Fostering Resilience: A Necessary Skill for Teacher Retention

Social, economic and technological development of a nation depends a lot on the use of ICT. The key objective is to analyze novice teachers' use of ICT for teaching purposes. Teachers realized that ICT tools are very helpful and supporting to help students in sharing and creating information through technological devices over computer systems and webs. Novice secondary school teachers who taught to 9th and 10th classes were the population of the current study. Researchers selected 200 novice secondary school teachers as sample. Simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of sample. Researchers used questionnaire as data collection tool. The questionnaire was administered to the sample of the study. The most suitable statistical techniques of frequency, percentage, mean score and standard deviation. In the light of findings this research study shows that the use of ICT gadgets and other resources help for effective teaching at secondary school level. The institution has internet facility to support teaching. The study concluded that the use of ICT is helpful in getting awareness about teaching practices and access to related content. In current decade, ICT is rapidly revolutionizing the ICT use in collaborative learning within the premises of educational institutions and at home. It is also concluded that novice secondary school teachers are making the use of educational repositories for academic purposes.

It has been established that attrition of both novice and veteran teachers, but particularly novice teachers, is an ongoing challenge in the United States. The literature confirms that teacher attrition is most prevalent in schools that are hard to staff. Researchers described these schools as urban schools serving high numbers of under-privileged, minority students typically taught by new, inexperienced, and often ineffective teachers. Having large numbers of beginning teachers and increasing numbers of veteran teachers exiting teaching is disruptive to the social, emotional, and academic well-being of the students and prevents schools and school districts from reaching state-mandated student academic goals. A large percentage of beginning teachers typically leave teaching within three to five years after beginning the job. Empirical literature attests to teachers becoming more effective with experience. Beginning teachers leave before they acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become effective teachers. It is therefore critical to retain highly skilled and knowledgeable veteran teachers who can lead in the turnaround process. This research proposes that there are still pockets of highly effective veteran teachers who still teach in low-performing schools, who are experts in their field and therefore possess the skills and knowledge to lead in the turnaround process. It is critical for schools and school districts to find ways to retain these teachers. In this qualitative single instrument case study, I used semi-structured open-ended questions to gain information, hear and interpret participants’ understanding of three main factors. First, I sought to understand the characteristics of highly effective teachers as reported by principals, teachers-colleagues of highly effective veteran teachers, and highly effective veteran teachers. Second, the ways in which highly effective veteran teachers engage in low-performing schools as reported by principal, teacher-colleagues of highly effective veteran teachers, and highly effective veteran teachers. Third, the perspectives of highly effective veteran teachers on engagement and how engagement contributes to their commitment to continue teaching in low-performing schools. Finally, implications for practice and future research were discussed.

The professional growth of teachers serves as a key mechanism to drive curriculum transformation and pedagogical methods which develop student abilities in soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking. The research presented here is an evidence-based framework to enhance novice secondary school teachers' delivery of such soft skills education. As a small island developing state (SIDS), the Maldives, experiences significant teacher attrition rates in secondary education due to teacher dissatisfaction and burn out, which could be alleviated through gaining the relevant soft skills. The proposed framework combines international teaching methods from Finland, Singapore, and Australia with local solutions to manage the challenges of insufficient mentorship and restricted professional development opportunities. The novelty of the proposed framework lies in combining interactive strategies, reflective practices, and structured mentorship into an integrated model tailored to under-resourced contexts. The framework will be implemented through four sequential phases: (1) qualitative needs assessment, (2) framework co-design and development, (3) pilot testing and empirical validation, and (4) iterative refinement, using Design Based Research (DBR) principles, and a pragmatic paradigm. It is expected to increase novice teachers' confidence in integrating collaboration, communication, and emotional intelligence in their teaching methods, while also enhancing student participation through project-based and interactive learning methods.

ABSTRACTThis research revealed several themes that have an impact on six novice teacher participants as: understanding school culture and how they navigate the nuances within, what it means to be an effective teacher, access to mentors or mentorship programming, effective mentorship qualities, and school policies on mentorship. The literature supports the theoretical concept of an improved rate of teacher retention when mentorship is offered, but the research data collected for this article revealed a gap between this theory and practice.Teacher attrition is receiving worldwide attention; while some attrition in all professions is expected, high rates cause concern for the teaching profession. This phenomenological study focuses the experiences and challenges novice teachers endure in school settings within their first 3 years of classroom practice. This research work explored the phenomenon of being a novice teacher and how policies on mentorship influence/shape teacher retention/attrition within the early years of classroom practice.

