motivation. Contextual Factors of Teacher Resilience. Examining contextualism with an eye on contextual factors that influence and improve resilience can help improve the practices that govern work conditions and build resilient school cultures. Factors such as school leadership, school culture, and teacher workload can be harnessed by school leaders to support teachers and enhance resilience (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019). Perrachione et al. (2008) identified highly motivated students, peer support, positive school environment, and small class size as contextual factors that impact working conditions for teachers. In Ainsworth and Oldfield’s (2019) analysis, it was concluded that contextual factors were just as significant as individual factors.

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2 A Review of Literature

The contextual factors associated with work conditions also show up as themes in other research. In a study examining factors that encouraged or hindered teachers who left the profession, Kersaint et al. (2007) found that administrative support, financial support, paperwork, and stress all contributed to teachers leaving the profession. Kukla-Acevedo (2009) discovered much the same from examining the role of work conditions on teacher mobility. Workplace conditions, behavioral climate, and administrative support had an impact on first-year teachers and their decision to leave or change schools when compared with more experienced teachers. Dupriez et al. (2016) studied teacher turnover and the reasons beginning teachers leave the profession. Job conditions and teacher qualifications were predictive variables, and it was found that teachers lacking qualifications were unprepared to handle the job conditions and were thus more likely to leave. However, teachers who achieved additional qualifications (e.g., graduate degrees) were also likely to leave owing to weak school cultures and problems associated with teaching. A positive and supportive school environment has undeniable importance. Malloy and Allen’s (2007) demonstration took into account whether school culture and practice can impact teacher resilience. They conducted research at a rural elementary school that historically had a high teacher retention rate. Findings were that a supportive and caring environment, setting high expectations, providing clear administrative goals, and allowing for meaningful participation in decision-making played a significant role in teachers developing resilience and remaining in the school. The supportive and caring environment was built around teachers developing collaborative relationships where they could learn from one another and build a family-like atmosphere. As Malloy and Allen stated, “An ideal recruitment and retention strategy for rural schools [would] emphasize the benefits derived from genuine personal relationships [and being] involved in the decision-making process” (p. 24). Developing teacher resilience and perseverance through a strong community of practice, constant attention, love and respect, and sound PD was supported by Nieto (2003). To develop resilience in teachers, these characteristics must exist and should be centered on the why, not just the how and when. Nieto’s research was supported by Whipp and Salin (2018), who noted that several of the factors listed as important by Nieto were referenced by satisfied physical education teachers in Australia. The teachers said the reasons they decided to remain in teaching included having an opportunity to implement their ideas collaboratively and participate in decisionmaking, PD and interaction, having control of their classrooms, and satisfaction and motivation from proficiency in their subject area. Based on the research, building a supportive and caring school culture is important when developing resilience in teachers (Malloy & Allen, 2007; Nieto, 2003; Tait, 2008; Whipp & Salin, 2018; Yost, 2006). Relationships have been repeatedly shown to be significant in the development of resilience (Mansfield et al., 2016). Le Cornu (2013) suggested that school leaders should provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate through professional learning communities, leaders should empower teachers through opportunities for collaboration, and leadership should be a focal point for school leaders.

2.3 Synthesis of the Literature

17

According to Nydoye, Imig, and Parker (2010), support from school leaders is an important factor that influences teachers. They examined the relationships among teacher empowerment, school leadership, and intentions to stay or leave the profession within North Carolina Charter Schools. Their research indicated that school leadership is a strong predictor of teachers’ intentions to stay in or leave their current school. Teachers need to feel that a support system is in place so they can solve problems with a collective approach using identifiable steps. Nydoye et al. (2010) also demonstrated that empowerment is a critical component in the administrative support of teachers and plays a role in whether a teacher remains in the classroom. Boyd et al. (2011) found that empowering teachers and implementing a collective approach is significant in developing a culture that is conducive to retaining teachers. The researchers found that teachers who felt they had influence over school policy, effectiveness of school administration, staff relations, student behavior, facilities, and safety were less likely to leave. Boyd et al. sought to identify the types of teachers that are more likely to leave the profession, the demographic characteristics of student bodies that may lead to high teacher turnover, and contextual factors that may lead to teachers leaving the profession. Teachers that felt they had a direct impact were much more likely to remain in the classroom. Glazer (2018) declared similar findings in the study of certified, experienced teachers who left teaching after making significant contributions throughout their career. Teachers who had little control over curriculum and test results, and whose agency as change agents was circumvented, were more likely to leave the classroom (Glazer, 2018; Mullen, 2017; Tienken & Mullen, 2016). When teachers feel they have no voice in their school, they tend to exit (Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012). Teacher autonomy and influence within their school is important to the development of a supportive culture and resiliency (Boyd et al., 2011; Brezicha, Ikoma, Park, & LeTendre, 2019; Glazer, 2018; Nydoye et al., 2010). Sedivy-Benton and BodenMcGill (2012) found that teachers who perceived themselves as having influence and some degree of control in their schools were more likely to remain in them. The factors that could not be controlled by the teachers were found to be statistically significant, indicating that working conditions and administrative support do affect teacher retention. Teacher compensation has been shown to have a significant impact on working conditions and teacher morale. Compensation is also a significant indicator of whether a teacher will stay or leave the classroom. Eighty percent of the teachers in Sedivy-Benton and Boden-McGill’s (2012) study responded that they would stay in the profession until either retirement or inability to do the job. The more the teachers were paid, the more likely they were to remain in the field. Compensation plays an important role in the decision-making process of teachers that chose to leave the classroom or transfer to another school district (Garcia et al., 2009; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Steele, Murnane, & Willett, 2010). Research from Garcia et al. and Steele et al. both indicated that salary and financial incentives have an impact on retaining teachers. Garcia et al. established a connection between teacher turnover and salaries in their study in Texas. The more a school division paid its teachers, the lower the teacher turnover rate was for that school

18

2 A Review of Literature

district. Financial incentives to improve compensation for teachers have also been studied to determine if they would improve retention (Steele et al., 2010). Steele et al. (2010) examined whether financial incentives provided to highly qualified teachers could help low-performing schools attract and retain teachers in California. Significance was found in the recruitment process of teachers when an incentive was used to attract teachers to the school division. Teachers were more likely to stay in their schools if they received the incentive. The research indicated that the probability of teachers choosing to teach in a low-performing school because of the incentive increased by 28%. The research points to the significance of compensation on retaining teachers. In creating a supportive culture within schools, school leaders should advocate for better compensation packages for their teachers (Garcia et al., 2009; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Steele et al., 2010). Teacher Stress and Burnout. Developing resilience could be critical to improving instruction and reducing the effects of stress and burnout in teachers. This is especially true in areas that face significant recruiting and retention challenges. According to Fitchett, McCarthy, Lambert, and Boyle (2018), approximately 25% of new teachers suffer burnout symptoms during their first year of teaching. Grayson and Alvarez (2008) found that emotional exhaustion was the strongest contributor to teacher burnout. Depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment were next in influence within their study. In order to explain the ability of resilience to decrease stress and burnout in teachers, Richards, Levesque-Bristol, Templin, and Graber (2016) tested a conceptual framework. They wrote that “teachers who develop higher levels of resilience feel less emotionally drained, derive a greater sense of satisfaction from their work, and can interact positively with others” (p. 530). In similar research, Pretsch, Flunger, and Schmitt (2012) sought to demonstrate that resilience could predict well-being in teachers above and beyond a vulnerability to stress and negative affectivity. Among teachers in the study, resilience contributed more to the prediction of general health perception than did vulnerability to stress and negative affectivity. Resilience could predict job satisfaction in teachers. The research of Pretsch et al. emphasizes the importance of developing the intrinsic factors in helping to reduce perceived stress. When morale and culture are negative in a school building, it can create adversarial experiences for teachers. This adversity can directly impact teachers’ development of resilience and their decision to remain in the classroom (Allensworth et al., 2009; Grissom, 2011; Johnson, Kraft, & Papay, 2012; Ladd, 2011). Addressing the adversity that teachers face is critical in developing their resilience and improving their sustainability. Throughout life, we experience events that are stressful and potentially traumatic because of our environment. These events can have a tremendous impact on the development of the individual person (Ahern, Kiehl, Sole, & Byers, 2006; Thieman, Marx, & Kitchel, 2014). These experiences for teachers can include situations where they have overcome extreme hardships such as excessive workload, lack of administrative support, or poor compensation (Bandura, 1997; Boyd, et al. 2011; Dupriez et al., 2016; Henry, Bastian, & Fortner, 2011; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Sedivy-Benton

2.3 Synthesis of the Literature

19

& Boden-McGill 2012; Waterman & He 2011). When teachers overcome these situations, they develop the resilient skills necessary to excel in the classroom (Bandura, 1997). Many teachers are impacted by these contextual experiences daily (Williams, 2003). The teachers that choose to persevere through these experiences exhibit resilience. Masten (2001) defined resilience as “good outcomes despite serious threats to adaptation or development” (p. 228). Research in teacher resilience “aims to understand the processes that account for these good outcomes” (p. 228). Gu and Day (2007) described a psychological construct and multidimensional process as a “dynamic within a social system of interrelationships” (p. 1305). The psychological construct is the study of individual factors that are believed to assist teachers when faced with adversity. The multidimensional process involves protective factors that minimize the impact of adverse situations. To offset resource deprivation and other problems that worsen working conditions, resilient teachers develop a variety of approaches to achieve stability and success (Castro, Kelly, & Shih, 2010). Strategies that Cultivate Resilience. Preparing teachers for the rigors of teaching and building upon the individual and contextual factors that influence them could be important in developing solutions for the teacher retention crisis (Curtis, 2012). Empowering teachers with the skills needed to cope with the challenges they encounter in the first few years is critical. Some of these skills involve providing opportunities to think critically and reflect on challenges, as well as providing teachers with strong mentors to guide them through those challenges (Inman & Marlow, 2004; Fletcher & Mullen, 2012; Mullen, 2005; Tait, 2008; Yost, 2006). Because strategies for fostering self-development, including resilience, can turn out to be positive or negative, Mullen (2005, 2016) encouraged the productive use of alternative mentoring strategies that can offset both disappointments and disparities in educational cultures. Besides “formal mentoring,” her alternative mentoring typology includes “informal mentoring,” “diverse mentoring,” “electronic mentoring,” “comentoring or collaborative mentoring,” “group mentoring,” “multiple-level comentoring,” and “cultural mentoring” (also, Fletcher & Mullen, 2012). When paired and thus integrated with “self-regulated learning,” mentorship is thought to be especially effective, impactful, and empowering for all involved (Schunk & Mullen, 2013b). In particular, help-seeking, problem-solving, managing difficult relationships, and seeking rejuvenation have all been identified as resilience strategies for new teachers (Castro et al., 2010). These strategies were shown to assist novice teachers in their development of resilience in urban and rural contexts. However, teachers received very little support in securing these resources. To effectively support these strategies, teachers need peer support groups, an atmosphere in which novice teachers feel safe, and PD to assist with problem-solving. Resilience is built on the interplay of individual and supportive contexts through PD that incorporates knowledge and skills beyond technical expertise. PD opportunities should facilitate participation in professional learning communities and leadership within the school (Yonezawa et al., 2011), and professional learning communities need to be considered “through three frames: leadership, organization, and

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culture” (Mullen & Schunk, 2010, p. 185), Teacher PD should be provided that addresses educators’ individual needs (Bozkus & Bayrak, 2019; Patterson, Collins, & Abbott, 2004) and tenacious issues, such as student dropout necessitating prevention and re-engagement (Mullen & Schunk, 2011), and teacher beliefs about students in poverty warranting intervention (Wickham & Mullen, 2020). Four additional strategies used by urban teachers to build their personal resilience are (1) acting from a set of values that guides professional decision-making, (2) seeking and appreciating PD, (3) being willing to mentor others, and (4) focusing on student learning (Patterson et al., 2004). Teachers who take initiative to develop their skills and improve the culture within their school–community demonstrate resilience. Close attention should be paid to identifying teachers who demonstrate resiliency on the job and in other contexts, such as PD, induction, and research. School leaders should seek out individuals who are problem solvers, take initiative, and value equity and excellence (Patterson et al., 2004). Curtis (2012) investigated middle school and high school teachers’ reasons for entering the classroom, comparing them with reasons for leaving. Most of the teachers in the study entered the teaching profession in light of their interest in working with young people, love of mathematics, and desire for personal fulfillment or making a difference. Family or role models also influenced many of them. However, the illusion of what teaching entails is often drastically different from what teachers experience when they step into the classroom. Lack of preparation for the contextual factors of poor working conditions, lack of administrative support, and low compensation can drastically reduce a teacher’s self-efficacy and lead to low morale. Teacher education programs do not prepare aspiring teachers for this reality in education, according to Curtis (2012). Fontaine et al. (2012) also investigated beginning teachers’ perspectives on teaching as a long-term career, their preparation, the links between preparation, early career experience, and their intentions to continue with teaching. A finding was that participants had confidence in their abilities at the time of graduation from their teacher education programs. However, after their first year of teaching, participants indicated that they felt underprepared for dealing with the workload and other contextual factors associated with teaching. The research indicates that teacher education programs are not effectively preparing future teachers for the realities of teaching and suggests that despite the attainment of the proper credentials, teachers were still not prepared for the work assignments and job conditions. Teacher preparation for the workload that is required can influence whether a teacher continues to teach. Fontaine et al. (2012) also found that a teacher’s ability to handle work conditions and stress was directly impacted by her or his education level, qualifications, or status. In other words, teachers with more education were better adept at handling the contextual factors that can often lead to low self-efficacy in the novice educator. The roles that professional experiences play in building resilience in teacher education programs have been examined. Le Cornu’s (2009) research focused on a learning community’s model of professional experience with its emphasis on relationships and attention to the complex and dynamic interactions between individuals

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and their student teaching contexts. Supports were identified that develop courage, teach skills and attitudes, provide peer supports, and enable specific roles for preservice teachers and mentors. Mansfield et al. (2016) also addressed the relationships component in their proposed framework for building resilience in teacher education (see Table 2.1), for which they drew attention to the value of understanding resilience, relationships, well-being, motivation, and emotions. Their framework was informed by individual and contextual factors and the strategies that contribute to resilience outcomes in teachers, with the potential for utilization with cohorts whether face-to-face, online, or blended.

2.4 Policy and Governance Issues School culture and leadership are relevant (Boyd et al., 2011; Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Nydoye et al., 2010; SedivyBenton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Towers, 2017). School leaders can improve retention by “motivating teachers and students; identifying and articulating a vision and goals; developing high performance expectations; fostering communication; allocating resources; and developing organizational structures to support instruction and learning” (Boyd et al., 2011, p. 328). Additionally, Bennett et al. (2013) found that school leaders must find a way to support teachers with mentors, strong leadership, and autonomy. Schools can potentially reduce teachers leaving the profession— allowing them maximum involvement in school decisions as well as providing some control over classrooms and curricula matter for retention. Apparently, teachers who have remained in the classroom view the profession as a calling or mission (Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016; Taylor, 2013). School leaders must provide autonomy that demonstrates a school culture, respecting the teachers’ ideas and leadership abilities. The focus should be on providing teachers with the support they need to be successful (Bennett et al., 2011). As students enter teacher education programs, school leaders should advocate for enhanced experiences in the areas of assessment, classroom management, and workload (Dupriez et al., 2016). When trying to reduce attrition, policymakers should not reduce the very qualities in teachers that are vital for effective practice. School leaders should place more emphasis on classroom learning and less emphasis on administrative duties and activities outside the classroom. They should provide teachers with opportunities to collaborate, share ideas, promote teacher accomplishments, and provide supports as needed (Malloy & Allen, 2007; Nieto, 2003; Tait, 2008; Whipp & Salin, 2018; Yost, 2006). Time should be allowed to build teacher resilience by providing opportunities for PD; scheduling to reduce teacher workload; necessary resources; positive professional relationships; high expectations; and collaborative decision-making (Boyd et al., 2011; Glazer, 2018). Therefore, in order to reduce teacher stress and burnout, school leaders should develop practices that will increase teacher resilience (Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Richards et al., 2016).

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Table 2.1 Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE) (Mansfield et al., 2016) Theme

Informed by literature

Building resilience Resilience as a dynamic, multifaceted process where individuals mobilize individual and contextual resources and use coping strategies to enable resilience outcomes

Teacher education topics

Teaching and learning strategies

– What is resilience? – Why is resilience important for teachers?

– Reflecting and discussing with peers, mentors, and teachers – Examining case studies and videos illustrating professional challenges

Relationships

Social competence (for – Understanding building relationships, relationships and support networks and resilience – Building working relationships in collaboratively), setting schools boundaries, and – Working in a communication professional team – Building personal and professional support networks – Using social media support networks – Communicating effectively

– Engaging with problem- solving activities related to authentic scenarios – Analyzing videos of teachers talking about how to address challenges – Identifying and practicing adaptive coping strategies

Well-being

Seeking renewal, work–life balance, and time management

– Understanding personal well-being and mental health – Responding to and managing (dis)tress – Healthy living – Managing work–life balance – Time management

– Practicing reframing skills and optimistic thinking – Practicing effective communication skills for a range of situations – Reflecting on personal resources and strategies via self-assessment tools and planning for self-development

Motivation

Efficacy, value, sense of purpose, sense of vocation, initiative, high expectations, problem-solving, professional learning, goal-setting, help-seeking, reflection, and persistence

– Maintaining – Conducting action motivation. research projects – Persistence and efficacy – Problem-solving processes – Goal-setting and management – Help-seeking – Ongoing professional learning (continued)

2.4 Policy and Governance Issues

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Table 2.1 (continued) Theme

Informed by literature

Teacher education topics

Emotions

Emotional competence, optimism, empathy, hope, courage, humor, emotion regulation, and mindfulness

– Emotional awareness – Optimistic thinking – Enhancing positive emotions – Managing emotions

Teaching and learning strategies

The idea is for school leaders to target potential groups of teachers that may be susceptible to leaving due to family, administrative, or financial factors (Curtis, 2012; Dupriez et al., 2016). Developing practices that support the individual and contextual factors associated with increased job satisfaction should be a priority, as well as reducing factors negatively associated with poor job satisfaction (Bennett et al., 2013; Chiong et al., 2017). Increasing teacher salaries and benefits to a competitive level with other professional occupations would attract and retain more qualified teachers (Garcia et al., 2009). Increased compensation would add more respect to the profession, making it more attractive for young people as they enter college programs and claim majors (Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012). Practices that impact recruitment and development may need to include strategies to identify teacher resilience. Attention should be paid to the attitudes and perceptions of teacher work environments, perceived roles, influence and control, and support during the interview process. Within teacher education programs, supports are needed for aspiring teachers that exhibit a vulnerability to stress and negative affectivity (Mansfield et al., 2016), and whose capacity for self-regulation, including during times of crisis, is not what it could be.

