An exploration of novice teachers’ motivations and connectedness with colleagues among African American and European American teachers in urban, high-poverty schools
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Carter, Kayla Vanessa.
An exploration of novice teachers’ motivations and connectedness with colleagues among African American and European American teachers in urban, high-poverty schools. Retrieved from
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TitleAn exploration of novice teachers’ motivations and connectedness with colleagues among African American and European American teachers in urban, high-poverty schools
Date Created2021
Other Date2021-08 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (viii, 87 pages)
DescriptionMany novice teachers leave their teaching positions in urban, high-poverty schools within the first five years of their career (Ingersoll et al., 2018). Further, African American teachers leave their teaching positions at an even higher rates (Ingersoll et al., 2019; Su, 1997). Understanding teachers’ motivation for teaching in urban, high-poverty schools, as well as understanding their experiences working in this setting, may lead to the development of interventions to increase teacher retention and commitment. Research suggests that teacher race can influence their motivation to teach in urban, high-poverty schools, and how they view their role. Further, race may also influence how teachers connect with one another. Using extant data from a federally funded study, this exploratory qualitative study analyzed interviews with novice teachers (n = 14) across three schools to examine their motivation to teach, and their relationships with colleagues. Interviews were thematically analyzed using a structured approach as outlined by Braun and Clark (2004). Results indicated three themes that explain novice teachers’ motivation for teaching and that race plays an integral role in understanding teachers’ motivation for teaching in urban, high-poverty schools. The first theme included teachers’ internal drive to enter the teaching profession which was expressed across racial groups. The second theme, giving back to the community was expressed by African American teachers, whereas the third theme, fixing the flaws in high-poverty schools, was expressed by teachers of other races. Thematic analysis also indicated two distinct dimensions of connectedness within this sample of novice teachers, which included their relationships with other teachers and systemic contributors to connectedness. Results further suggest that teachers in this sample interpreted their interpersonal relationships with their colleagues as existing on a continuum, ranging from maintaining close, personal relationships to maintaining intentionally distant, yet professional relationships with their colleagues. Additionally, novice teachers identified positive and negative systemic contributors to their experiences of connectedness, including how school administrators shape teachers’ experiences. Practical implications for the findings suggest that school psychologists should facilitate anti-bias training for teachers and administrators, as well as use culturally competent practices when working with teachers to address their concerns about students.
NotePsy.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
LanguageEnglish
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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