This study aimed to explore the ecology of teacher preparation, specifically focusing on preservice teachers’ development and teaching practices throughout their experience in a physical education teacher education (PETE) program. Using a qualitative case study design, participants included four novice physical education teachers. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, critical incident timelines, structured observations, and artifacts. Results are presented according to the five systems of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, including: PETE coursework as a foundation, the importance of involvement outside of PETE, the crucial links between PETE and community, the negligible influence of negative factors, and the dynamic process of teacher education. The findings of the study demonstrate how various ecological systems within a PETE program contribute to preservice teachers’ development. The study suggests that PETE programs could enhance their curriculum by fostering interactions across different ecological systems to optimize preservice teachers’ learning and professional readiness.

American K-12 public teachers are leaving the field of education in record numbers. This lack of teacher retention negatively impacts student achievement. Teacher turnover intentions have been found to be an indication of potential attrition. Research on brain-based learning reveals new opportunities to decrease teacher turnover intentions by assisting novice teachers, in their first five years of teaching, with high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores in learning about the two-factor non-cognitive trait of grit. This embedded mixed methods study investigated brain-based learning as an effective intervention to teach grit to novice teachers with high scores on the ACE Scale with a at a small sample (N=10) of K-12 public school novice teachers from the state of Texas. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data to determine if there was a change in the teachers' knowledge of grit as the result of completing a developed intervention module and the impact of the intervention module on the teachers' turnover intentions. Data was collected through pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments of the Grit-S and the Fixed Mindset Measure as well as through questions that were embedded in the intervention module to record data on teacher turnover intentions. Additionally, qualitative data was collected from six participants who participated in semi-structured interviews which provided data on teachers' lived experiences with grit in their careers. The study found no statistically significant results that grit could be taught to the targeted population or that knowledge of grit impacted their turnover intentions. However, qualitative data supported that teachers did increase their knowledge of grit, that brain-based learning strategies enhanced their learning and motivation, and that knowledge of grit impacted a teacher's turnover intentions. Finally, teachers described their lived experiences with grit as defined by passion, perseverance, and determination. This research study adds to the existing research related to grit, teacher turnover intentions, the use of brain-based learning strategies, and ACEs as the findings provide insight into the ways that novice teachers described their lived experiences with grit as it pertains to their careers. Keywords: grit, brain-based learning, Adverse Childhood Experiences, growth mindset, teacher retention

Novice teachers, who are in the initial stages of their career as educators, may exhibit a propensity for uncertainty regarding the execution of their professional responsibility. This is particularly dependent on their motivation and experiences accrued throughout their teaching journey. Consequently, novice teachers must engage in reflective practices concerning their professional experiences which involve their beliefs, motivations, and significant incidents that shape their professional identity development. This study involved three EFL novice teachers in elementary schools who are in their first year of teaching. This is a qualitative study that employed the Critical Incident Technique to gather and analyze the data following the five steps proposed by Hughes, William Son, & Lloyd (2007). The data were obtained using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews which were conducted online. Findings reveal that female novice teachers are more intrinsically motivated, driven by their interest in English and teaching, whereas male novice teacher is primarily motivated by his educational background and the prestige of the profession. Although all participants encountered similar critical incidents related to student behavior, teaching ability, classroom management, and teacher-teacher relationships, their responses varied. One participant viewed these challenges as opportunities for growth, while others felt demotivated, particularly when teaching elementary school students. The future career trajectories of novice teachers in education may be influenced by their reflections on these experiences.

Teacher induction is a systematic and strategic process. It is a growth phase experienced by novice teachers as they begin their careers in education (Coleman, 2013; Baker-Gardner, 2014; Cunningham, 2024). This process aims to help new educators acclimate to their roles, enhance their instructional strategies, and integrate into the school environment. Heyes et al. (2019), emphasize that a well-structured induction program significantly influences both teacher retention and the overall quality of teaching and learning. Despite the growing global recognition of the importance of teacher induction, many nations still lack comprehensive and effective programs (Baker-Gardner, 2014; King, 2021) and the Republic of Namibia is not an exception to this global status quo regarding teacher induction. This is because since Namibia’s attainment of political independence in 1990, the teacher induction process presents unique challenges related to comprehensiveness and consistency with a majority of teachers requiring rigorous induction (Uugwanga, 2010). The introduction of the Namibia Novice Teacher Induction Programme (NNTIP) in 2011 marked a significant step towards improving teacher performance despite the fact that issues such as lax implementation, lack of comprehensiveness, and insufficient integration with mainstream staff and community stakeholders have hindered its success (Dishena & Mokoena, 2016; Shanyengana, 2021). Given the ongoing challenges in Namibia’s education system and the critical role that effective teacher induction plays in enhancing educational quality, there was an urgent need to revisit and improve the current NNTIP through the development of a contextualized comprehensive teacher induction framework particularly in Namibia. Kaveto (2025), took the initiative to develop a contextualized comprehensive teacher induction framework particularly in Nambia’s Kavango East Region in a study entitled ‘A qualitative inquiry into the development of a contextualized and comprehensive teacher induction framework in Kavango East, Namibia’. The findings of this study by Kaveto (2025), provides valuable insights into how to improve the current NNTIP in Namibia. The study was qualitative in approach and utilized a case study design. Targeted by the study were twenty (20) school teachers and four (4) school principals in Kavango East Region bringing the total study population to twenty four (24) research participants. Purposeful sampling, particularly non-probability sampling was used to sample all research participants involved in the study. In order to have an in-depth exploration of the perceptions of stakeholders on the development of a contextualized and comprehensive teacher induction framework in the Kavango East Region, the study collected data via semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from the interviews and focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze data from documents. Drawing findings from this study, the article suggests what is perceived as a more comprehensive and contextually relevant induction framework that effectively supports novice teachers by enhancing their professional development, retention, teaching quality and ultimately contributes to improved educational outcomes for the learners in the region. The article also makes key recommendations for policy and practice in Namibia’s educational enterprise.