2.5 Summary Teachers who choose to remain in the classroom and the teaching profession likely demonstrate characteristics of resilience (Gu & Day, 2013; Taylor, 2013; Tokta, 2019). These characteristics, together with the individual and contextual factors that influence them as people, have been shown to improve teacher retention (e.g., Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016). The published research analyzed for our purposes indicates that school leaders can increase teacher retention by implementing practices that improve teacher resilience and that create a culture of resilience (Boyd et al., 2011; Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Ingersoll, 2002; KuklaAcevedo, 2009; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Nydoye et al., 2010; Schaefer et al., 2012; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Towers, 2017). This review of literature has provided a synthesis of the individual and contextual factors that impact teacher resilience, stress and burnout, and strategies that develop a culture of resilience.

Chapter 3

Methodology

Abstract This chapter of Veteran Teacher Resilience describes the interview methodology used for this exploratory qualitative study for which interviews served as the main data collection source. The interview context gave participants the opportunity to share their experiences of adversity and resilience, and motivations for decision and actions. The research questions allowed for investigation of the experiences and motivations of veteran teachers to identify characteristics of resilience that could improve practices for retaining teachers. For this exploration of veteran teacher resilience, the primary research question was, What are the experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching? A two-part data collection methodology was used to address this question (and subquestions): an original demographics survey aided in purposefully selecting veteran teacher participants and the researchers’ own interview protocol allowed for one–one-one conversations that yielded rich data. Interviews were transcribed using NVivo®. Transcriptions, once coded, were analyzed and emergent themes examined relative to each teacher and across participants. Keywords Demographics survey · Interview methodology · Qualitative study · Themes · Veteran teacher participants

3.1 Overview The interview methodology we used for this exploratory qualitative study for which interviews served as the main data collection source is described. The interview context gave participants the opportunity to share their experiences of adversity and resilience, and motivations for decision and actions. The research questions allowed for investigation of the experiences and motivations of veteran teachers to identify characteristics of resilience that could improve practices for retaining teachers. For this exploration of veteran teacher resilience, the primary research question was, What are the experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching? A two-part data collection methodology was used to address the primary research question (and subquestions): an original demographics survey © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_3

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aided in purposefully selecting veteran teacher participants and the researchers’ own interview protocol allowed for one–one-one conversations that yielded rich data. Interviews were transcribed using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo®. Transcriptions, once coded, were analyzed and emergent themes examined relative to each teacher and across participants.

3.2 Research Questions and Design For this study of veteran teacher resilience, we created four research questions. The primary research question was, What are the experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching? Subquestions were: (1) What contextual factors play a role in those experiences? (2) What individual factors of resilience are revealed through their experiences? (3) What strategies have the teachers used to overcome challenging experiences in teaching? Qualitative research is an interpretation of phenomena with the study of people, places, or events in their natural settings. This type of research is most appropriate when the phenomenon under study has no clear, single set of outcomes (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Qualitative research was chosen as our methodology because it allows for pursuit of storied accounts of experience and yields understanding of lived experiences. Very little is known about the factors associated with veteran teachers who teach beyond a decade, what challenges they experience, and how they develop resilience. To best understand the phenomena informing these teacher experiences, we knew that our approach needed to be exploratory, in-depth, and descriptive (see Creswell & Poth, 2018). This qualitative study uses one-on-one, semistructured interviews to build on the existing knowledge of why teachers remain in the classroom. Interviews made sense to us as a tool for allowing teachers’ voices to be heard, experiential viewpoint to be documented, and stories told. Our interview questions probed the reasons why these teachers have chosen to remain in the classroom and the role of motivation and adversity in their experiences. The procedures we used for preparing and conducting interviews operationalized characteristics of interview-based qualitative studies. Adhering to Creswell and Poth’s (2018), interview steps, we • Determined “the research questions that will be answered by interviews.” • Identified the interviewees who could best respond based “on a purposeful sampling procedure.” • Distinguished “the type of interview by determining what mode [was] practical and what interactions [would] net the most useful information to answer research questions.” • Collected “one-on-one interview data using adequate recording procedures.” • Designed and used “an interview protocol or interview guide.” • Located “a distraction-free place for conducting interviews.” • Obtained “consent from the selected interviewees who agree[d] to participate.”

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• Secured a “complete[d] a consent form” from all participants “approved by the human relations review board.” • “Follow[ed] good interview procedures” for the interview. • “Decide[d] transcription logistics ahead of time.” (p. 165) We chose the setting and participants for the study, conducted all interviews in person, and independently analyzed our data, making constant comparisons before arriving at themes. Through the analysis of data collected, we gained a better understanding of why the teacher participants have remained in the classroom, what motivated them to teach and continue along this path, and the strategies they have used to overcome adversity in the face of challenges. Participant Selection and Setting. By disseminating our recruitment information to prospective participants (veteran teachers) within their buildings, practicing school principals provided crucial research assistance. An introductory electronic communication was sent to principals at each school within the selected rural school division. Besides our brief introduction to the study, our message contained a hyperlink to the demographics survey. Principals then forwarded our email, resulting in 20 teachers with 10 or more years of experience completing the survey. While we endeavored to find out how many teachers within and across the schools received the survey from their principals, this proved elusive, but we did learn that while some leaders opted to forward the recruitment message to their entire staff, others proved selective, sharing it only with veteran teachers. A final point is that the principals wanted to maintain confidentiality, which they did by refraining from conveying the number of teachers who were eligible to participate within their buildings. Hence, purposeful sampling was used to identify and select participants to “purposefully inform an understanding of the research problem and central phenomenon of the study” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 158). Participants were chosen based on our demographic criteria (see Table 3.1). Selections were made such that 12–20 participants with a variety of experiences and backgrounds could be included. This range was identified so that we would have three to five teachers participating from each school location, thereby reflecting a Table 3.1 Demographics selection criteria for participation Demographic

Criteria for selection

Years of teaching experience Teachers needed a minimum of 10 years of classroom teaching Grade level

Secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers were eligible for participation

Race

Race was considered in representing a diverse sample to the extent possible

Gender

Male and female teachers were selected to the extent possible

Education level

Teachers with degrees (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) would be represented

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diverse range of experiences within the school division while approximating data saturation with respect to themes and their recurrence. School principals within the division were contacted through email to arrange for the distribution of the demographics survey (Appendix B). An introductory email for teacher participants including the demographics survey was then sent to principals, who forwarded the email to veteran teachers within their building. The introductory email forwarded to the teachers included a brief greeting, the purpose of the study, and a link to the demographics survey. Twenty veteran teachers (Table 4.1) completed and returned the demographics survey. An email was then sent to the veteran teachers requesting their participation in the interview portion of the study. Fifteen (of the 20) teachers agreed to take part in the individual interviews. Correspondence through email was used to schedule the interviews. The setting was a rural school division within central Virginia. Our justification for selecting it is that rural localities, and the characteristics of rural schools, may make teacher recruitment and retention more challenging (Cowen, Butler, Fowles, Streams, & Toma, 2012; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Monk, 2007). In such settings, it may be that resilience is tested that much more as veteran teachers endure tough challenges ranging from staff turnover and task overload to teacher stress and burnout. The division has four schools: a primary school grades K–2, an elementary school grades 3–5, a middle school grades 6–8, and a high school grades 9–12. For the fall membership of 2017–2018, the school division enrolled 2270 students. In this school year, the district operated with a 12.71:1 student/teacher ratio for grades K–7 and 12.33:1 for grades 8–12 (Virginia Department of Education, 2020). Interviews with participants were conducted at the teacher’s school in a private location, either in the teacher’s classroom or work area, so that a digital sound recorder could be used to record the interviews. Limitations and Delimitations. The limitations of this study are comprehensive. The data collected only pertain, at most, to veteran teachers in the rural school division we selected. Our results cannot be generalized to veteran teachers who do not face the same environmental factors. Another research limitation was a small sample size. While the interviews provided an in-depth perspective from the participating teachers, the study only included 15 participants, preventing generalizability. The research does not include the perspectives of the principals, support staff, students, or school board members. The interview protocol aims to gain a comprehensive sample of experiences from the veteran teachers interviewed. Future studies should include a larger sample size and comparison groups. Concerning delimitations, this study was restricted to teachers from one rural school division and a particular location. However, our findings, while not generalizable to all teachers or school divisions, do resonate with the topical literature. Our study parameters were such that the experiences of teachers from urban or suburban school divisions are not incorporated, so our results are not generalizable to those populations. The teachers we interviewed taught in the selected rural school division and had 10 or more years of experience. We did not include all veteran

3.2 Research Questions and Design

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teachers from central Virginia, and the results are not generalizable to all teachers in the United States or other nations. Data Collection. Prior to data collection, approval was obtained from the Human Research Protection Program through our home university’s (Virginia Tech) Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRB training was completed July 2018, and the university’s required Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative course on ethical standards in research was completed February 2019. The data collection and analysis procedures used in this study aligned with typical qualitative research steps: “data collection; manage and organize the data; read and memo emergent ideas; describe and classify codes into themes; develop and assess interpretations; represent and visualize the data; and account of findings” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 186). Data collection occurred through the collection of demographic data from the returned surveys. The demographics survey requested the veteran teacher’s years of experience, grade levels taught, race, gender, education level, name, email address, and consent to participate in the interview. Review of the provided demographic criteria for each teacher allowed us to purposefully select a group of participants from a variety of grade levels and backgrounds. Teachers who completed the demographics survey received a completion notification via email. Veteran teachers who responded to question 8 on the survey were sent an email requesting participation in a 45–60 min interview. Consent for participation in the interview was obtained from the participant prior to any data collection. Interview data were gathered through a semistructured format of questioning. Besides the audio recording, handwritten notes taken during the interviews tracked participants’ key words, statements, and expressions (as per Creswell and Poth’s [2018] recommendation). Instrument Design and Validation. The first step in preparing our original instrument, the Veteran Teacher Interview Protocol (Appendix C), was identifying interviewees (i.e., veteran teachers) who might best respond to interview questions (as per Creswell & Poth, 2018). To assist with developing our protocol, we researched studies published between 2010 and 2018, pinpointing sources that included interviews with veteran teachers and, ideally, questions eliciting their reasons for staying in the classroom. The idea for our instrument was derived from Teodori’s (2015) teacher interview protocol; we modified it for our own purposes (instead of using it verbatim). Specific interview prompts were informed by, and aligned with, multiple sources from the literature. Questions asked of participants were open ended and follow-up questions were developed for the interviews (Creswell & Poth, 2018). More specifically, interview questions 1 through 3 were designed to invite interviewees “to open up and talk” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 164), and “gain a sense of the participant’s personality, background, and dispositions about education” (Teodori, 2015, p. 85). The aim of questions 4 through 8 was to elicit individual and contextual factors impacting teachers and their motivations for staying in the classroom. These questions were developed to address research subquestions 1 and 2. Questions 9 through 14 probed adverse experiences that participants may have faced while

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teaching. These questions provided an opportunity to identify and examine characteristics of resiliency and the strategies used by teachers to develop those features. Research subquestion 3 addressed these question items. The interview protocol that follows shows alignment of each prompt with select sources from the literature drawn upon in developing our prompts (see Table 3.2). Besides validating the original interview instrument (i.e., Appendix C), the cross-fertilization of prompt and publication gave coherence to it. Confidentiality and Ethical Treatment of Data. The names and demographic information of the teacher participants were kept private. Pseudonyms are used to protect participants’ identity. Any information containing participant names or other possible identification was stored on the researchers’ password-protected computers. Data from interviews, stored on an audio recorder, were downloaded into NVivo® data analysis software for transcription purposes. Transcribed interviews and research memos were stored in this password-protected software. Transcribed files were uploaded to the MAXQDA® data analysis software for coding purposes. After 14 days, these files were deleted. Transcription files and other data collected were also saved on our password-protected computers. Completed surveys and consent forms were stored in a locked office. As the researchers, only we had access to any identifiable information pertaining to participants and their schools.

3.3 Summary This study’s methodology mainly relied on interviews for data collection. Veteran teachers had the opportunity to share their experiences of adversity and resilience, and motivations for decision and actions. The research questions allowed us to investigate the experiences and motivations of these practitioners to identify characteristics of resilience that could improve practices for retaining teachers. A two-part data collection methodology helped us address the primary research question and subquestions. First we collected demographic data to aid in purposefully selecting teachers, then we talked with them using a semistructured interview format. Interviews were transcribed using NVivo® (qualitative data analysis software). Transcriptions, once coded, were analyzed; themes emerged and were examined relative to each teacher and across teachers. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of data and findings specific to the interview-based study of veteran teachers that is the subject of this book.

3.3 Summary

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Table 3.2 Veteran Teacher Interview Protocol with literature alignment Interview prompts

Alignment with literature

1. Was K–12 education important in your family? What kind of student were you?

Teachers who grew up in families where education is important often demonstrate resilience (Taylor, 2013)

2. Did you have any positive or negative experiences in K–12 education with a teacher or administrator?

Teachers can have a lasting impact, both positive and negative, with their students (Morrow, 1991)

3. Did you have any K–12 experiences where you were able to pursue a passion and persevere through a challenging situation (athletics, band, drama, etc.)?

Passion and perseverance are often developed through the experience of overcoming obstacles (Duckworth et al., 2007)

4. Do you have an experience that led you to choose teaching as a career? Is there an experience(s) from college or postgraduate school that prepared you for the rigors of teaching?

Experiences in teacher education programs are important in the development of the skills necessary to be successful in the classroom (Curtis, 2012)

5. How would you describe the experiences that bring you the greatest satisfaction as a teacher?

Long-serving teachers develop self-efficacy in their job from satisfying experiences (Towers, 2017)

6. How would you describe the experiences/factors influencing your motivation for teaching? How have these motivational experiences/factors fostered perseverance?

Motivation is an internal state that activates, guides, maintains behavior, and facilitates the development of high achievement (Gagne, 2004; Green, 2002)

7. How would you describe what you consider Supports in the areas of achievement, to be essential supports to your motivation advancement, workload, responsibility, for teaching? recognition, company policy, technical supervision, working conditions, salary, and interpersonal supervision are impactful to motivation (Herzberg et al., 1959) 8. How would you describe the job conditions Job satisfaction impacts teacher retention with which you work each day as a teacher? (Perrachione et al., 2008) 9. How would you describe the experiences Negative experiences of teachers including that yield the greatest dissatisfaction for you work overload, low compensation, lack of as a teacher? parental support, lack of administrative support, and overcrowded classes can impact teacher retention (Perrachione et al., 2008) 10. How would you describe the adversity you have faced as a teacher? Can you describe one very serious incident in which you faced adversity more than at any other time? How did you overcome the adversity you faced in that incident?

Stressful and potentially traumatic experiences in life can have a tremendous impact on the development of an individual (Ahern et al., 2006; Thieman et al., 2014)

(continued)

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Table 3.2 (continued) Interview prompts

Alignment with literature

11. What would you identify as the characteristics/qualities of a resilient teacher? How would you describe these resilient characteristics/qualities in action?

Defining key components of resilience and building them into teacher preparation and mentoring programs could help improve teacher retention (Williams, 2003). Teacher resilience manifests in behavior and action: “Teachers who develop higher levels of resilience feel less emotionally drained, derive a greater sense of satisfaction from their work, and can interact positively with others” (Richards et al., 2016, p. 530)

12. What would you describe as essential supports for fostering resilience in teachers?

Determining the supports that foster resilience could predict teacher job satisfaction and improve teacher retention (Pretsch et al., 2012)

13. Why have you chosen to remain in the classroom as a professional teacher?

Identifying individual and contextual factors of resilience in teachers that have remained in the classroom is important in developing policies and practices for retaining teachers (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Bennett et al., 2013)

14. Do you have any other experiences or comments that you would like to add?

Chapter 4

Data Analysis and Findings

Abstract This expansive chapter of Veteran Teacher Resilience analyzes the data from a demographics survey and veteran teacher interviews. The survey results are presented as veteran teacher profiles with excerpts from the interviews capturing teacher voice and substantiating our research outcomes. Findings (thematic outcomes) from the interviews address the experiences that contributed to their desire to continue teaching. Seven findings identified through data analysis and narratively described are: (1) purpose in teaching, (2) positive relationships in the milieu, (3) passion for teaching, (4) supportive school culture, (5) passion for curricular content, (6) accommodating work schedule, and (7) no other opportunities available. Ten contextual factors of retention impacting teachers’ decision to remain in the classroom are also explained. Twenty-two factors of resilience are identified as well. Definitions of the factors, taken from previous research, are included in the conceptual profile. These factors were indicative of characteristics that teacher interviewees attributed to veteran teachers who stay. The conclusion identifies difficult situations the teachers expressed in their interviews and illustrates how they navigated those challenges. Keywords Contextual factors of retention · Data analysis · Factors of resilience · Passion · Themes · Veteran teacher participant profiles

4.1 Overview Here we analyze data from our demographics survey and interviews. The survey results are presented as veteran teacher participant profiles. Findings (thematic outcomes) from the veteran teacher interviews are organized around experiences that contributed to these teachers’ desire to continue teaching. As a reminder, the primary research question was, What are the experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching? Subquestions were: (1) What contextual factors play a role in those experiences? (2) What individual factors of resilience are revealed through their experiences? (3) What strategies have the teachers used to overcome challenging experiences in teaching? © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_4

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Seven themes are narratively described. Excerpts from the interviews are included, enlivening teachers’ voices and substantiating the research outcomes. Ten contextual factors of retention impacting teachers’ decision to remain in the classroom are also explained. Twenty-two factors of resilience are identified as well. Definitions of the factors from previous research are included in the conceptual profile. These factors were indicative of characteristics that teacher interviewees attributed to veteran teachers who stay. The conclusion identifies difficult situations the teachers expressed in their interviews and illustrates how they navigated those challenges.

4.2 Data Analysis Processes Data (demographic information) were inserted into a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet, and each respondent was assigned a pseudonym. Review of the demographic data provided an objective method for purposefully selecting teacher participants based on their background, expertise, and experience. Interviews with participants were transcribed using NVivo®, and MAXQDA® was used to deductively code the data (transcribed interviews) by graphically displaying the codes and categories using the teachers’ own words. In turn, this allowed for analyzing, managing, and interpreting the qualitative data (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Data analysis was initiated with in vivo coding of specific words and phrases used in the individual interviews, preserving verbatim statements (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Codes were then matched with concepts developed using the research questions. Concepts included educational background, individual and contextual factors, impactful supports from teacher education, impactful supports from induction, and impactful supports from professional development (PD). Identifying the codes for each concept yielded a conceptual profile for the interview. Then we utilized the code frequency and data matrix spreadsheets in MAXQDA® to analyze the codes and develop themes, searching for possible patterns that resonated throughout the interviews. These patterns were examined and themes were developed. The themes were added into a matrix display, which enabled us to organize the material into a format for quick reflection, verification, and other analysis. Beyond our interdependent coding and review, the coding process and results were verified by a school administrator and two teachers in Virginia, all of whom had experience with analyzing qualitative data. Step three included comparison of the themes that were developed and their relationship with each research question. This step resulted in the triangulation of the data. We generated visual representation of the data (Fig. 4.1) to assist readers with making connections of their own.

4.3 Veteran Teacher Participant Profiles

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Purpose in teaching 14/15 No other opportuniƟes available

PosiƟve relaƟonships in the milieu

4/15

13/15

Reasons veteran teachers remain in the classroom

An accommodaƟng schedule

Passion for teaching 12/15

7/15

Passion for curricular content

SupporƟve school culture

9/15

10/15

Fig. 4.1 Why 15 veteran teachers stayed in the classroom and a rural school area

4.3 Veteran Teacher Participant Profiles Demographics survey results organized as veteran teacher participant profiles are displayed in Table 4.1. Of the 20 teachers that completed the demographics survey, 15 agreed to participate in the one-on-one interview. Individual interviews, conducted at participants’ workplaces, were audio recorded. As demonstrated in Table 4.1, the participants had a wide range in experience, age, subjects taught, education level, and grade level. The interviewees, referring to their own gender as female or male, totaled 11 females and 4 males. In the interviews, participants indicated that education was important in their family and they had parental support during their K–12 education. Five of the teachers noted that they had always wanted to be a teacher, while 10 said that they did not

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

Table 4.1 Participant information from the completed demographics survey Participant

Gender

Age

Highest degree

Years of experience

Grade levels

Content area

Allya

Female

30–39

Bachelor

10–15

6–8

Physical education

Amya

Female

50–59

Ed.S.

16–20

6–12

English

Ashley

Female

40–49

Master

21–25

K–5

K–5

Beth

Female

30–39

Master

16–20

K–5

K–5

Brandia

Female

40–49

Master

21–25

K–5

Reading specialist

Brendaa

Female

40–49

Master

16–20

K–8

Art

Cindya

Female

30–39

Bachelor

10–15

K–12

History

Danaa

Female

30–39

Master

10–15

9–12

Math

Emily

Female

30–39

Doctorate

10–15

6–12

English

Jakea

Male

40–49

Master

21–25

9–12

History

Jane

Female

50–59

Bachelor

16–20

K–5

K–5

Janicea

Female

30–39

Master

16–20

K–5

Math

Jilla

Female

30–39

Bachelor

16–20

K–5

K–5

Jima

Male

40–49

Bachelor

10–15

6–8

Physical education

Kaley

Female

40–49

Master

16–20

9–12

Special education

Kima

Female

40–49

Master

16–20

K–5

K–5

Saraha

Female

70–79

Master

40+

9–12

Science

Suea

Female

30–39

Bachelor

16–20

K–5

Media specialist

Tima

Male

30–39

Bachelor

10–15

K–5

English

Toma

Male

40–49

Master

21–25

6–12

Special education

Note a Indicates a veteran teacher who participated in the interview for the current study. Pseudonyms are used. All participants’ ethnicity was reported as White

initially want to become a teacher. Thirteen teachers commented that they felt unprepared for teaching upon graduation. A summary of each participant’s background is listed alphabetically by pseudonym below. Participant information has been minimized to maintain anonymity. Quotes have been edited to take out repeated words, words that do not impact the context of the interview, or conversational spacers such as “um,” “like,” and “ah” to improve readability.

4.4 Ally: Veteran Teacher #1

37

4.4 Ally: Veteran Teacher #1 Ally was the first-born child in her family, and education was very important growing up. Neither of her parents graduated from high school, and they wanted her to get a better education than they had. She identified as someone who was very critical of herself and was motivated to do the best she could, disclosing, “If I dropped my grades a little bit, my dad would tell me when I needed to keep up my grades, but I motivated myself too, to do the best I could do.” Ally stated that she had mostly positive experiences during her K–12 schooling. Her love of sports provided her with some resilience skills. She expressed love and passion for athletics: “I love sports! There’s always an opportunity to learn how to get back up from a loss or disappointment.” Her relationships with basketball and other coaches challenged her to be her very best. Ally did not plan on becoming a teacher until well into her upper 20s. She had witnessed some of the struggles that teachers go through and did not think she could handle those experiences. However, that all changed after an experience as a fitness trainer, and she felt a calling to teach: “I really felt like I was called to teach. Because I love being physically active, when I thought about being physically active and being able to teach, those two just kind of came together. My passion started from there.” Ally attributed her passion for middle school students to a professor she had in college who had set extremely high expectations for all her students. She was able to work in a variety of school settings, including a middle school: My professor gave us lots of opportunities to teach and be in different school systems with varied ages of kids. This experience made me feel like I was ready to teach my level. That’s where I fell in love with middle school kids.

Ally displayed not just enthusiasm but joy while reminiscing about her preparatory educational and practicum experiences, as well as her current middle school and student body. She attributed much of her success as a teacher to her formal preparation and upbringing, which presented obstacles that had to overcome throughout her life.

4.5 Amy: Veteran Teacher #2 Education was important in Amy’s family growing up, as neither of her parents graduated from high school, and she had positive experiences with her teachers and administrators. In high school, she became very interested in the arts and described a positive experience in pursuing her passion of ceramics and painting: “We had ceramics, painting, oils, and waters and every type of artistic outlet that you could ever want. That was very helpful for me because those were the classes in which I really thrived.” Amy knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a teacher and credited a former English teacher with pointing her in the direction of teaching English as a career.

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

4.6 Brandi: Veteran Teacher #3 Brandi described herself as having been a good student because school was a priority in her home. Her father would help her with homework in math and science, and her mother would emphasize reading. Both parents exposed her to a variety of educational experiences, mainly by taking trips: “I considered it a normal childhood, but I can see that that isn’t going on in a lot of homes now.” Her positive home environment was supported with positive experiences at school. However, she narrated instances where she felt some favoritism may have been present in her classes. She was very active and enjoyed playing sports. She considered herself self-motivated and capable and was involved in volleyball, tennis, and “yearbook.” It was not until she began teaching children tennis during her first year of college that she decided to become a teacher: When I first went to college, I didn’t know what I was going to do. So, I just applied under business. But, right after my senior year of high school that summer, myself and another tennis player who was on the boys’ team taught tennis lessons and did a clinic through the recreation department. And, I think it was a parent who approached me and said, “You should really think about being a teacher.” I had always dealt with kids, whether it was Bible school, babysitting, or something else, but this was really the first time I had taught. I had already declared my major as business so I couldn’t change right away, but in the second semester of college I entered an education program.

Brandi felt that first-hand teaching experience is essential for preparing teachers for the classroom: “I mean nothing really prepares you for the first day of school. It’s crazy to be here on that day and week because new teachers don’t know what to do.” Brandi felt that student teaching helped develop some of her teaching skills but considered substitute teaching better preparation for the job: With student teaching, you’ve always got somebody in the room with you. But when you substitute teach, you’re just stepping into the teacher’s shoes, so you go with it. However, subbing did help because you were really the one responsible for the kids and everything.

Brandi emphasized the value of opportunities and those who had enabled her to develop and refine her skills not only as a substitute teacher but also as a coach, Sunday school teacher, and counselor.

4.7 Brenda: Veteran Teacher #4 Brenda grew up in a home where both parents worked. She saw herself as someone who had always loved school and was motivated to do well. The schools in which she grew up provided plenty of options to its student body, allowing her to pursue her own interests. She noted that she was not necessarily motivated by grades but was imaginative and curious. Experiences with her teacher colleagues were considered positive. She liked having the freedom to pursue her passions in school, such as a “fashion merchandising class” that led to her first job as a college graduate: “Fashion

4.7 Brenda: Veteran Teacher #4

39

merchandising was my first career and I had been encouraged by my instructors to follow that path.” Initially, Brenda was not interested in pursuing a career in teaching. She followed her passion in fashion until she lost her job. At that point, she found a “career switcher” teacher education program at a community college and completed the requirements for it. In hindsight, assessing her courses as having been instructionally sound, she could have really benefited from more hands-on practical experience in the classroom prior to accepting her first teaching job.

4.8 Cindy: Veteran Teacher #5 Both of Cindy’s parents and her grandmother were educators. Education was valued in her family, and she was keenly interested in school. She remembered having had a passion for reading and getting good grades: “I was a kid who would actually cry if I got bad grades.” Her parents expected her to do her best and were more concerned with her effort than actual grades. Her experiences with teachers were remembered as beneficial, and she valued those relationships. She talked about the teachers who came to her sporting events or spent extra time tutoring. She pursued various passions in school, particularly sports and journalism. Cindy had wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember and had worked with children before entering the classroom: “I’ve always worked with kids in some way, shape, or form. I worked at a preschool, a group home, and with athletics. I’ve never thought of myself as doing anything different.” Her parents were also a factor in her decision to be a teacher: “My dad looked at me, saying, ‘You’re a God-given teacher—don’t mess with it, just go with it.’” The support from her teachers, parents, and students prior to becoming a full-time career teacher was a strong motivator for Cindy to enter and remain in the classroom.

4.9 Dana: Veteran Teacher #6 Dana grew up in a home where education was important, but it was not pushed. Her parents supported her, especially her father who helped with math or the computer. Although her parents were available to provide assistance, Dana pressured herself to perform well. She had positive relationships and mentioned a teacher who helped her to be more organized, a skill she has carried with her. She also faced difficult situations in athletics and math classes where she had to persevere and find ways to cope. Teaching was not something she had always pictured herself doing: I never wanted to be a teacher. In fact, I was adamant with my dad that I didn’t want to teach. However, I did not know what I wanted to do. Once I graduated college, a professor announced the need for an emergency [substitute] at the college. So, I filled in and found I loved the experience. That changed my mind about teaching.

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

Dana’s passion has grown in teaching, with support from her colleagues. She credited support from students’ parents as another factor in her decision to remain in the classroom.

4.10 Jake: Veteran Teacher #7 Jake’s parents were never concerned about him getting straight As, but they always pushed him to do his best. With their support, he increasingly became a more diligent student. He described having positive experiences with his teachers, crediting his U.S. history teacher with having a significant influence on his views of history and teaching. He said that this teacher’s “enthusiasm for the subject—and ability to get people to think deeper about how history impacts your life from the standpoint of what you know and what you can do with it—affected me. In a sense, he was an activist.” Perhaps this history teacher’s activism was felt through the development of passion and changing of minds. In fact, Jake, who began to develop a passion for the social sciences from a young age, narrated a difficult situation that brought about personal growth. As the story went, he was required to participate in a mock presidential election, which turned out to be “the most challenging thing I had had to do up to that point in my life.” The mock election experience awakened Jake to the realization that, in whatever field I was going to enter, I would need to be able to complete a task to the best of my ability, even if I wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic about it, and that this was an important skill to learn and demonstrate.

Jake knew he wanted employment in the field of social sciences but started working at a museum and as a park ranger. When working as a park ranger, he started taking some education classes and found that he really enjoyed breaking down the information and was drawn to the “concept of teaching.” He credited his experience as a park ranger to having developed communication and other skills necessary for teaching.

4.11 Janice: Veteran Teacher #8 Janice described herself as a quiet student who got good grades. Education was important in her family, but she did only what was necessary to accomplish goals and tasks. She had positive interchanges with her teachers, though, citing an experience from her elementary years: “I really liked my fifth-grade teacher who made me feel important and special. She would call on me to do special things and have me help with activities as the teacher’s little helper.” Janice had always wanted to be a teacher and as a child had often “played teacher.” She recalled “mimicking what my teachers were doing in school” and being inspired by her sixth-grade teacher. In hindsight, she expressed never seeing herself do any other job.

4.12 Jill: Veteran Teacher #9

41

4.12 Jill: Veteran Teacher #9 Jill’s mother was a teacher and stressed the importance of academics. An honor student, Jill was very active with sports and extracurricular activities. Her parents had taken an active role in her education: “Once we got home, it was homework time. They made sure our schoolwork was done and helped us study.” Her family also planned educational vacations that took them to historical and educational parks. The grandparents, who also lived in the family home, supported her education, such as by sitting and reading with her and assisting with mathematical facts. Her family would even play educational games while they were riding in the car. Jill had positive educational experiences in the classroom that extended to the teachers in her school, or at least most of them. A story she told centered on having learned to push through adversity while playing sports. She faced several challenges while playing softball and track and was able to persevere. Teaching was something Jill had always wanted to do and “played school” with her brother: “My mom said from the time I was old enough to walk that she knew I was going to be a teacher.” Her parents bought her little desks and school supplies, bringing them home so she could play school. As she grew up, Jill worked as a Sunday school teacher, in daycares, and as a babysitter: “I love kids and always knew I wanted to work with them.” Jill’s passion for working with children and her dream of teaching were driving factors in her decision not only to enter teaching but also to remain.

4.13 Jim: Veteran Teacher #10 Neither of Jim’s parents graduated from a 4-year college, yet they underscored the value of education. His parents were supportive and emphasized effort. He spoke of struggling with spelling at a young age and how his mother called out words for him to write down. He highlighted hard work as a morality: “I showed the effort. Instead of 100 points on something I might have gotten 90, so the deal was always how much effort I put in.” He credited his parents with instilling a mindset around the value of effort and giving him the space to try things and fail, as long as he was doing his best. Jim’s teachers also served as strong role models who set high expectations. He was very active in sports and extracurricular activities and credited his ability to work hard and overcome challenges to his parents and sports background. He spoke of being undecided about a career path until college. Jim’s decision on a career path occurred during college, but he was aware of being drawn to service fields. While he did consider becoming a pastor, he had a passion for sports and working with kids. While working in daycares, he felt a calling in that area. But teaching proved to be the best combination of his two passions—sports and preaching: “You’re trying to be an example and lead young people, but you’re also able to be a physical education teacher who is involved in sports. When those

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

two came together, I could see that this was the perfect job for me.” The passion Jim felt for helping others and role modeling was conveyed in his tone and by his expressions.

4.14 Kim: Veteran Teacher #11 Education was very important in Kim’s family. Her parents made sure she and her siblings did their work and encouraged them not to settle. Deliberate in their approach, her parents emphasized the importance of education. They modeled or coached her and her siblings on how things should be done and made them redo work if it was not done correctly. Her parents continuously pushed her and her siblings to achieve better and do more: “We were never paid for our grades or were rewarded for our hard work in school. It was an expectation and our job to do well.” She credited her strong work ethic and outlook on education to lessons learned from her parents. Kim also had a lot of positive experiences with her teachers and always looked up to them. In high school, she developed a passion for serving on the yearbook staff. This allowed her to explore things she was interested in and do a lot of writing. Kim was valedictorian of her senior class and graduated uncertain of what career she would pursue. She explored the possibility of a teaching career but was discouraged by a lot of teachers from doing so. They contended that the challenges and financial struggles that teachers faced were too much: “Knowing the challenges that were ahead, struggles like the lack of financial provision, challenged me to reach for things that might have more prestige or money.” She credited her work with churches and other experiences outside of the classroom with revealing her teaching gifts. Eventually, she felt a calling to teach: “I felt like God had given me the gifts and abilities to teach.”

4.15 Sarah: Veteran Teacher #12 Sarah grew up in a home where her parents supported education, but there was a serious obstacle in her socialization—her father was against females becoming educators. After being wounded during World War II and not having a high school diploma, he worked in a broom factory. In contrast, her mother, who had graduated third in her high school class, was very supportive of Sarah’s education. Experiences with her elementary through high school teachers were positive. After college, she began a career in chemistry, not seeing herself as someone who could teach. After working as a chemist for a few years, she decided to respond to a newspaper advertisement for a teaching position in chemistry. This is how she described her initial teaching experiences and how they molded her into the teacher she became:

4.15 Sarah: Veteran Teacher #12

43

At the outset, I was exposed to an excellent chemistry teacher. We worked out of the laboratory where she set up the first lab and showed me where things were. I set up the second one and enough solutions for both of our classes. We alternated like that. She was definitely a real mentor.

Sarah added that this kind of teacher socialization and mentoring arrangement would be valuable to add to teacher preparation programs. Based on her experiences as a new teacher, mentoring examples she highlighted were veteran teacher–novice teacher mentoring and the collaborative sharing of facilities and resources (for other practical school-based mentoring ideas, see Mullen, 2005). Sarah credited those first few years of teaching and her experience with her mentor teacher as critical in her development as a teacher. Apparently, that experience not only impacted her teaching but also how she mentored other teachers later in her career. Sarah had over 40 years of experience at the time of the interview and still had tremendous enthusiasm for teaching.

4.16 Sue: Veteran Teacher #13 Sue came from a home that also emphasized the importance of education. Her mother was a teacher who spent many evenings at the school. Having positive relationships with teachers and in classrooms was the norm for Sue, who described a special classroom experience that impacted her lifelong love for reading: In kindergarten we had a little house made out of cardboard that was for reading. I’m not sure of the requirements for being allowed to go into the house, but everybody wanted to read in it. So, you did anything to be able to access the tiny home. The teacher let me read in it a lot and that space created my love for books and reading.

Sue’s passion for reading was supplemented with a passion for helping others. She always knew that she wanted to enter a profession of service. Her decision to teach was validated by her “love for little children” during student teaching. During the interview, Sue spoke enthusiastically about her students and how she has helped them develop a love for reading.

4.17 Tim: Veteran Teacher #14 Tim described himself as an “average student” who did what was needed to move to the next step. Education was important in his family—both parents were college graduates. He spoke of positive experiences with his teacher peers and recalled enjoying school. Active in sports and band, he saw himself as self-motivated. While in college, Tim had no plans of becoming a teacher and, in actuality, enrolled in a graduate program for aspiring community counselors. However, a school division phoned him, indicating the need for a special education teacher and offering

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

a provisional teaching license. Thinking the full-time salary would come in handy for offsetting his graduate school expenses, he accepted the position. After entering the classroom, he found it enjoyable. Continuing his education, he earned a teaching license and completed a master’s degree in administration and supervision, but not to pursue administration. He credited his desire to remain in the classroom to his love of students and aspiration to see them succeed.

4.18 Tom: Veteran Teacher #15 Tom grew up in a home where both parents had graduate degrees and valued education, but their priorities were guided by Christian values: “Education was always important. But, from a Christian standpoint, my parents’ priorities were such that education wasn’t the most important thing.” His parents viewed their Christian principles as superseding those of formal education; consequently, Tom was schooled school in public, private, and home-school settings. He described positive experiences with teachers in these various settings and how pursuing his interests developed self-confidence. Being allowed to take several electives, Tom was able to follow his interests and create or develop ideas of his own. It proved rewarding to “get to make choices and go for something interesting, and this opportunity gave me the confidence that I could come up with things.” Tom credited his fourth-grade science, shop, and Bible teachers with inspiring him to become a teacher. His science teacher modeled a “masculine side to teaching.” His shop and Bible teachers were credited with not only his ability to develop relationships with students but also the desire to do so. He referred to the relationships with these two teachers as “constructive” and “encouraging,” which showed him that teachers do have the ability to “disciple” or help students grow and become better people. For him, all such early influences were a strong motivator for entering the teaching profession.