Teacher reflectivity is a prominent issue among those educating novice teachers. Dewey (1933) believed reflective thinking is thought that requires turning an idea over in the mind and giving it serious consideration. Reflection commences when one inquires into his or her experience and relevant knowledge to find meaning in his or her beliefs. It has the potential to enable teachers to direct their activities with foresight and to plan according to ends-in-view (Dewey, 1933, p. 17). Preservice teachers begin to construct a reality about teaching in the student teaching experience. They learn to access their personal beliefs through the important questions and answers needed for assimilating their role as teacher and the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of a teacher. Reflection during these experiences allows for discovery and synthesis of understanding into a personal worldview (Canning, 1991). Philosophers suggest that individual orientations direct personal construction of reality. Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule (1986) indicate that these orientations evolve out of personal ways of knowing. Each woman brings her own way of perceiving to observation and experience, dramatically influencing personal reflective dispositions that inevitably affect the nature of the decisions made and the actions taken. In this article, I report qualitative research addressing the reflective character of novice teachers during student teaching. I include a brief review of related research, a description of methodology, a narrative summary of case study findings, and conclusions. Review of Research Researchers have been examining the development of reflectivity in novice teachers since the 1970s. Some studies suggest that novice teachers can reflect and be helped to learn the value of reflection in teaching and learning (Pultorak, 1993, 1996; Rudney & Guillaume, 1990; Wildman & Niles, 1987). Specific methods for encouraging reflective practice among novice teachers include reflective journals (Colton & Sparks-Langer, 1993; Zeichner, 1983), reflective interviews (Trumball & Slack, 1991), peer observation conferences (Zeichner & Liston, 1985), and group seminars (Koskela, 1985; Rudney & Guillaume, 1990). Other studies note that some novice teachers do not value reflection in teaching (Flickinger & Ruddy, 1992; Sebran, 1989) thereby making it difficult for teacher educators to facilitate its development. A number of different ways of operationalizing reflective practice have been suggested. Without an understanding of the many different conceptualizations of reflective practice, however, much current research has no pertinent context. The frameworks that follow are especially pertinent to the examination and classification of reflections typical to the four case studies in this study. There are different types of knowing. Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule (1986) propose a model that includes five levels of knowing in women. They suggest that while some women believe they have no voice, others listen to their own voice and integrate it with the voices of those around them and the voice of reason. Their model of women's ways of knowing informs those working with a typically female teacher preparation population to better interpret and facilitate reflective dispositions. Kitchener (1986) describes seven stages of reflective judgment in college students. His research suggests a continuum of reflective development. In the beginning stages, individuals view knowledge as certain, absolute, and learned either from authorities or through direct observation. As individuals develop, they accept knowledge as uncertain, relative, and personally constructed. In later stages, they integrate knowledge. Schon (1983, 1990) and Surbeck, Han, and Moyer (1991) indicate that reflection develops in a heirarchical manner. …

This book adopts a qualitative research methodology to explore novice teachers’ professional development (TPD) under the background of the New Curriculum Reform in mainland China. With a purposeful sampling strategy, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data from twelve novice primary school teachers. As the specific design of the qualitative method and research procedures have been demonstrated, this book could be reading material for courses such as Qualitative Research Methodology and would be beneficial for undergraduate and postgraduate students learning qualitative research. In addition, this book provides suggestions for pre-service and novice teachers. The study found that although TPD programs and better welfare are desirable, collegial support from seniors, internet resources and online courses, and self-reflection were more direct and effective in enhancing professional growth and reducing negative emotions that developed from challenges in classroom management, workload, and accountability. This book also suggests three directions for the future development of TPD to school leaders and policymakers. First, more training on classroom management and time management is helpful as poor classroom management and excessive workload were the causes of teacher burnout. Second, more school-level mentoring is wanted because it is considered more effective than the state and individual-level opportunities of TPD. Third, more development opportunities for teachers in rural areas are required to improve their professional competence and narrow their gap with their urban counterparts.