4.19 Thematic Outcomes of Investigation Seven themes emerged from analysis of the interview data addressing veteran teachers’ decision to remain in the classroom (within rurally located workplaces). Figure 4.1 is a visual rendition of this outcome. Purpose in Teaching (Theme #1). The veteran teachers we interviewed all found purpose in teaching or felt purposeful as a career educator. Ally said that she “wake[s] up every day, knowing that this is my purpose in this world.” Many of the other teachers also believed that they were a positive and energizing influence in the lives of others. Janice expressed a feeling of being valued and remembered: “When my time with students comes to an end, I want them to leave being able to say, ‘You’re a

4.19 Thematic Outcomes of Investigation

45

great teacher.’” Jake talked about watching students grow and the excitement he felt as they began to grasp concepts with which they struggled: “When you see them have an ‘aha moment’—and talk about their discoveries while making connections—that’s what really drives me.” Faith in God was also cited as a reason for finding purpose in teaching. Christian faith provided direction for Kim: “I believe it’s a way for me to be a positive influence in the lives of others and show God’s love to them.” To Kim, teaching was a way she could demonstrate love, kindness, and concern for others: “The kids need me and teachers like me.” The veteran teachers we interviewed shared the belief that they were working for a purpose greater than their own. Purpose in teaching was multipronged, with influences discernible in the participants’ educational experiences, familial upbringing, aspirations, histories, cultures, goals, values, beliefs, commitments, interests, and more. Sometimes overtly and other times covertly, purpose in teaching was also fused with religious beliefs, habits, and practices, as well as worldviews. Readers may find it helpful to understand pertinent aspects Virginia’s religious landscape. The northern boundary of the Bible Belt cuts through central Virginia, where our study participants live and work. “Bible Belt” came into American usage in 1925 to refer to “an informal region in the Southern United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism plays a strong role in society and policy, and church attendance… is generally higher than the nation’s average” (“Bible Belt,” 2020). Our teacher interview sample falls in step with the religious composition of adults in the Commonwealth of Virginia, based on statistics generated by the Pew Research Center (2020). With a Christian majority of 73, 30% of the adult population identified as “evangelical protestant” and 12% Catholic. Within these religious faiths, “belief in God” is most frequently characterized as an absolute certainty (as opposed to “fairly certain” or “uncertain”). Other defining characteristics of religious adults are the “importance of religion in one’s life,” “attendance at religious services,” “frequency of prayer among adults,” and “frequency of participation in prayer, scripture study, or religious education groups.” All such characteristics were discerned to varying degrees in the responses we elicited, triggered by repeated usages of religious terms like Bible, church, faith, God, prayer, and Sunday school. However, the study we conceptualized and parameters we set are not amenable to illuminating or comparing the veteran teachers’ belief in God; religious purpose of, or motivation behind, teaching; level of importance in the classroom and daily life; and so forth. (The statistic mapping followed by the Pew Research Center could facilitate a future study of this nature, whether at the local, state, national, or international level.) Thus, the worldview of teaching as a (higher) calling and destiny that is reflected in one’s religious beliefs is only fleetingly known in our study. Are public school teachers who see teaching as a calling and who self-identify as religious more apt to pursue teaching as a career-long endeavor, thereby staying in the classroom? Regarding the data we analyzed, an image did seem to form around teaching as a commitment to service through which one’s Christian habits and disciplines are cultivated. Illustrations of Christian faith were perhaps more obvious when it came to the veteran teachers’ family homes and upbringing than their classroom in the

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4 Data Analysis and Findings

modern era. However, while subtle, uses of language like faith, prayer, and love conveyed an impression of the significance of Christian beliefs in their worldviews and experiences of teaching, and even personal and professional resiliency as human beings. In the scholarship that explores the phenomenon of (veteran) Christian education as a higher calling—and long-serving Christian teachers seeing themselves as called to teach in public schools—there is affirmation for this line of thinking (see, e.g., Parker, 2012; Stronks & Stronks, 1999; Teodori, 2015). For example, Parker (2012), in her autobiographical account of teaching as a seasoned educator, narrated having been personally called to teaching as a Christian and facing and overcoming struggles in her career-long commitment to South Carolina’s public schools. In fact, her book and vision for it was forged out of Christian principles and the view of teaching as a calling. Constructs guiding her pedagogy and religion are rooted in a Christian worldview (prayer, care, work, share, love, etc.). The autobiographical and Christian approaches are unique to Parker’s (2012) book. Our book does not follow in this vein; however, we do address Christian ideology but within the research context of our interview results. Long ago, Stronks and Stronks (1999) conducted interviews with public school teachers in the United States and Canada to learn whether Christian teachers have been able to help students in need. We consulted this educational study because many of the teachers interviewed were veterans. It turned out that religion did permeate the long-term teachers’ perspectives on teaching and their capacity to support students, approaching each as made in God’s image. While the same teacher-interviewees felt called upon to be public educators, they experienced adversity in everyday interferences and activities and felt weighed down by systemic dysfunctions in their schools. All such negative dynamics figured into their struggle to make a difference and maintain an optimistic outlook. We could not help but notice that the veteran teachers we spoke to seemed more idealistic about fulfilling their purpose in today’s classroom, in contrast with their counterparts from Stronks and Stronks’s (1999) teacher sample. A possible question for follow-up study is whether veteran teachers in rural contexts powered by a strong sense of community have greater satisfaction and a higher morale than urban teachers. Positive Relationships in the Milieu (Theme #2). The development of positive relationships was another theme discussed by the teachers. Relationships with both students and colleagues were vital to the teachers’ ability to remain in teaching. Brenda stated, “It just makes your day. I love that I get to see the kids and have different classes.” She felt that the opportunity to develop and build relationships motivated her to come to work every day. To Tim, the relationships that he developed with students were vital to his success: “The most academic part you do, if it’s going to be effective, is still at its core relational. It’s still a relationship. And I really like that part.” He explained that those relationships—even in difficult situations—were a rewarding part of the job that kept him in the classroom. A positive relationship with colleagues was important to the veteran teachers and deeper than a mere acquaintanceship. Ally expressed, “I love the people I work with

4.19 Thematic Outcomes of Investigation

47

in the physical education department and all the other teachers.” Jim mentioned a difficult time when his colleagues supported him: “A few years ago, I had tough situation happening in my life and the people I work with helped me get through it.” Not only did Jim indicate that he was comfortable with his colleagues but also that he enjoyed working with them and having such a supportive community. Beyond this, the veteran teachers described their colleagues as an extended family to which some even attributed much of their success. Like the other participants in our study who used the word community in this context, Dana stated, “A lot of my success has been with the community that I’ve built or that has built up around me. I feel like if you don’t have that administrative support or even your neighboring colleagues’ support, it’s going to make for a rough road.” In order to improve and grow as a teacher, an individual has to reflect and take criticism, she said. Dana revealed that because of the relationships that were developed in her school, growth occurred and teachers did not feel dejected or closed down out of frustration. Passion for Teaching Students (Theme #3). The veteran teachers also expressed a passion and love for their students as motivation for staying in teaching. “You have to love the children—that’s the whole of it,” uttered Sarah. Brenda seemed to share this passion: “I love working with kids and seeing their light bulbs shine.” During the interviews with the teachers, their faces lit up when speaking of their students. They spoke enthusiastically about how much they appreciated their current and former students. Sarah affectionately described her relationship with former students: “If I’m in need of a hug, I just need to go to Walmart and there will be someone I taught there and I get a hug.” For Brenda, the trust and respect she experienced from students brought great satisfaction. Describing passion felt for teaching students and sharing their success, Tom cherished seeing his students develop essential skills and become more confident. Jill’s motivation came from helping children with varied backgrounds persevere through the challenges and from her resolve to support them: “I do what I have to so I can be here for them.” The teachers repeatedly conveyed love and passion for their students and a commitment to them. The desire to see their students succeed in ways big and small continually drew them into the classroom. Supportive School Culture (Theme #4). Teachers gave many examples of how school culture influenced their decision to remain in the classroom. Brenda shared that the teachers in her building “are all there for the kids.” She saw everyone as working diligently on behalf of the children, including the bus drivers and custodians, creating “a good place to work.” She divulged that it was essential for her to “really like the people I work with and respect them” and that if she was not working in a positive environment, she might have to leave. A team-like atmosphere where everyone pulled his or her weight and was available to support others was conveyed as a morale booster for building resilience. Jim shared that administrative support with student behavior made a significant impact on his decision to remain in the classroom: “I appreciate the administrations we have had here where if you ask students to do something reasonable they are expected to follow a reasonable request.” He also described how a culture of student

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respect and subordination is important in school culture: “I really have a good situation, overall. This county has kids who are pretty respectful—mostly, they’re going to do what you ask if it’s reasonable.” For Jill, colleagues who offered support on tough days were an inspiration: “Walking down the hallway, coworkers can see from my facial expression or someone else’s that this is not a good day, but we have the attitude around here of cheering each other up and trying to work harder.” The teachers also indicated that support through the provision of resources mattered. Cindy noted that being provided with up-to-date technology really had an impact on her teaching and demonstrated her county’s commitment to continual success: “Instituting new and little things has given my classroom life. My Promethean Board [an interactive whiteboard] is amazing compared to just a chalkboard or a projector.” For Cindy, delivering instruction and fostering interaction should also be administrative values. Honoring teacher successes is another characteristic of strong school cultures, according to the teacher-interviewees. Kim commented, “Recognizing the positives and accomplishments of teachers, the things we are doing, must be noticed”; and “teaching is not like regular public or private professions where you do a good job and get a raise or promotion.” Recognition of educators and the work they do, not just the success of their students, was important to these teachers. Creating culture where teachers receive support with student behavior and managerial issues, the resources to aid their effectiveness in the classroom, and appreciation for their successes are all strategies administrators can use to improve school culture. Passion for Curricular Content (Theme #5). The veteran teachers revealed passion for particular content and disciplines and used words like passion and love to convey their interests. Ally, for example, used athletics as a frame of reference for how it merged with teaching, sparking passion. Jake’s enthusiasm for studying history was relayed as a long-held passion that has greatly influenced his teaching and methods. Self-described as a “history nerd” who, after 24 years of teaching, still found history “fresh and interesting,” Jake noted, “every time I go over an historical piece, I break it down and find new ways to look at it.” Sarah’s face lit up as she excitedly talked about science in the areas of chemistry and the environment. She was passionate about developing curriculum relating to Chesapeake Bay, an estuary in Virginia neighboring Maryland. Brenda spoke about her passion for art. Like Brandi who was always fond of reading, Sue said, “I love reading and related activities. There’s not a day that I think, ‘I don’t want to read nor have others do this today.’” Jim spoke of his love of sports and exercise. The veteran teachers exuded enthusiasm about their content areas and disciplines, which had long been woven into their worlds, selves, and routines. And they seemed to possess an intrinsic motivation for researching and teaching what they enjoyed and could model. Accommodating Work Schedule (Theme #6). These long-term educators talked about the importance of their work and family schedules aligning so that they could have a full-time job without trading off taking care of their families. They noted how an accommodating work schedule allowed them to spend time with their families and

4.19 Thematic Outcomes of Investigation

49

pursue interests outside of the classroom. Kim’s family and children needed “consistency” in their schedule, and her teaching job allowed for that: “School schedules work well for me and, honestly, that is a motivator.” Janice appreciated holidays and snow days to spend with her family. She also liked having summers away from school to spend time with her children. Brandi also enjoyed being on the same schedule as her children and having the occasional day off due to snow or storms referred to as “weather” in Virginia: “I enjoy the schedule and snow days too. It’s nice that my children and I are pretty much on the same schedule.” The cycles and rhythms of K–12 public school systems were a definite draw in these teachers’ decision to stay in the profession. No Other Opportunities Available (Theme #7). Four (of the 15) veteran teachers indicated that a reason for staying in the classroom was that they had neither looked for nor found other opportunities. Amy talked about the lack of respect teachers receive from some other career fields and how a teacher’s skill set is vastly underrated and underappreciated. She mentioned having “looked for a different position” the previous year and coming away from the experience feeling discouraged that “our skill set as teachers is misunderstood.” A takeaway was that “the skills don’t transfer outside of education—inside education we’re project managers, Human Resources, counselors—all of those things. I don’t think people understand that.” The teachers illuminated another side of their teaching commitment, referring to a systemic reality over which they lack control that keeps them in the classroom. They had too many years of service invested to back out of the retirement system. Kim had not ruled out leaving the classroom, but no opportunities had arisen: “Opportunities haven’t opened up for something that would take me out of the classroom. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t leave one day if something came along that suited me.” Besides Kim, Amy also conveyed a sense of entrapment, where she felt there was nothing else she could do but teach in order to collect full retirement benefits. However, most (13) of the veteran teachers seemed content in their careers. Even when presented with the unconstrained scenario of opportunities other than classroom teaching during this portion of the interview, they expressed enjoyment in their career.

4.20 Contextual Factors This section addresses the contextual factors that play a role in the experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching (as per research subquestion 1). Ten contextual factors of retention (e.g., mentoring support) were identified in the analysis of these teachers’ descriptions. These factors, which had an impact on the teachers’ decisions to remain in the classroom according to the interviewees’ testimonies, are identified in Table 4.2. Each factor is accompanied by the number of teachers (out of the 15 we interviewed) who identified it as a contextual factor of retention, with all 15 naming mentoring support, and almost all specifying administrative support and relationships with colleagues, in contrast with the few

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Table 4.2 Contextual factors of retention supported with veteran teacher responses Contextual factors

Teachers (N = 15) Sample veteran teacher interview responses

Mentoring support

15

• A support system • If you are a new teacher you have a mentor for 3 years • Put new teachers in the right environment • Having those mentors—someone to talk to and to bounce ideas off of • New teachers are not losing heart because the mentor teachers are pointing • Out mistakes and being forgiving

Administrative support

14

• My administrator is supportive • My administrators are amazing—they do everything in their power to support us • Our administrators have made it clear from the get-go that what we do is very important • They come into the classroom to see what’s happening

Relationships with colleagues 13

• I love the people I work with in the physical education department • My colleagues are supportive • Having a good partner, a good coteacher • My coworkers are all just fabulous

School culture

10

• We just mesh really well—we are all like a family • I’m blessed to be where I am • I’m comfortable where I am • I feel safe where I am • We have a positive work environment, so that helps

Accommodating schedule

7

• The school’s scheduling works well for me, which is honestly a motivator • I enjoy a snow day too • To not work weekends, having some time off

Provided resources

7

• We have updated technology • Instituted new little things that helped bring the classroom to life • I have the materials I need • If I ask for something, I get it • Being able to get the materials we need that match the reading program • I can’t imagine being in a school without the resources we have here • We are definitely rich in resources and supported here • They have supported me with buying lots (of modern technology) (continued)

4.20 Contextual Factors

51

Table 4.2 (continued) Contextual factors

Teachers (N = 15) Sample veteran teacher interview responses

Maintained facilities

3

• Our building is really old, but we know it functions well and is maintained • Our school is really clean, and I think that makes a difference

Treated like professionals

2

• Give teachers opportunities to thrive • Give teachers a little bit of freedom in their classroom • Let teachers have some fun • Treat teachers as professionals

Recognized teacher successes

2

• Recognizing the positives and the accomplishments of teachers • I would say encouraging teachers: ‘Hey, you are doing a great job • We do a lot of special activities for each other, to recognize each other

Parental support

2

• I have students and parents that are concerned and will help out • The parents in that case were supportive

who mentioned recognized teacher successes and parental support. The factors are accompanied by a sample of the in vivo codes we used to identify these teachers’ experiences, as reported by them. These codes provide context for the role that each of the 10 factors played in the teachers’ decisions to stay. (All the in vivo codes are not listed here so as to avoid repetition.)

4.21 Individual Factors of Resilience Here we cover individual factors of resilience revealed through veteran teachers’ experiences that contributed to their desire to continue teaching (as per research subquestion 2). Individual factors of resilience were identified in the conceptual framework and literature review. Those that had an impact on the teachers’ decisions to remain in the classroom are listed in Table 4.3. Each of the factors is accompanied by a sample of the in vivo codes that were identified from the experiences of the teachers. These codes provide context for the role that each factor played in the teachers’ decisions to remain in the classroom. All the in vivo codes are not provided to avoid repetition.

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Table 4.3 Individual factors of resilience supported with veteran teacher responses Individual factors

Teachers (N = 15) Sample veteran teacher interview responses

Perseverance

14

• It’s time consuming and daunting some days • We have to put a lot of extra time in • I persevered through those rough times there

Gratification in teaching

14

• It’s a very rewarding profession • That’s what I thrive on • It’s very satisfying, it really is

Self-motivation

13

• I motivated myself a lot to just do the best I could do • I was pretty driven… self-motivated • If you don’t work hard at it, then don’t expect it to come • Choose something and go with it

Passion for students

12

• • • •

I love the kids Just to see them succeed To see them believe in who they are I always enjoyed working with the kids

Enthusiasm for helping others 11

• You have such an influence on so many kids’ lives • I enjoy helping them learn • It’s been very satisfying to be in a helping role

Passion for the content

7

• I love sports • I’m very interested in the environment… I like doing science • That’s where I fell in love with middle school aged kids • I love this age group

Bounces back from failure

7

• When you make a mistake, learn from it and move on • You’re going to be able to bounce back • And you have to be able to bounce back

Seeks personal growth

6

• I reached out and used every resource that was available to me • I just seek that help that I need • I learn from my mistakes

Balance work/personal life

6

• You have to have a life outside of the classroom • Make sure you put family first • People who live, eat, sleep in their classroom burn out easily • Learn how to manage your time to avoid that burnout (continued)

4.21 Individual Factors of Resilience

53

Table 4.3 (continued) Individual factors

Teachers (N = 15) Sample veteran teacher interview responses

Adaptability

6

• Going into it with an idea of adaptability • You just have to learn to be adaptable

Focused on student growth

6

• I love to see growth

Calling to teach

6

• I really felt like I was just called to teach • I felt that God had given me the gifts and abilities to teach—that’s my calling • I look at coming to teach, well, specifically here, as my mission field • God has me here for a reason

Sees the big picture

5

• I just kind of refocus on why I’m here • You can’t take it personally

Manages emotions

4

• You’ve got to set yourself up to have these little victories • If you fixate on what you’re not able to do, you’ll never enjoy small things

Stays positive

4

• Definitely positivity, as in being positive and energetic • You go into every day believing you’re going to see something positive • You’ve got to focus your time on the positive things that are happening

Mindful of others

3

• Mindful of others, being respectful, and compassionate • You never know whether they had dinner or get any sleep at night

Organized

3

• I’m organized and on top of things • I would also say time management • You have to be consistent

Advocate

2

• It was a positive experience because I got to see that people did listen to me when I wasn’t happy and things weren’t right

Empathetic

3

• I have empathy for people • You always give people the benefit of the doubt • I also have a lot of empathy

Love for their school

2

• I really love working here • That’s why I really love coming here

Prayer

2

• I spent a lot of time in prayer • I asked for the support and prayer of others

Sense of humor

1

• A sense of humor because you have to be able to laugh at yourself

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4.22 Strategies Used for Coping with Profound Challenges Now we identify strategies the teachers used to overcome challenging experiences that contributed to their desire to stay in the classroom (as per research subquestion 3). During the interviews, veteran teachers were given space to reflect on and articulate experiences that proved difficult for them. Four particularly challenging dynamics and experiences turned out to be: (1) parent behavior, (2) student behavior, (3) work– life balance, and (4) early teaching years (Table 4.4).

4.22.1 Dealing With Parental Complaints (Theme #1) Dealing with parents and their complaints was the most significant challenge the veteran teachers identified. Eight of them considered this the most difficult part of their job. Amy alluded to a home–school area of contention during her interview, feeling that parents often do not hold their children accountable to expectations, which transfers the burden onto teachers: “There’s a disconnect there. Their children don’t do anything wrong, but I do think that disconnect makes it difficult to be a teacher.” Sarah also felt that parents were her greatest challenge as a teacher. She discussed how she learned to navigate parent expectations over the course of her 40 years in teaching. Her biggest challenge was when parents blamed the teacher if their child did not do his or her (home)work. Sarah adapted and developed a strategy to be better organized and communicate more effectively with students and prevent this type of miscommunication. When she collected work from students, if they did not have the assigned work, she required them to turn in a pink slip with the student’s name and signature, address, date the work was assigned, when it was due, and why the student did not turn it in. She collected a paper from every student so that when parents called about an assignment, she had that pink slip to share with them. Cindy found herself in a situation involving a decision concerning student behavior that some parents did not agree with. She ended up having a conversation with the parents involved, articulating how she handled the students and apologizing for the approach taken while emphasizing that student disruptions were not welcome in her classroom. She managed the situation with “grace and humility” and effectively resolved the issue with the parents. Table 4.4 Strategies for coping with challenges described by veteran teachers

Strategy for coping

Teachers (N = 15)

Dealing with parental complaints

10

Managing student behaviors

9

Surviving the first few years in teaching

9

Maintaining work–life balance

6

4.22 Strategies Used for Coping with Profound Challenges

55

Sue similarly had to deal with a parent who was upset about the way an afterschool activity was handled. Sue oversaw an afterschool club program during which she had an issue with a male student. She called the student’s mother and asked her to pick him up, but the parent became upset and accused Sue of bullying the child. Sue had been in communication with her principal, who supported her throughout the process and assisted her with emailing the parent. The parent continued to complain, taking the issue all the way to the school board. Sue was discouraged by this situation, saying “stuff like that weighs heavy on me. I’m making these decisions the way I would treat my own children and lost sleep over that.” The veteran teachers in this study felt that parents often do not support teacher classroom management practices and side with the student in discipline situations.

4.22.2 Managing Student Behaviors (Theme #2) Student behavior was identified by the teachers as a significant challenge. Kim described a year in which she had multiple issues in class, recounting how, despite her best efforts, she felt alone and responsible for the issues in her class: I had a class with multiple student issues. The year did not start off that way. It seemed like a normal mix of students, but as the year progressed, things happened in students’ lives. It all came to a head in my classroom. I had students in intensive therapy, suspended, and going through special education testing. I had one on homebound because of emotional issues. [Homebound instruction or home teaching “involves the delivery of educational services” by school districts within a student’s home, which differs from home schooling, which a parent typically delivers; Patterson, 2018.] I had behavior issues—day treatment coming in and out. Lots of things were going on in my room. I knew I had people’s support, but it felt like it was my fault, because everything was happening in my room, so that was really hard. I did not have a team teacher working with me, so no one knew my students. No one else took my students, so I had them all day long. In reality, there was really no one to share the load of the problems with and the issues students were having.

Kim’s narration shifted from a more descriptive nature of classroom teaching to disclosure of her emotional and existential states: Although people say “We’re here for you,” you really feel alone. You felt like it was your responsibility and especially felt really bad for the good kids that were trying in spite of what was going on. I spent a lot of time in prayer that year and asked for the support and prayer of others. I reached out and used every resource that was offered to me, and took every class and training. Yes, I wanted to know and was interested, but I also wanted to show that I was doing everything possible to help my students. It wasn’t that I was letting it happen—I was trying to help them through this.

The struggle around managing students with trauma, disabilities, and mental health issues was a common thread in the teachers’ stories. Jake described what he identified as a new issue that had arisen in the last few years—students experiencing severe trauma in their lives. He spoke of feeling limited in his capacity to help these students.

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Tom had similar challenges in dealing with student trauma in his classroom. These students, he disclosed, “are not scared of consequences because they know they have been hurt in their life already a lot worse than anything that you can do to them.” While training was provided to the teachers in this school division on dealing with student trauma, the professionals we interviewed still felt it was a significant challenge.

4.22.3 Surviving the First Few Years in Teaching (Theme #3) As recounted by the veteran teachers, the first years of teaching presented trials with classroom management, managing time, relationships, and planning. They attributed good mentoring programs, supportive administration, experiences prior to teaching, and supportive colleagues as crucial for helping them persevere and overcome challenges. Sarah credited her prior experience as a Sunday school teacher to her capacity to persist as a new teacher, adding that her mentor played a role in her adaptation: The nun I was paired with taught first period and I taught second. She said, ‘Come sit in the back and watch me teach,’ knowing I had never worked with students. Challenging while guiding me, she said, ‘I’ll teach the class, then you take over. Then we’ll have lunch and talk about it.’ I worked with her like that for 3 years. In contrast are those new teachers who get help 6 weeks here and 6 weeks there. I don’t think that turns out a really good teacher. I was mentored over the years, which was tremendous.

Sarah’s experience as an early teacher was unique to this study. The opportunity to work so closely with a veteran teacher who was skilled, generous, collaborative, and forthcoming in her guidance was a welcoming support structure that she felt greatly enhanced her resiliency. Tom also spoke of receiving support during his first years of teaching, describing a situation where he made a mistake early on, but his principal provided feedback and supported him. Having had valuable experiences prior to entering the classroom better enabled these teachers to handle adversity early in their careers. Other experiences they named included working with daycares, church groups, camps, and athletics. In all of these arenas of life, they were able to gain knowledge and experience from working with young people and other stakeholders within informal learning contexts. Tim attributed his work with summer camps and daycares to his ability to handle some of the challenges first-year teachers often face. He felt that having worked with children outside of public schools prepared him to handle personal aspects of the job like “managing the classroom, creating and demonstrating expected behaviors, reinforcing expectations, and building relationships.” Those skills were considered “second nature” once he entered the classroom. Relationships and a sense of community aided Dana early on in her teaching career. Support from administration and colleagues helped her persevere despite adverse situations. Challenges faced by teachers early in their career are widely known. Strong mentoring programs and collegial assistance from administrators and staff are essential to becoming a resilient and effective teacher (Mullen, 2005).

4.22 Strategies Used for Coping with Profound Challenges

57

4.22.4 Maintaining Work–Life Balance (Theme #4) The ability to manage personal life and work life was cited as a challenge by the veteran teachers in this study. They indicated that developing and maintaining balance in their lives was important for remaining in the classroom. Kim upheld the value of having a life outside of the classroom: “Teachers who live, eat, sleep, and breathe their classroom seem to get burned out quickly when things do not go their way.” She talked about teacher burnout due to a lack of balance and perspective. Kim sought balance by finding things to enjoy outside of work and maintaining perspective on the job and throughout difficult situations. Amy also said that balance was incredibly important in reducing teacher burnout. She said that she put her family first and was able to walk away at the end of the day: “Those papers that need to be graded will still need grading tomorrow. It’s not a big deal—you need to spend that time away.” Time-management skills are essential in developing balance, according to Cindy, because “there’s always something to think about or change, to tweak, to grade, or to email a parent.” She worked really hard Sunday through Thursday evening to get all grading, lesson plans, and parent communication done. She would take breaks Friday night through Sunday afternoon: “I give myself a break because I need to be a parent and wife; I need to have a life because it can consume.” Finding hobbies or activities outside of school, such as yoga or exercise, was also mentioned by the teachers. Yoga helped keep Brenda “sane” and “meditating” on what matters in life. The veteran teachers felt that maintaining balance between work and personal life was difficult but necessary for reducing burnout.

4.23 Summary Demographic data obtained from the completed surveys were presented along with a summary of participants’ backgrounds. Findings (thematic outcomes) from the veteran teacher interviews were described in relation to each research question organized around the experiences that contributed to their desire to continue teaching. The seven findings/thematic outcomes identified through data analysis were: (1) purpose in teaching, (2) positive relationships in the milieu, (3) passion for teaching, (4) supportive school culture, (5) passion for curricular content, (6) accommodating work schedule, and (7) no other opportunities available. In the discussion of each theme, excerpts from the teacher interviews substantiated all outcomes. Ten contextual factors impacting teachers’ decision to remain in the classroom were explained. In vivo codes were provided, thereby establishing the context for how these factors impacted a teacher’s decision to stay in the profession. Twenty-two factors of resilience were also identified. Definitions of the factors, taken from previous research, were included in the conceptual profile. These factors were indicative of characteristics that teacher interviewees attributed to veteran teachers who stay in

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the classroom. This chapter concluded with an examination of four difficult situations the teachers expressed in their interviews and illustrations of how they navigated those challenges. Chapter 5 crystallizes findings from the veteran teacher interviews, complete with discussion of each finding for which supporting data and literature are integrated.

Chapter 5

Discussion of Findings

Abstract This chapter of Veteran Teacher Resilience crystallizes findings from the veteran teacher interviews in relation to supporting data and literature. Individual and contextual factors from the study overlapped with results from published research. Factors of veteran teacher resilience are mapped onto resilience dimensions from a published teacher resiliency framework. Contextualizing and exemplifying the resilience framework, its four dimensions are described relative to the interview findings. These dimensions are professional (e.g., treated like professionals); social (e.g., mentoring support), motivational (e.g., accommodating schedule), and emotional (e.g., recognize teacher successes). In turn, the factors are discussed in an integrative fashion within the present study’s 14 distinct but interconnected thematic findings: resilient teachers display individual factors; believe education is important; find their purpose in teaching; are passionate about their students; are passionate about their content; display perseverance; play a role in the development of resilience; are positively supported by administration; experience positive relationships as nurturing of teacher resilience; experience positive school culture as growing teacher resilience; see the big picture; value experience; value strong mentors; and desire relevant professional development. Keywords Fourteen findings · Mansfield · Resilience framework · Teacher resilience dimensions · Veteran teacher resilience

5.1 Overview This is where we crystalize findings from the veteran teacher interviews in relation to supporting data and literature. Individual and contextual factors from the study overlapped with results from published research. Factors of veteran teacher resilience are mapped onto resilience dimensions from the 2012 teacher resiliency framework of Mansfield, Beltman, Price, and McConney’s. Contextualizing and exemplifying the resilience framework, its four dimensions are described relative to the interview findings. These dimensions (shown in italics) matched with findings (noted in parentheses) are professional (e.g., treated like professionals); social (e.g., © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_5

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5 Discussion of Findings

mentoring support), motivational (e.g., accommodating schedule), and emotional (e.g., recognize teacher successes). In turn, the factors are discussed in an integrative fashion within the present study’s 14 distinct but interconnected thematic findings: resilient teachers display individual factors; believe education is important; find their purpose in teaching; are passionate about their students; are passionate about their content; display perseverance; play a role in the development of resilience; are positively supported by administration; experience positive relationships as nurturing of teacher resilience; experience positive school culture as growing teacher resilience; see the big picture; value experience; value strong mentors; and desire relevant professional development (PD). Regarding the findings covered previously that may be helpful to restate, we summarize key points before proceeding with the 14 findings from our interviews. The veteran teachers from four public schools within a single rural school division in central Virginia, USA, provided illuminating responses to interview questions. The primary research question precipitated exploratory study of experiences that contribute to veteran teachers’ desire to continue teaching. Associated questions probed contextual factors that play a role in those experiences, individual factors of resilience revealed through the teachers’ experiences, and strategies used to overcome challenging experiences in teaching. Seven reasons our teacher-interviewees gave for deciding to stay in the classroom simultaneously serve as factors of retention: (1) purpose in teaching, (2) positive relationships in the milieu, (3) passion for teaching students, (4) supportive school culture, (5) passion for curricular content, (6) accommodating work schedule, and (7) no other opportunities available. The interview data generated could be broken down into individual and contextual factors of retention. Specifically, 10 contextual factors of retention (e.g., mentoring support) and 22 individual factors of resilience (e.g., perseverance) impacting the teachers’ decision to remain were identified. Research-informed definitions of the factors were integrated in our conceptual profile. Four themes encapsulated the challenging situations these veteran teachers had faced: (1) dealing with parental complaints, (2) managing student behaviors, (3) surviving the first few years in teaching, and (4) maintaining work–life balance. Dealing with parents and parental behavior was an especially difficult challenge. Administrative support and collegial relationships proved critical for support. Teaching was said to be a demanding profession. Maintaining a healthy balance was considered important. Spending time with family and making time for personal hobbies and interests was valued. Without the support of colleagues and administration, they may not have survived the stress associated with the early years in the profession.

5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found

61

5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found With attention on the teacher resilience dimensions found, we now turn to the 14 research findings and articulate them in relation to the conceptual framework and literature. Before discussing each outcome in detail, we provide an analytical aid (Table 5.1) that encapsulates our findings, supporting data and literature, and implications. In creating our conceptual framework, we utilized the four dimensions of resilience identified by Mansfield et al. (2012) in a study of graduating and early career teachers. Instead, we identified individual and contextual factors associated with veteran teachers’ perceptions and experiences. Our literature review synthesis identified four key dynamics associated with teacher retention: (1) individual factors, (2) contextual factors, (3) teacher stress and burnout, and (4) strategies that cultivate resilience. Empirical and narrative research is discussed in association with our study findings summarized in Table 5.2. This display categorizes the individual and cultural factors culled from veteran teachers’ interview responses into one of four resilience dimensions—professional, social, motivational, and emotional (from Mansfield et al., 2012). The data we generated from the interviews aligned with individual and contextual factors and the conceptual framework. This finding suggests that the veteran teacher participants demonstrated characteristics of resilience and identified contextual factors that played a role in their development of those characteristics. Individual and contextual factors overlapped in our study and the published research, and these are next summarized for 14 different findings, beginning with the finding that resilient teachers display individual factors. Resilient Teachers Display Individual Factors (Finding #1). The 22 individual factors identified in this study corroborate our literature review and further strengthen the correlation between teacher resilience and teacher retention. While no new factors emerged, the attention given to veteran teachers’ experiences of adversity and resilience and the citing of their ideas, thereby enlivening their perspectives in their own words, add to the teacher research in general and relative to these individual factors. Resilient Teachers Believe Education is Important (Finding #2). All noted that education was important in their families and that they had parental support during their K–12 years. They discussed how this focus on education had driven them to be successful students. Twelve teachers described how they now emphasize education in their own families. This finding coincides with Taylor (2013) and Polidore’s (2004) finding that education was important to teachers who display resilience in the classroom. Resilient Teachers Find Their Purpose in Teaching (Finding #3). It was evident in the interviewees’ words and gestures that they were passionate about education. They described “a feeling of purpose” and felt “they could make a difference.” Five teachers recalled this “calling to teach” when they were young, narrating such

22 individual factors were Resilient teachers display identified from the analysis individual factors of the veteran teacher data (Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016)

All (15) teachers identified Resilient teachers believe education as important education is important (Polidore, 2004; Taylor, 2013)

14 teachers said they find purpose in teaching

12 teachers said they were passionate about their students

#1. Resilient teachers display individual factors

#2. Resilient teachers believe education is important

#3. Resilient teachers find their purpose in teaching

#4. Resilient teachers are passionate about their students

Maintain an open-door policy for teachers. Provide teachers with strong mentors and opportunities to develop collegial relationships. Display empathy with the daily demands of teaching

Recruit and hire teachers that are self-motivated and view teaching as purposeful or “a calling”

More research needs to be conducted on the specific individual factors of resilience and how they are developed

Implications of finding

(continued)

Teachers that display Recruit and hire teachers that are organized, reflective, and passionate passion for their students about students and their content are more resilient than those that are not (Bennett et al., 2013; Perrachione et al., 2008; Robertson-Kraft & Duckworth, 2014)

Resilient teachers find purpose in their teaching (Gu & Day, 2013; Taylor, 2013)

Data supporting finding (N Literature supporting = 15 teachers) finding

Findings (from #1 to #14)

Table 5.1 Teacher resilience dimensions found, supporting data and literature, and implications

62 5 Discussion of Findings

9 teachers said they were passionate about their content

All teachers said that bouncing back from failure and persevering through adverse situations is important

#5. Resilient teachers are passionate about their content

#6. Resilient teachers display perseverance

(continued)

Administrative support is 1. Recognize teacher strengths and successes. Provide support with an important contextual student discipline and parental concerns by establishing clear factor in developing expectations 2. Division or school wide PD should take place to share information teacher resilience and that everyone needs retaining teachers (Boyd et al., 2011; Nydoye et al., 2010)

#8. Positive administrative support fosters teacher resilience

14 teachers said that the support of their administration was a factor in their decision to remain in the classroom

Contextual factors have Support teachers with the resources they need to be effective in the an impact on a teacher’s classroom. Reduce the teacher’s workload by not overloading them with development of resilience tasks that are not necessary or beneficial to student learning (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Dupriez, et al., 2016; Whipp & Salin, 2018)

Seek out teachers who have displayed an ability to persevere through challenges or have demonstrated they can bounce back from failure

Mentor teachers observe their mentee. They are then observed by the mentee (peer coaching). They meet often to discuss strategies to improve classroom management, instruction, and planning

Implications of finding

#7. Contextual factors play All teachers identified a role in the development contextual factors that of resilience have impacted their development of resilience

Managing emotions and persevering through challenges are characteristics of a resilient teacher (Mansfield et al., 2012)

A teacher’s passion for content serves as motivation for them to succeed (Mansfield et al., 2012)

Data supporting finding (N Literature supporting = 15 teachers) finding

Findings (from #1 to #14)

Table 5.1 (continued)

5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found 63

Data supporting finding (N Literature supporting = 15 teachers) finding Positive relationships are important in the development of teacher resilience (Le Cornu, 2013; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016) School culture is important in developing teacher resilience and improving teacher retention (Boyd et al., 2011; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Whipp & Salin, 2018)

All teachers said that positive relationships with their colleagues were important in their development as a teacher