This study is an investigation of Libyan English language novice teachers' experiences during their first three years after qualifying. Its aim is to inform the development of an induction framework for supporting newcomers to the profession in secondary schools.In this mixed methods study I employed a two-pronged approach: quantitative methods for mapping the territory and to see the wider picture, and qualitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of the teachers' experiences and thoughts during their first three years of teaching. Quantitative data were generated by a survey questionnaire, while qualitative data were derived from open-ended questionnaire items and interviews.The vast majority of novice teachers in this study reported serious shortcomings in the quality of their induction. Two hundred and twenty-seven teachers from Alzawia and Al-Niqat Al-Khams districts were surveyed, including 21 teachers who participated in interviews. One hundred and ten had graduated from Faculties of Arts in universities where the main focus of study was to develop research. One hundred and seventeen had completed a degree at a teacher training institution. Findings from this research indicate that they encountered diverse challenges in relation to curriculum delivery, integration into the school community and communication with students’ parents, as well as financial difficulties.The key issues that emerged from this research were:•\t Support for novice teachers is limited, inconsistent and inadequate.•\tTeacher professionalism requires further development.•\tThe concept of mentoring warrants further consideration to be of benefit to novice teachers and their pupils.This study provided evidence that support at school and district level is essential in order to assist novice teachers of English as a foreign language in their transition from student teacher to professional practitioner. With the aim of enhancing the quality of teacher induction in Libyan secondary schools, the findings of this study have been used to inform the development of a set of recommendations for novice teachers, school principals, mentors and senior staff in district education departments.

Novice teachers typically face various challenges; with lack of experience, they have difficulty navigating the complexities of the classroom. Despite the importance of understanding the experiences of novice teachers, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on private school settings. This study aims to explore the experiences and narratives of novice private school teachers during their initial years of teaching. Our findings show how heavy workloads and misaligned responsibilities pose significant challenges to novice private school teachers. To overcome these, strategies such as thorough lesson planning, professional development, and adaptability are crucial. The findings emphasize the need for targeted support to enhance teacher retention, improve educational outcomes, and foster a sustainable teaching environment.

Improvisation is an essential aspect of teaching, but has not typically been prioritized in teacher education.The prevalence of procedural approaches to teacher education reflects a prevailing notion that novice teachers should master predetermined moves and apply them automatically before beginning to improvise.An emerging line of research counters this view, arguing that novice teachers can and should improvise.This case study of a novice teacher's practice contributes to that research by drawing on jazz improvisation to highlight improvisational teaching.Starting from the premise that novices can be responsive and improvisational, this study asks: how do novice teachers engage in improvisation in their initial teaching experiences?Analysis shows that this novice teacher improvises purposefully to further instructional goals and support student learning, and that he employs reasoning that is typically associated with experienced teachers.These findings have important implications for theorizing teacher improvisation and for supporting novice teacher learning.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of novice teachers as they navigate the complexities of identity formation and self-discovery during their early careers. Grounded in Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) and themes from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the research employs thematic analysis of interviews and reflective notes from eight novice teachers to uncover their emotional and professional struggles. Four key themes emerged: Alienation, identity and self-discovery, rejection of societal norms, and the search for genuine connections. Findings indicate that feelings of alienation often undermine teachers’ confidence and motivation, while self-discovery fosters resilience and adaptability. The rejection of standardized norms prompts educators to seek more meaningful teaching practices, enhancing student engagement and empowerment. Furthermore, the study highlights the significance of building authentic relationships with colleagues and students in creating a supportive teaching environment. This research underscores the need for systemic support, including mentorship and collaborative practices, to improve novice teacher retention rates. By linking literary themes to educational experiences, this study advocates for the integration of narrative inquiry in teacher training programs, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by new teachers.

By drawing on a case study of three Chinese novice teachers, this article illustrates that social networking technologies create opportunities for teachers to establish links with parents, allowing direct and prolonged interaction. This has constructed an arena for novice teachers to venture into and navigate through with continual negotiation between their selves and the parents. This process may involve the enactment of particular notions of the professional role, such as messenger, problem-solver and community liaison. These notions reflect different understandings of and responsibilities to students and parents, and differing perspectives on and usage of SNS tools. This study sheds new light on the complexity of novice teachers’ identity formation in the context of a social life that is deeply entwined with social networking technologies. It also speaks to the need to prepare pre-service teachers for establishing and sustaining a relationship with parents, taking into account the mediating role of social networking sites.