Findings (from #1 to #14)

#9. Positive relationships nurture teacher resilience

#10. Positive school culture 10 teachers stated that the grows teacher resilience positive culture within their school was an important factor in their decision to remain in the classroom

Table 5.1 (continued)

(continued)

Seek out teachers that enjoy working with others, are relational, and are good communicators Future research into this contextual factor should focus on how specific characteristics of school culture impact the development of teacher resilience As policymakers consider the timing and layout of instructional days, there should be a concerted effort to take teacher recommendations into consideration Mentor teachers need to communicate school culture, expectations, and procedures. They provide feedback on lesson plans, lesson delivery, and classroom management

More research is needed investigating the components of effective collegial relationships Provide teachers time each day where they can communicate with their colleagues. Have social gatherings before or after school to provide opportunities to develop camaraderie

Implications of finding

64 5 Discussion of Findings

11 teachers commented on how during times of adversity they maintain balance and trust their support from colleagues and administration. They prioritize relationships and to avoid burnout

12 teachers stated that experience in the classroom was their greatest teacher

#11. Resilient teachers see the big picture

#12. Resilient teachers value experience

Professional experiences play a role in developing teacher resilience (Le Cornu, 2009)

Emotional exhaustion is a cause of teacher burnout (Grayson & Alvarez, 2008). Protective factors and supportive colleagues can minimize the impact of adverse situations (Grissom, 2011; Gu & Day, 2007; Johnson et al., 2012; Ladd, 2011)

Data supporting finding (N Literature supporting = 15 teachers) finding

Findings (from #1 to #14)

Table 5.1 (continued)

(continued)

Policymakers should reduce the initial requirements for teachers to obtain a teaching license. A change in this policy would allow teachers to complete the academic requirements needed to enter the classroom. An apprenticeship program could be developed where teachers who have just graduated from a teacher preparation program could be hired in schools and gain experience under the three-year induction program just mentioned. This would provide teachers with experience in the school that they will be working at and with the mentorship they need

Policymakers should provide more funding for mentor teachers so that administrators can develop schedules where mentors and mentees have an opportunity to collaborate on a regular basis. Funds for additional personnel, stipends, and training should be provided so that mentor teachers do not burnout. Mentoring should be a rewarding experience for both the mentor and mentee. For mentoring to occur, more personnel will be required to reduce the workload of all teachers

Implications of finding

5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found 65

All teachers said that a strong mentoring program would be beneficial for new teachers

5 teachers said that teacher-driven PD is critical to their success

#13. Resilient teachers value strong mentors

#14. Resilient teachers desire relevant PD

PD should be provided for teachers that meet the individual needs of each teacher (Bozkus & Bayrak, 2019; Patterson et al., 2004)

Providing teachers with strong mentors can help guide teachers through challenges (Tait, 2008; Yost, 2006)

Data supporting finding (N Literature supporting = 15 teachers) finding

Findings (from #1 to #14)

Table 5.1 (continued)

Teachers should be allowed to attend or design PD that is pertinent to them, so that they can focus on improving PD should be implemented for mental health, strategies for handling adversity, communication with parents, dealing with difficult parents, and maintaining work-life balance

More research needs to be done by looking at the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs and mentoring programs Mentor teachers work to develop mentee strengths. They empower them to make decisions and then provide feedback. When challenges occur, they provide support and guidance Mentor teachers provide mentee teachers with support in communicating with parents. They advocate for new teachers who struggle with various aspects of the job. They help their mentee to bounce back from failure by providing support

Implications of finding

66 5 Discussion of Findings

5.2 Teacher Resilience Dimensions Found

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Table 5.2 Factors of veteran teacher resilience from interview data mapped onto resilience dimensions Professional

Social

Motivational

Emotional

Treated like professionals

Mentoring support

Accommodating schedule

Recognize teacher successes

Provided resources

Relationships with colleagues

Sees the big picture

Parental support

Maintained facilities

Advocate

Seeks personal growth

Empathetic

Administrative support

Mindful of others

Love for their school Sense of humor

School environment organized

Passion for students

Balance

Adaptable

Focus on student growth

Prayer

Enthusiasm for helping others

Perseverance

Passion for the content

Manages emotions

Self-motivated

Stays positive Bounces back from failure Gratification in teaching Called to teach

influences as “playing school” (and teacher) at home. The teachers’ enthusiasm for helping others was intertwined with their gratification in teaching, which they referred to as a “rewarding profession” in which they could influence children’s lives. “Sense of purpose” at the level of a “calling” is supported in research on teacher resilience and the capacity to bounce back from hardship and defeat negativity (e.g., Gu & Day, 2007, 2013; Stronks & Stronks, 1999). Resilient Teachers are Passionate About Their Students (Finding #4). The enthusiasm and gratification the teachers displayed was also evident in their passion for teaching students and being part of their school community. They used phrases like “I love the kids” and “I just want to see them succeed.” Bennett et al. (2013) found that teachers who felt their job was a calling and who had a passion for working with students were more likely to remain in the classroom. Robertson-Kraft and Duckworth (2014) asserted that passion felt by teachers can make them more perseverant, despite challenges, and thus more likely to remain in their schools. According to Perrachione et al. (2008), teacher job satisfaction and retention were intertwined with working with students; in fact, the teacher–student relationship is of such singular importance that it significantly impacts whether teachers stay.

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Resilient Teachers are Passionate About Their Content (Finding #5). The interviewees also demonstrated a passion for their content, which reflects their passion for teaching. The students and content served as motivational factors for the teachers. They described a love for sports, love for history, and love for children this age. The teachers revealed an intrinsic desire to learn more about their content area to help their students grow that much more. This finding falls in line with the motivational component of Mansfield et al.’s (2012) dimensions of teacher resilience. Resilient Teachers Display Perseverance (Finding #6). The teachers attributed their passion for students and subject matter with their ability to persevere through challenging situations. They described how some days are daunting and how a lot of work comes with teaching, but that the labor is worth it because of the students. They understood that being able to bounce back from adverse situations is critical to the perseverance of a teacher. Remaining positive and focusing on student growth were seen as keys to their capacity to bounce back from strain, hardship, and failure. As identified in Mansfield et al. (2012), resilient teachers demonstrated an ability to manage their emotions and to be mindful of others, always trying to see the big picture. The individual factor of teacher self-efficacy was a significant finding from the literature reviewed (e.g., Gu & Day, 2013; Hong, 2012; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016; Schunk & Mullen, 2013a). The research indicated that teachers who remain in teaching often display confidence in their skills within the classroom and are engaged as both teachers and learners. The teachers we interviewed neither demonstrated nor described confidence in their abilities as a factor for remaining in the classroom. In fact, they were not always confident in what they were doing, and some expressed less self-confidence than others. They were aware of the need for support and reliance on their colleagues and administration. The finding of self-efficacy in the classroom as a variable in a teacher’s decision to remain was not supported in our study. Despite their lack of confidence at times during their career, these veteran teachers persisted and developed profound insights and self-awareness. Contextual Factors Play a Role in Developing Resilience (Finding #7). Prior research in teacher resilience and retention found that contextual factors were influential in a teacher’s decision to remain in the classroom (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Dupriez, et al., 2016; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Malloy & Allen 2007; Perrachione et al., 2008; Whipp & Salin, 2018). Our study identified 10 contextual factors that veteran teachers identified as influential in their decision to remain in the classroom, which resonate in the literature reviewed (see Appendix A). The development of a school culture with a supportive administration, genuine relationships, and a strong mentoring program was considered essential. Positive Administrative Support Fosters Teacher Resilience (Finding #8). The teachers’ descriptions of administrative support reflected the outcomes of Nydoye et al. (2010). They described their administrators as “supportive” and “always having their back” when dealing with student or parent issues. When discussing how their administrators communicate expectations and policy, the teachers used expressions

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like “good communicator” and “organized.” Boyd et al. (2011) found that empowering teachers and implementing a collective approach was significant in the retention of teachers. The interviewees in our study credited their administrators with providing them with autonomy in their classrooms, saying they “trusted them as professionals.” Administrative staff had “gone above and beyond what is required” in the daily lives of most of these teachers and what they needed for their work and relationships. Positive Relationships Nurture Teacher Resilience (Finding #9). Relationships are critical in the growth of teacher resilience, according to research conducted by Le Cornu (2013) and Mansfield et al. (2016). Similarly, our participants painted a picture of relationships as a priority. They used such language as “family,” “supportive,” “blessed,” and “friendly” when referring to their coworkers, indicating that the strong bonds built with other teachers are critical to their own success. Collegial access, described as having “someone to bounce ideas off of” and “someone to talk to,” were consistent refrains that underscored how resiliency can be relationally generated and internally reinforced. The teachers attributed to these strong relationships a motivation for staying in the classroom. In the development of these relationships, seven teachers indicated that the relationships were built early in their teaching career. As novice teachers, they were provided strong mentor teachers with whom they developed supportive and collaborative relationships. A Positive School Culture Grows Teacher Resilience (Finding #10). Like Whipp and Salin (2018), the teachers described support from administrators with school discipline, support from parents, the provision of autonomy, and a collaborative environment as key to the school culture. Several teachers also indicated that if the school culture was not supportive, they would leave teaching. Teachers stated that they valued their ability to collaborate and be involved in decision-making. This outcome is supported by Malloy and Allen (2007), who found that genuine personal relationships and involvement in decision-making were important to teachers. Boyd et al. (2011) found that facilities and maintenance can also impact a teacher’s decision to continue teaching. Three of the interviewees identified the condition of their building and the support of their custodial staff as factoring into why they have not left. Despite the age of the buildings, teachers considered them clean and well maintained. They also spoke of being provided the necessary resources to do their job, such as the funds to purchase what they needed for instructional purposes. This finding echoes Kersaint et al. (2007), who found that administrative and financial support are factors in teacher decisions to remain in the classroom. Seven (of the 15 teachers) described the relative flexibility of their work schedule combined with days off as a motivating factor in their decision to remain. Being on the same schedule as family members and having summers to spend with family were extremely important benefits. Occasional holidays and snow days added to the mix, making the profession more enjoyable. In the literature, compensation was presented as a significant contextual factor in a teacher’s decision to remain in the classroom (Garcia et al., 2009; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Steele et al., 2010). The interviewees in this study mentioned compensation as a challenge but did not attribute compensation as a factor in their

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decision to remain in the classroom. They referenced compensation as a challenge that they were aware of before entering the profession, noting that they did not become a teacher to “make a lot of money.” The finding of compensation as a significant factor in determining a teacher’s decision to remain in the classroom was not supported by our study. Resilient Teachers See the Big Picture (Finding #11). According to Fitchett et al. (2018), 25% of new teachers suffered burnout symptoms during their first year of teaching. Grayson and Alvarez (2008) identified emotional exhaustion as the strongest contributor to teacher burnout. To the interviewees, teaching requires a balance of work and personal time. They valued making a life outside of the classroom and “putting family first.” Individuals who live/eat/sleep their classrooms tend to burn out quickly. School culture and administrative support also seemed to play a role in reducing the teachers’ stress and burnout in this study. Their description of supportive colleagues and administrators fell in line with previous research into teacher adversity (Allensworth et al., 2009; Grissom, 2011; Johnson et al., 2012; Ladd, 2011). Administration was, for the most part, portrayed as flexible, allowing these teachers to leave school for family-related matters. Site-based administrators were praised for their support in dealing with stressful parent issues and student discipline. Thirteen of the teachers described experiences where they had faced adversity in their classroom. Eleven of them spoke of how they overcame hardship with the support of their administration and colleagues. They detailed how difficult experiences made them stronger and were a learning experience. Two of the interviewees discussed past teaching experiences at a school outside their school division wherein their administrators had not been supportive, resulting in their departure. Gu and Day (2007) found that protective factors can minimize the impact of adverse situations. Based on the testimony of the teachers in this study, the two important protective factors that are key to the development of teacher resilience are school culture and administrative support. Resilient Teachers Value Experience (Finding #12). Nine of the teachers in this study did not feel like they were prepared when they graduated from their teaching preparation program. Some described feeling that they were prepared, but when looking back, they were totally unprepared. Fontaine et al. (2012) similarly found that teachers left preparation programs with confidence, but that confidence waned after their first year of teaching. The teachers spoke of how a lack of experience in the classroom and too much academic work not directly associated with teaching student groups are disadvantages of many teacher preparation programs. Teachers with experience working with children prior to entering the classroom displayed confidence in dealing with noninstructional components like classroom management and developing positive relationships. Le Cornu (2009) found that professional experiences played a role in building teacher resilience. Communication with parents and students, time management, coping strategies, and the development of collegial relationships were skills the interviewees considered important but lacking in university-based teacher preparation programs.

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Resilient Teachers Value Strong Mentors (Finding #13). The teachers in this study considered experience as the number-one strategy for developing resilience. They described situations where they had to learn and grow despite failure. The teachers stated that a mentoring program is needed to forge relationships between and among veteran and novice teachers. This relationship should not be strictly about course content and instructional strategies but instead include wide-ranging conversations about all aspects of teaching. Many of the teachers alluded to mentoring systems where teachers are situated as “buddies” who meet on a regular basis and discuss classroom culture, instructional practices, expectations, and classroom management. The mentor relationship would allow teachers to observe each other and offer constructive feedback. These relationships should extend beyond the first year of teaching for a minimum of 3 years. Curtis (2012) found that teachers go into the field with a desire to help others but are often discouraged due to poor working conditions and a lack of administrative support. Providing teachers with mentors who are capable of building strong relationships and investing in collegial learning is essential for improving school culture (Mullen, 2005). Resilient Teachers Desire Relevant PD (Finding #14). PD within the school division was not viewed in a positive light by the interviewees. The teachers stated that divisionwide PD often does not pertain to them or is not usable. The teachers cited that more specific and personalized PD would be more beneficial. Bozkus and Bayrak (2019) found that PD should be provided for teachers that meet the individual needs of each teacher. This finding supports the need to provide teachers with the autonomy to choose PD that matches their needs and time restraints.

5.3 Summary A crystallization of findings was provided, with summation of interview findings previously addressed. Individual and contextual factors from the study overlapped with results from published research. Factors of veteran teacher resilience were mapped onto the four resilience dimensions from the 2012 teacher framework of Mansfield et al. Further, the factors were discussed in an integrative fashion within the present study’s 14 thematic findings. The conclusions that were drawn and verified led to implications for research and practice, as discussed in the last chapter.

Chapter 6

Conclusions

Abstract In this last chapter of Veteran Teacher Resilience, topics of discussion are implications for research and practice (e.g., recruitment and hiring), followed by suggestions for further research and final remarks. This qualitative study’s two purposes have been fulfilled: (1) to explain factors that influence resilience, and the phenomenon of resilience itself, from the lens of veteran teachers, (2) to address induction programs and professional development through a framework for developing resilient teachers and a resilient school culture. The book fills in pieces of information missing from the literature regarding veteran teacher resilience and reasons for deciding to remain in the classroom. Some important insights were gained for understanding veteran teacher retention and resilience. Pinpointing factors that may have an influence, teachers’ own stories of resiliency were described, which led to dimensions of resilience. Identified were 10 contextual factors and 22 individual factors of resilience based on rural veteran teachers’ experiences. These factors were assigned to teacher resilience dimensions in a conceptual framework (i.e., Mansfield, Beltman, Price, & McConney, 2012). The interview study’s contextual and individual factors aligned with the teacher resiliency framework. A veteran teacher resilience framework was developed using responses from interviews and sources. Keywords Conclusions · Implications for practice · Implications for research · Recommendations

6.1 Overview In this last chapter, we tackle a series of topics for discussion: implications for research and practice (e.g., recruitment and hiring), followed by suggestions for further research and final remarks. Our qualitative study’s two purposes have been fulfilled: (1) to explain factors that influence resilience, and the phenomenon of resilience itself, from the lens of veteran teachers, (2) to address induction programs and professional development (PD) through a framework for developing resilient teachers and a resilient school culture.

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4_6

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The book fills in pieces of information missing from the literature regarding veteran teacher resilience and reasons for deciding to remain in the classroom. Some important insights were gained for understanding veteran teacher retention and resilience. Pinpointing factors that may have an influence, teachers’ own stories of resiliency were described, which led to dimensions of resilience being articulated. Identified were 10 contextual factors and 22 individual factors of resilience based on rural veteran teachers’ experiences. These factors were assigned to teacher resilience dimensions in a conceptual framework (i.e., Mansfield, Beltman, Price, & McConney, 2012). The interview study’s contextual and individual factors aligned with the teacher resiliency framework. A veteran teacher resilience framework emerged from interview responses and published research.

6.2 Implications for Research Teacher resilience is understudied, yet offers a much needed perspective in the field. So much effort and energy are spent on examining why teachers leave, there is a dearth of research on why they stay, which is at least as important as why they leave. This research examined the very broad scope of why veteran teachers have remained in the classroom and if there were any factors of resiliency present in those teachers. The resilience factors that we identified correspond with those that have been presented in previous research. More research needs to be conducted on the specific individual factors of resilience and how they are developed. Additional research is also needed on strategies school administrators can use to develop teacher resilience. Also, larger studies need to be conducted on the subject. A key finding that emerged from our exploratory study was the importance of collegial relationships. More research is needed to investigate the components of effective collegial relationships. In this study, teachers identified their relationships with colleagues as supportive, friendly, and family-like. Additional research investigating the actions that take place within these relationships would be beneficial to both teachers and administrators. Relationships with both veteran and novice teachers have been shown to be significant (Le Cornu, 2013; Mansfield et al., 2016). The development of positive relationships in teacher preparation programs and mentoring programs may be important in the future recruitment and retention of teachers. More research needs to examine the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs and mentoring programs. Thirteen of the teachers we interviewed stated that their teacher preparation program was not adequate in preparing them for the classroom. Research investigating effective and ineffective teacher preparation programs is needed. These interviewees stated that a blended model of teacher preparation and mentoring would be effective. Research into the strategies to better blend the two experiences should be undertaken so novice teachers can better transition into the classroom.

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School culture was one reason the interviewees in this study decided to remain in the classroom. This finding is supported by previous research in teacher retention and resilience (Malloy & Allen, 2007; Tait, 2008; Whipp & Salin, 2018). Future research into this contextual factor should focus on how specific characteristics of school culture impact the development of teacher resilience. Current practices that school leaders employ to develop a positive school culture should be examined to determine potential relationships with teacher resilience. As more and more relationships between practice and resilience are discovered, school leaders will be provided with more resources to develop positive school culture and improve teacher retention.

6.3 Implications for Practice There is a lot school leaders can do to develop teacher resilience and resilient school cultures aimed at increasing job satisfaction and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacts all teachers. For those who have remained in the profession, there should be concern about their health and wellbeing, given the uncertainty, isolation, and fear. Understanding the toll this globally localized health crisis is taking, administrators should follow best practices in the field that have been researched and shown to have merit through teachers’ eyes. Also, fundamentally, administrators must recognize that a school’s culture is everyone’s responsibility, not solely the principal’s or other leaders’. A summary of advisable strategies—what we call the big three—follows with actionable steps from applicable research on school culture and leadership (e.g., Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Bennett et al., 2013; Boyd et al., 2011; Chiong et al., 2017; Curtis, 2012; Dupriez et al., 2016; Garcia et al., 2009; Glazer, 2018; Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Malloy & Allen, 2007; Mansfield et al., 2012, 2016; Nieto, 2003; Nydoye et al., 2010; Richards et al., 2016; Sedivy-Benton & Boden-McGill, 2012; Tait, 2008; Taylor, 2013; Towers, 2017; Whipp & Salin, 2018; Yost, 2006). School leadership that is effective: (a) Demonstrates supportive administration: communicates a clear school vision; recognizes achievement and hard work, as well as teachers’ self-initiative. Is available to talk with teachers and discuss issues, makes decisions fairly, and effectively uses PD time. (b) Streamlines teachers’ workload: effectively uses technology; reviews feedback and grading practices; makes collaborative planning efficient and appropriately uses resources; reviews data collection and management systems; ensures the efficiency of communication practices; pays attention to workload implications as jobs and duties change; and monitors the work, ensuring that the work is proportional to its value. (c) Creates a positive collegial school culture: makes numerous sources of support available within the school; generates opportunities for “relational resilience” so that teachers are mutually supportive and trusting by, for example, team

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building; mentoring, coaching, and assisting; participating in networks and buddy systems; and collaboratively planning curriculum, units, lessons, PD, etc. Devotes time and resources to developing supportive systems and practices. The work schedule for teachers in our study, it turns out, significantly influenced their decision to remain in the classroom. Veteran teachers conveyed that they appreciate their daily routine and having summers off. Education leaders should keep this in mind as they develop schedules and consider teacher recommendations. The work schedule described by teachers provides them with an opportunity to find balance in their lives. Teacher interviewees stated that mentoring programs should provide opportunities for new teachers to develop strong relationships with veteran teachers. A reduced workload for new teachers was also recommended as was more or better compensation for mentor teachers who contribute mentoring capacity to their schools (as per recommendations from the mentoring literature; e.g., Mullen, 2005). Elected officials would be wise to provide (more) funding for mentoring so administrators can support opportunities for ongoing collaboration. However, the outside support may not materialize. School leaders can create those programs with their internal resources, so we strongly encourage them to do so. Creating or developing teacher resilience has greater urgency now due to the evolving model of K–12 education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the move to distance education and learning that has arisen out of changing mandates for social distancing and homeschooling, education leaders can generate internal resources, such as by restructuring budgets to accommodate teacher PD and training. Funds for additional personnel, stipends, PD, and training are certainly warranted so mentor teachers do not burn out, but a commitment from leadership has to be made regardless of outside support. Mentoring should be a rewarding experience for mentors and mentees alike. For effective, high-quality mentoring to transpire, more personnel may be warranted to reduce the workload of participating teachers. School leaders should pair novice teachers with a mentor teacher for a sustained period (e.g., 3 years). By moderating teachers’ workload, new teachers can ease into the profession and gradually absorb the work that is required. It will also allow them to develop the relational skills necessary to manage their classrooms. Like the previous research on teachers, those we interviewed indicated that they did not think their teacher preparation program provided enough classroom-based experience (Curtis, 2012; Fontaine et al., 2012). School leaders should reduce the initial requirements for teachers to obtain a teaching license. A change in this policy would allow teachers to complete the academic requirements needed to enter the classroom. An apprenticeship program could be developed where teachers who have just graduated could be hired in schools and gain experience through the 3-year induction program. This would provide teachers with experience in the school that they will be working at and with the mentorship they need. One of the teachers interviewed indicated that being hired at the school where he completed his student teaching really helped him transition into his first few years of teaching.

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Education leaders need to support faculty resilience and develop programs and implement initiatives for improving teachers’ adaptability, including to unexpected change. For this purpose, education leaders should include all four dimensions of resilience—professional, social, motivational, and emotional—in their culturebuilding efforts. Table 6.1 offers a resource for school administrators developing programs to support their teachers and build a resilient school culture. This framework was designed using data from the conceptual framework and the veteran teacher interviews. Main actions specified for building a culture of school resilience are recruiting and hiring, reculturing, mentoring, and professional learning. Each of these four actions is delineated on the chart relative to the steps described for the four resilience dimensions; e.g., professional learning (the fourth action listed) involves a division or schoolwide PD that should take place to share information that everyone needs for building professional resilience, and so forth. Recruiting and Hiring. The veteran teachers interviewed in this study indicated that education was important to them and that they were self-motivated from a very early age (Mansfield et al., 2012; Taylor, 2013). Five of the teachers remarked that teaching was something that they had always envisioned themselves doing (Polidore, 2004; Taylor, 2013). Fourteen of the teachers described how they found purpose in teaching, while 11 of them felt passionate about helping others (Bennett et al., 2013; Mansfield et al., 2012; Robertson-Kraft & Duckworth, 2014; Taylor, 2013). Twelve teachers spoke of their passion for students, while nine conveyed passion for their content (Bennett et al., 2013; Mansfield et al., 2012; Robertson-Kraft & Duckworth, 2014; Taylor, 2013). Thirteen of them considered themselves to be self-motivated (Schunk et al., 2020). All but one of the teachers noted the value of relationships and good communication (Mansfield et al., 2012; Towers, 2017). All 15 teachers spoke about the importance of persevering through challenges and being able to bounce back from failure (Martin, 2016; Robertson-Kraft & Duckworth, 2014). These individual factors identified in this framework for the recruitment and hiring of teachers have been shown in this study and previous research to be important in the development of teacher resilience (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Bennett et al., 2013; Mansfield et al., 2016; Patterson et al., 2004; Taylor, 2013). Reculturing. For seven of the teachers we interviewed, provision of necessary resources played a role in their decision to remain in the classroom (Castro et al., 2010; Mansfield et al., 2012). Twelve teachers indicated that additional responsibilities impact their enjoyment and satisfaction in their workplace (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Kersaint et al., 2007; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009). Most (14) of them spoke about the importance of both collegial and student relationships (Le Cornu, 2013; Mansfield et al., 2012; Towers, 2017). Nearly all underscored the value of administrative support in their decision to remain in the classroom (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Kersaint et al., 2007; Nydoye et al., 2010). The teachers referred to administrative support in acknowledging teacher success and dealing with parental concerns and student discipline. The interviewees also acknowledged the importance of mentoring in developing positive and professional relationships (Curtis, 2012; Fontaine et al.,

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Table 6.1 Action-based framework for building a culture of resilience in schools Action

Professional

Social

Motivational

Emotional

Recruiting and hiring

Recruit and hire teachers that are organized, reflective, and passionate about students and their content. Design interview questions to evaluate those characteristics

Seek teachers that enjoy working with others, are relational, and are good communicators. Design interview questions to evaluate those characteristics

Recruit and hire teachers that are self-motivated and view teaching as purposeful or as a calling. Design interview questions to evaluate those characteristics

Seek teachers who have displayed an ability to persevere through challenges or have demonstrated that they can bounce back from failure. Design interview questions to evaluate those characteristics

Reculturing

Support teachers with the resources they need to be effective in the classroom. Reduce teachers’ workload by not overloading them with tasks that are not necessary or beneficial to student learning

Provide teachers time each day where they can communicate with their colleagues. Have social gatherings before or after school to provide opportunities to develop camaraderie

Recognize teacher strengths and successes. Provide support with student discipline and parental concerns by establishing clear expectations

Maintain an open-door policy for teachers. Provide teachers with strong mentors and opportunities to develop collegial relationships. Display empathy with the daily demands of teaching

Mentoring

Mentor teachers communicate school culture, expectations, and procedures. They provide feedback on lesson plans, lesson delivery, and classroom management

Mentor teachers observe their mentee. They are then observed by the mentee (peer coaching). They meet often to discuss strategies to improve classroom management, instruction, and planning

Mentor teachers work to develop mentee strengths. They empower them to make decisions and then provide feedback. When challenges occur, they provide support and guidance

Mentor teachers provide mentee teachers with support in communicating with parents. They advocate for new teachers who struggle with various aspects of the job. They help their mentee bounce back from failure by providing support (continued)

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Table 6.1 (continued) Action

Professional

Social

Motivational

Emotional

Professional learning

Division or schoolwide PD should take place to share information that everyone needs

Time should be assigned for community groups to meet regularly to discuss challenges and strategies to improve. This will build camaraderie among staff

Teachers should be allowed to attend or design PD that is pertinent to them so they can focus on improving

PD should be implemented for mental health, strategies to handle adversity, communication with parents, dealing with difficult parents, and maintaining work–life balance

2012; Malloy & Allen, 2007). The contextual factors inserted into this framework for developing teacher resilience were identified both in this study and in previous research (Ainsworth & Oldfield, 2019; Curtis, 2012; Le Cornu, 2013; Nydoye et al., 2010). Mentoring. Mentor support was specifically discussed by eight teachers. Support from veteran colleagues was identified by 13 teachers as important in their development as a teacher (Curtis, 2012; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Tait, 2008; Yost, 2006). The teachers discussed issues that new teachers face such as classroom management, dealing with parents, lesson planning, lesson delivery, developing relationships, and learning how to bounce back from failure (Castro et al., 2010; Curtis, 2012; Le Cornu, 2009; Mansfield et al., 2012; Yonezawa et al., 2011). The strategies that were incorporated into this framework for improving mentoring support were drawn from the experiences of these teachers and empirical research (Castro et al., 2010; Curtis, 2012; Inman & Marlow, 2004; Mansfield et al., 2016; Patterson et al., 2004; Tait, 2008; Yost, 2006). Professional Learning. Professional learning and development was mentioned by eight of the veteran teachers. They did not seem to have a positive view of PD as handled by their school division, although a few spoke of specific PD opportunities as having been worthwhile. The general takeaway was that the current mode of PD was at times a waste, and not applicable to them. They felt that PD should be more personal to address the specific needs of individual teachers (Bozkus & Bayrak, 2019; Patterson et al., 2004). The teachers mentioned that often PD only focuses on the technical aspects of the job. They saw benefit in having more PD opportunities address other aspects of the job (Castro et al., 2010; Yonezawa et al., 2011). The strategies incorporated into this framework were developed using the experiences of the teachers in this study and the research included in the literature review (Castro et al., 2010; Patterson et al., 2004; Yonezawa et al., 2011).

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6 Conclusions

6.4 Suggestions for Further Research Findings from this research identified the reasons veteran teachers have remained in the classroom within one rural school division in central Virginia. The study utilized a small sample size, thus future research could include a larger sample size and make comparisons among rural, urban, and suburban school districts. Efforts to improve teacher retention and address teacher resilience could benefit policy, practice, and research. The individual and contextual factors identified in this teacher interview study and previous research would benefit from much more exploration. The nuances of each factor can be better understood through in-depth interpretive analysis. Benefits of ongoing research with practical application within schools might not only improve teacher retention but also enhance teacher growth and development. Lastly, more research is needed to identify what strategies teachers employ when dealing with adversity and challenging situations. Such insights could play a role in enhancing teacher resilience and improving teacher retention. Investigations carried out on a larger scale could illuminate the challenges associated with school divisions (or districts) serving rural, urban, and suburban populations. Future research could contribute to the literature by identifying ways to promote resilience for preservice and inservice teachers and at various points on the career continuum. Deeper understanding of resilience is needed and how it connects with veteran teacher retention, with an emphasis on creating pathways of self-actualization for teachers with less experience and those aspiring to the profession, as well as those with lower resilience. Given that PD and learning may play a part in “supporting teacher resilience throughout the career span,” another next step for researchers is to investigate experiences and interventions that foster resilience (Mansfield & Beltman, 2019, p. 584). Many studies of resilience have investigated teachers’ perspectives and the “ecologies that impact on teacher resilience in different countries and contexts”; however, “the issue of how teacher resilience may be promoted through professional learning” has attracted less attention (pp. 583–584). Adopting a “social ecological view of resilience” would allow for scrutiny of capacity, process, and outcome, specifically teachers’ capacity for harnessing resources and navigating challenges (i.e., resilience) along with the process whereby teacher characteristics and contexts interact as teachers utilize strategies; and the outcome of these dynamics for teachers who experience benefit in a myriad of possible ways (e.g., commitment to, and engagement in, the profession) (Mansfield & Beltman, 2019, p. 584).

6.5 Conclusion We identified a gap in the literature by exploring veteran teacher resilience and their reasons for deciding to remain in the classroom. Across the veteran teachers we interviewed, seven reasons were conveyed for why they stayed in the teaching

6.5 Conclusion

81

profession. Because the conversations took place in one rural school division in central Virginia, these reasons given might not be applicable to all veteran teachers but do add to the literature on teacher retention and resilience, particularly as concerns veteran educators. Seeking to pinpoint factors that may influence teacher resilience, we explored teachers’ own stories of resiliency, which led us to articulate dimensions of resilience. We were able to identify 10 contextual factors and 22 individual factors of resilience based on the experiences of select rural veteran teachers. These factors were assigned to one of four dimensions of teacher resilience from Mansfield et al.’s (2012) research and subsequent “evidence informed framework” (Mansfield et al., 2016, p. 77). Our contextual and individual factors were found to be in alignment with this conceptual framework from 2016. An additional purpose of our study has been fulfilled through the generation of a framework for school administrators to use or adapt in developing a resilient culture within their school community. This framework includes personnel actions that school administrators could implement to improve teacher resilience. Personnel actions at school or district levels for recruiting and hiring teachers, improving school culture, developing a mentoring program, and providing PD are all embedded in the framework and covered within this book. We developed our conceptual framework using the empirical research cited and teacher responses from the interviews conducted.

6.6 Summary In this last chapter, implications for research and practice, and conclusions and recommendations for further research, were all described. The study’s two purposes have been fulfilled involving veteran teacher resilience. A knowledge gap has been addressed in the literature regarding this phenomenon and reasons veteran teachers decide to stay. Insights gained for understanding veteran teacher retention and resilience emerged from the research findings rooted in teachers’ own stories of resiliency. Factors assigned to dimensions of teacher resilience occurred in relation to Mansfield et al.’s (2012) framework.

6.7 Farewell Finally, readers, what we offer is a framework to develop veteran teacher resilience that arose out of interviews and literature. We arrived at seven attributes associated with the development of a resilient veteran teacher: • purpose in teaching • positive relationships in the milieu

82

• • • • •

6 Conclusions

passion for teaching supportive school culture passion for curricular content accommodating work schedule no other opportunities available.

We encourage you to utilize our framework in developing practices in your school and division that support both teachers’ resilience and a resilient culture.

Appendix A

Literature Review Table with Select Entries

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4

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Publication

Influences of the heart: novice and experienced teachers remaining in the field

The influence of school administrators on teacher retention decisions

Why do long-serving teachers stay in the teaching profession? analyzing the motivations of teachers with 10 or more years’ experience in england

Author and Year

Bennett, Brown, Kirby-Smith, and Severson (2013)

Boyd, Grossman, Ing, Lankford, Loeb, and Wyckoff (2011)

Chiong, Menzies, and Parameshwaran (2017)

Provide understanding of the positive reasons why long-serving teachers stay in the profession and how these reasons change over time

To examine the relationship between teacher turnover and (1) teachers’ own characteristics (i.e., what types of teachers are more likely to leave), (2) student body characteristics (i.e., what types of student bodies experience high teacher turnover), (3) school characteristics (i.e., what types of school and contextual factors are related to higher teacher turnover)

Factors influencing teachers’ decisions to remain in teaching

Purpose/Goals

1. Intrinsic and altruistic motivations predominate in both reasons for entering and staying in the profession, as well as perceived mastery 2.Extrinsic motivators were less important in both entering and staying, especially for long-serving teachers (e.g., holidays, pay) 3.The longer teachers stayed, the less important extrinsic factors became

Working conditions and administrative support were indicated as factors associated with teacher retention

Teachers that stuck with teaching had a passion for their career. They noted origination on a personal and spiritual level—a calling. Spending summer with family was important

Results

Self-efficacy

Contextual factors

Passion

Theme(s)

Methods/Data sources

(continued)

Administrators should Mixed methods/survey data, develop policies to focus group, and interviews support teacher autonomy

School leaders can A quantitative/survey impact retention by results/multinomial logistic motivating teachers and regression students, identifying and articulating vision and goals, developing high-performance expectations, fostering communication, allocating resources, and developing organizational structures to support instruction and learning

School leaders must find Qualitative, a way to support teachers phenomenological/interviews with mentors, strong leadership, and autonomy

Leadership/Policy implications

84 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

Why do they choose to teach—and why do they leave? A study of middle school and high school mathematics teachers

Teacher shortage and attrition: why do they leave?

Author and Year

Curtis (2012)

Dupriez, Delvaux, and Lothaire (2016)

(continued)

To examine the professional integration of beginning teachers and factors predicting why they may leave the profession during the first years of their career

To examine the reasons mathematics teachers enter the teaching profession and compare those reasons with the reasons for leaving the teaching profession

Purpose/Goals

Theme(s)

1. The credential is a key variable Contextual factors associated with the risk of leaving the profession. The more training, the least likely they are to stay 2. Socioeconomic status of the school did not have an impact in the study, in opposition to other studies 3. Job conditions played a role in teachers leaving

Most of the teachers went into Passion teaching because of their desire to work with young people, love of mathematics, and reasons of personal fulfillment or making a difference. Family or role models influenced many of them. Teacher blame, low salary, the effects of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and lack of administrative support are reasons for leaving. The illusion of what teaching entails is drastically different from what teachers find when they step into the classroom. Teacher education programs are not realistically preparing prospective teachers for the job

Results

Create policies that pay more for advanced credentials and create positive school climates

Teachers should be provided with more opportunities for development early in their careers without the pressure of “doing it on their own”

Leadership/Policy implications

(continued)

Quantitative/data set results/bivariate and multivariate analysis

Mixed methods/surveys, interviews, Chi Square analysis/ANOVA

Methods/Data sources

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 85

Salary and ranking To examine the effect of teacher and teacher turnover: a salaries on teacher turnover statewide study

Learning from those who no longer teach: viewing teacher attrition through a resistance lens

Garcia, Slate, and Delgado (2009)

Glazer (2018)

To examine the accounts of certified, experienced teachers who left teaching after making significant investments in their career

To investigate: 1. Beginning teachers’ perspectives on teaching as a long-term career 2. Perceptions on their preparation 3.Links between preparation and early-career experience and intentions to continue teaching

New teachers’ career intentions: factors influencing new teachers’ decisions to stay or to leave the profession

Fontaine, Kane, Duquette, and Savoie-Zajc (2012)

Purpose/Goals

Publication

Author and Year

(continued)

Contextual factors

Contextual factors

Theme(s)

The three themes include Contextual factors imposed curriculum and dissatisfaction with that curriculum, testing and its increasing influence on the school environment, job insecurity, particularly early in the career

A link was established between teacher turnover and teacher salaries for Texas School districts: the higher the salary, the lower the teacher turnover rate

1.Most teachers perceived themselves to be well prepared upon graduation, which is consistent with research indicating that teachers feel confident and prepared.at that juncture 2.Three areas listed as feeling underprepared after first year of teaching: assessment, classroom management, workload and conditions 3.Teachers that felt ill prepared in these areas were more likely to leave teaching

Results

Methods/Data sources

When trying to reduce attrition, policymakers should not reduce the very qualities in teachers that are vital for effective practice

Find ways to increase teacher salary and benefits to make them competitive with other professional careers

(continued)

Qualitative/interviews

Quantitative/data set/Texas Education Agency’s Academic Excellence Indicator System website 2003–2006

School leaders can better Qualitative/case study/ assess teacher interviews, surveys preparation programs and enhance experiences in the areas of assessment, classroom management, and workload

Leadership/Policy implications

86 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

School climate factors relating to teacher burnout: a mediator model

Author and Year

Grayson and Alvarez (2008)

(continued)

To investigate the components of school climate (parent/ community relations, administration, student behavioral values) and assess their influence on the core burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of low personal accomplishment

Purpose/Goals Separate factors of school climate impact teacher burnout. Emotional exhaustion was the strongest contributor. Depersonalization and personal accomplishment were next in influence. Emotional exhaustion was tied to parent/community relations and student/peer relations. Instructional management was tied to depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Undefined rules for the school, degree of classroom time devoted to instruction, and the extent of outside interruptions impacted this variable. The more a school places quality time for class work and learning as a priority and reduces administrative tasks and outside interferences, the more a teacher feels personal accomplishment

Results Contextual factors

Theme(s) School leaders should place more emphasis on classroom learning and less emphasis on administrative duties and activities outside the classroom

Leadership/Policy implications Quantitative/survey

(continued)

Methods/Data sources

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 87

Publication

The teacher shortage: a case of wrong diagnosis and wrong prescription

Author and Year

Ingersoll (2002)

(continued)

To document the role of teacher turnover in the staffing problems of schools To closely examine the role of school characteristics and organizational conditions in teacher turnover

Purpose/Goals

Theme(s)

1. Need for teachers has Contextual factors increased since 1980 2. Need to hire new teachers is a result of teacher turnover 3. Teachers as a revolving door: large flows in and large flows out 4. After 1 year, 11% of beginning teachers left the profession, and another 10% left after their second year, a cumulative 21%. After just 3 years, 29% of all those in a novice teacher cohort left teaching altogether, and after 5 years, fully 39% (more than one-third) disappeared from the teaching ranks 5. High-poverty schools have higher attrition rates 6. Half report they are departing either due to job dissatisfaction or a desire to pursue a better job or another career or to improve career opportunities in or out of education 7. Departures because of job dissatisfaction cite low salaries, lack of support from the school administration, lack of student motivation, student discipline problems, and lack of teacher influence over decision-making as the causes of their leaving

Results Increase teacher salaries Reduce discipline problems Increase teacher influence and leadership Increase administrative support

Leadership/Policy implications

(continued)

Quantitative/data set/Statistical Analysis of data from Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Methods/Data sources

88 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

Teacher retention: why do beginning teachers remain in the profession

Why teachers leave: factors that influence retention and resignation

Leavers, movers, and stayers: the role of workplace conditions in teacher mobility decisions

Author and Year

Inman and Marlow (2004)

Kersaint, Lewis, Potter, and Meisels (2007)

Kukla-Acevedo (2009)

(continued)

To analyze the effect of three organizational conditions—administrator support, behavioral climate of the school, and classroom autonomy—on the transitional decisions of teachers

To examine factors that encourage or hinder resigned teachers from returning to teaching, the importance of such factors, and the importance of those factors for teachers who remained in teaching

To examine the reported attitudes of beginning teachers to identify perceived positive aspects of teaching that may lead to teacher retention

Purpose/Goals

Contextual factors

Passion

Theme(s)

Workplace conditions affected Contextual factors first-year teachers’ decisions to leave or move much more strongly than the general sample’s decisions to leave or move. Administrative support and behavioral climate played a role in decisions to leave

Time with family was important for teachers that left, not important with teachers that stayed; administrative support was important with leavers, not important with stayers; financial support was important to leavers, not as important with stayers; family responsibility was important to both leavers and stayers; paperwork and stress were important to both leavers and stayers; joy of teaching was of low importance to both leavers and stayers

Teacher education mentors, collaboration with colleagues with similar ideas and interests, ideas supported by administrators, and a community that is supportive of teachers are critical aspects of new teachers remaining in schools

Results

Qualitative/surveys (The Professional Attitude Survey)

Methods/Data sources

Provide first-year teachers support

(continued)

Quantitative/data set/ descriptive statistics-correlations-binomial logistic-multinomial logistic

Target potential groups of Mixed methods/survey and teachers that may be phone interviews susceptible to leaving due to family, administrative, or financial factors. Provide supports as needed

Provide teachers with opportunities to collaborate and share ideas and promote teacher accomplishments

Leadership/Policy implications

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 89

Teacher retention in a teacher resiliency building rural school

A look at grit: teachers To investigate and describe the who teach students impact of grit on retention as with severe disabilities perceived by special education teachers who teach students with severe disabilities

Malloy and Allen (2007)

Martin (2016)

Results

To examine the extent to which a rural school enhanced teacher retention by overcoming barriers to teacher retention

Diligence, relationships, perseverance-passion, obstacles and roadblocks, hard worker, and love for the job were observed

Three key factors influenced teacher resiliency: 1. Caring and support—Careful selection of initial assignments, encouragement from staff, nonthreatening environment, and opportunities for discussion 2.High expectations—Clear administrative goals, regular feedback, experimentation encouraged, and clear rules for student behavior 3.Meaningful participation—Participation in decision-making, interaction with parents

To examine teacher perspectives 1. Teachers making a difference on the role of hope as a sustaining through advocacy influence for teachers 2. A faith-based calling to teach 3. Professional autonomy and respect

The sustaining power of hope: perspectives of public school teachers

Levine (2013)

Purpose/Goals

Publication

Author and Year

(continued)

Passion

Resilience

Passion

Theme(s)

School leaders should focus on students first and teachers second. Provide necessary supports including mentors, professional learning communities, and a culture of acceptance and inclusion of students and staff

Schools leaders should facilitate these factors in their schools

Provide teachers with autonomy and opportunities for growth

Leadership/Policy implications

(continued)

Mixed methods/surveys and interviews

Qualitative/case study

Mixed methods/surveys, focus groups, interviews

Methods/Data sources

90 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

What keeps teachers going? And other thoughts on the future of public education

Empowerment, leadership, and teachers’ intentions to stay in or leave the profession or their schools in north carolina charter schools

Author and Year

Nieto (2003)

Nydoye, Imig, and Parker (2010)

(continued)

To examine the relationships among teacher empowerment, school leadership, and intentions to stay or leave the profession within North Carolina Charter Schools

To consider why public-school teachers stay with all the obstacles faced; what lessons can be learned from them about pedagogies that promote learning; and what insights they have for brightening public education’s future and ensuring “respect” for teachers and students

Purpose/Goals Passion

Theme(s)

School leadership is a stronger Resilience predictor of charter schoolteachers’ intentions to stay in their current school than is empowerment. Teachers need to feel a support system is in place to solve problems with a collective approach using identifiable steps. Teachers were more likely to leave the profession or school if the evaluation procedures were inconsistent

Teaching is an intellectual career that needs constant attention; involves love, respect, and professional development (PD); and should be centered on the why, not just the how and when

Results

Methods/Data sources

(continued)

School leaders should Quantitative/survey data and focus on providing descriptive statistics teachers with the support they need to be successful

The focus of best Qualitative/group inquiry practices should be transitioned to a focus on the relationships among teachers and students. Teachers view the profession as a calling, or their mission. School leaders must treat them in a way that reflects that

Leadership/Policy implications

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 91

Publication

Why do they stay? Elementary teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction and retention

Resilience predicts well-being in teachers, but not in non-teaching employees

Author and Year

Perrachione, Rosser, and Petersen (2008)

Pretsch, Flunger, and Schmitt (2012)

(continued)

To demonstrate that resilience could predict well-being in teachers above and beyond a vulnerability to stress and negative affectivity

To identify intrinsic and extrinsic variables that influence teacher job satisfaction and retention

Purpose/Goals Teacher efficacy

Theme(s)

Among teachers, resilience Resilience contributed more to the prediction of general health perception than vulnerability to stress and negative affectivity. Resilience could predict job satisfaction in teachers

Intrinsic variables of working with students, job satisfaction, and personal teaching efficacy, as well as extrinsic variables such as good students, teacher support, positive school environment, and small class size influence teacher job satisfaction. Only extrinsic factors such as role overload, low salary, parental support, student behavior, and large class size were found to negatively affect teacher job satisfaction

Results

Assess resilience in potential teachers during the interview and teacher training process. Provide supports for teachers that are vulnerable to stress and negative affectivity

School leaders should develop policies that support the factors associated with increased job satisfaction and reduce those associated with poor job satisfaction

Leadership/Policy implications

Quantitative/survey

(continued)

Mixed methods/surveys and a multiple linear regression

Methods/Data sources

92 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

The impact of resilience on role stressors and burnout in elementary and secondary teachers

True grit: trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals predicts effectiveness and retention among novice teachers

Author and Year

Richards, Levesque-Bristol, Templin, and Graber (2016)

Robertson-Kraft and Duckworth (2014)

(continued) Results

Theme(s)

To study the predictive personal qualities that are not typically utilized by schools when hiring teachers

Teachers that displayed more grit Passion outperformed their colleagues and stayed longer in their schools. The results reveal why some novice teachers may outperform their colleagues and remain in the classroom

To explain the ability of resilience Role stress positively predicted Resilience to decrease role stress and burnout. Teachers with higher burnout levels of resilience may be better able to navigate the sociopolitical school landscape and experience lower stress from interactions with others. Resilience reduced the perception of burnout directly as well as indirectly as mediated through the reduction in perceived role stress. It appears as if teachers who develop higher levels of resilience feel less emotionally drained, derive a greater sense of satisfaction from their work, and can interact positively with others

Purpose/Goals

Policy decisions on recruitment and development may need to include strategies to identify teacher passion, perseverance, and resilience

Building teacher resilience includes adequate time to accomplish work, PD opportunities, adequate equipment and materials, caring collegial relationships, high expectations; and opportunities for shared decision-making. Thus, school policies could be developed to aid teachers in the development of resilience so they are better able to meet the challenges of the workplace and manage role stress and burnout

Leadership/Policy implications

(continued)

Quantitative/data set

Quantitative/surveys and data set

Methods/Data sources

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 93

Publication

Unpacking the effects: identifying school and teacher factors and their influence on teachers’ intentions to stay or leave the profession

Questioning the research on early career teacher attrition and retention

Author and Year

Sedivy-Benton and Boden-McGill (2012)

Schaefer, Long, and Clandinin (2012)

(continued)

To examine scholarly work on teacher attrition and retention from 1999 to 2010

To examine the individual and environmental factors most heavily influencing teachers’ intentions to remain in or leave the profession

Purpose/Goals Contextual factors

Theme(s)

Burnout, teacher resilience, Resilience demographic features, and personal factors are intrinsic factors affecting attrition and retention. Lack of support, salary, PD opportunities for collaboration, school demographics, student issues, and teacher education were found to be significant extrinsic factors

Work environments impact teacher retention. Working in schools of poverty does not negatively impact retention

Results

Policymakers should examine factors that not only retains teacher but also sustain them

Attention should be paid to the attitudes and perceptions of teacher work environments, perceived roles, influence and control, and support. Schools can potentially reduce teachers leaving the profession by allowing them maximum involvement in school decisions and providing some control over classrooms and curriculum

Leadership/Policy implications

Literature review

(continued)

Quantitative/hierarchical linear model/level 1—individual information/level 2—Schools and Staffing Survey (secured from the National Center for Education Statistics)

Methods/Data sources

94 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

Do financial incentives help low performing schools attract and keep academically talented teachers? Evidence from California”

Resilience as a contributor to novice teacher success, commitment, and retention

Author and Year

Steele, Murnane, and Willett (2010)

Tait (2008)

(continued)

To explore the relationships among resilience, personal efficacy, and emotional competence and their possible impact on first-year teachers’ sense of success, confidence, and commitment to the profession

To assess California’s Governor’s Teaching Fellowship (GTF) incentive for teachers that was implemented from 2000 to 2002. The GTF was aimed at attracting academically talented novice teachers to low-performing schools and retaining them for at least 4 years

Purpose/Goals

Novice teachers that demonstrated high levels of resilience, personal efficacy, and emotional intelligence had the capacity to demonstrate social competence, take advantage of opportunities to develop personal efficacy, use problem-solving strategies, display the ability to rebound after a difficult experience, learn from experience, set goals for the future, take care of oneself, and maintain a sense of optimism

The incentive did succeed in attracting and retaining teachers. There was a significance found in the recruitment process when compared with a time that did not have the incentive. However, significance was not found in retention rates

Results

Self-efficacy

Contextual factors

Theme(s)

Methods/Data sources

Offer preservice, induction, and mentoring programs with resilience-building activities and teach resilience strategies

(continued)

Qualitative/survey and interviews

Financial incentives may Quantitative data set and be successful at recruiting analysis teachers, but incentives must be investigated to improve retention

Leadership/Policy implications

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 95

Publication

The power of resilience: a theoretical model to empower, encourage, and retain teachers

“Stayers”: A qualitative study exploring why teachers and head-teachers stay in challenging london primary schools

Author and Year

Taylor (2013)

Towers (2017)

(continued)

To examine why long-serving teachers, or “stayers,” choose to stay teaching in challenging London primary schools

To find themes in teachers that display resiliency

Purpose/Goals

Theme(s)

This study found several themes: Passion making a difference to children’s lives; bonds and dynamic relationships formed with colleagues; effectiveness support of the principal; opportunities for career progression, growth, and development; having a good salary; affordable housing and job security; love for the children and people at their school; suitable working arrangements compatible with childcare. The teachers talked about being comfortable and confident in their abilities, displaying self-efficacy in their job

Resilience impacted the Resilience participants of this study and their decision to remain in the education profession

Results

Attract and retain effective and appropriate principal leadership. School culture and leadership matter

School leaders can apply the following to their resilience model for teachers: positive relationships, autonomy, flexible locus of control, preparation for change, commitment to teachers, optimistic teachers, education viewed as important, model tolerance, encourage efficacy

Leadership/Policy implications

(continued)

Qualitative/interviews

Qualitative/historical biography method with narrative inquiry technique/semistructured interviews

Methods/Data sources

96 Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries

Publication

A case study of why teachers choose to remain in one urban school district

Physical education teachers in Australia: why do they stay?

Author and Year

Walker (2004)

Whipp and Salin (2018)

(continued)

To assess the factors that satisfied PE teachers and motivations to stay in PE teaching

To determine why teachers choose to stay in an urban setting

Purpose/Goals

The teachers gained satisfaction and motivation from their expertise, the opportunity to implement ideas collaboratively, professional interaction, participation in decision-making, control of their classrooms, and respect

Three factors were found to be statistically significant in determining why teachers chose to remain in the urban school district: a feeling they have been effective, good collegial relationships, and a sense of self-satisfaction. These reasons and several others were found to have statistical significance in teachers’ levels of commitment

Results

Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy

Theme(s)

Quantitative/survey/data analysis

Methods/Data sources

Mentoring programs that Quantitative/survey facilitate these variables should be implemented to support both novice and experienced teachers

School leaders should develop opportunities for teachers to increase their levels of self-efficacy and to improve their recruitment and hiring practices

Leadership/Policy implications

Appendix A: Literature Review Table with Select Entries 97

Appendix B

Demographics Survey

Research Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of teachers who have remained in the classroom of a rural school division. Completing this survey will assist with purposefully selecting voluntary participants who meet the research criteria. 1. Please indicate your gender. a. Male b. Female 2. Please indicate your age range. a. b. c. d. e.

30–39 40–49 50–59 60–69 70 or older

3. Please indicate your ethnicity. a. b. c. d. e. f.

Black or African American Asian or Asian American White Hispanic or Latinx American Indian or Alaska Native Other

4. Please indicate your level of education. a. Bachelor b. Master

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4

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Appendix B: Demographics Survey

c. Educational Specialist d. Doctorate e. Other 5. How many years of service do you have teaching? a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

10–15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31–35 36–40 40+

6. What grade levels have you taught during your career in teaching? a. b. c. d.

K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

7. What content area(s) are you certified to teach? a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k.

Mathematics Science Social studies/history English Foreign language Physical education Fine arts Music Agriculture/industrial arts Economics and personal finance/business Other

8. Please provide your name and email address if you are willing to participate in the one-on-one interview. Each interview contains 14 questions, will be audio recorded, and will last 45–60 min. The interview will be conducted in person at the participant’s preferred location (e.g., school). You will be contacted by email, if you wish, to receive our consent form for review. Researchers’ Names: __________________ Email Addresses: __________________.

Appendix C

Veteran Teacher Interview Protocol

Opening Statement: Thank you for agreeing to take part in this study. If at any point during this interview you feel uncomfortable or do not wish to answer any of the questions, please indicate this. Do you have any questions before we get started? Please note that all questions are open ended. 1. Was K–12 education important in your family? What kind of student were you? 2. Did you have any positive or negative experiences in K–12 education with a teacher or administrator? 3. Did you have any experiences K–12 where you were able to pursue a passion and persevere through a challenging situation (athletics, band, drama, etc.)? 4. Do you have an experience that led you to choose teaching as a career? Is there an experience(s) from college or postgraduate school that prepared you for the rigors of teaching? 5. How would you describe the experiences that bring you the greatest satisfaction as a teacher? 6. How would you describe the experiences/factors influencing your motivation for teaching? How have these motivational experiences/factors fostered perseverance? 7. How would you describe what you consider to be essential supports to your motivation for teaching? 8. How would you describe the job conditions with which you work each day as a teacher? 9. How would you describe the experiences that yield the greatest dissatisfaction for you as a teacher? 10. How would you describe the adversity you have faced as a teacher? Can you describe one very serious incident in which you faced adversity more than at any other time? How did you overcome the adversity you faced in that incident? 11. What would you identify as the characteristics/qualities of a resilient teacher? How would you describe these resilient characteristics/qualities in action? 12. What would you describe as essential supports for fostering resilience in teachers? 13. Why have you chosen to remain in the classroom as a professional teacher? 14. Do you have any other experiences or comments that you would like to add?

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 L. B. Shields and C. A. Mullen, Veteran Teacher Resilience , SpringerBriefs in Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53918-4

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