An Evaluation of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Retention in an Induction Program

An Evaluation of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Retention in an Induction Program by Sherri L. Henry MA, Prairie View A&M University, 2002 BS, Lamar University, 1997 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University November 2016 Abstract Several decades of research have shown that quality teacher induction programs are effective in providing support to beginning teachers, improving teachers’ performance, and increasing teachers’ self-efficacy. A large urban school district implemented a new teacher induction program and the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the program using beginning teachers’ perceptions of program effectiveness, the mentormentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory provided the framework for this study. Research questions examined the relationships among the 4 variables of interest as well as the differences in each by the number of years of participation in the induction program. A modified version of the Teacher Efficacy Survey was used to obtain data from 124 beginning teachers in their 1, 2, or 3 year of the induction program. Pearson product-moment correlations resulted in statistically significant direct relationships between induction program effectiveness and self-efficacy, induction program effectiveness and mentor-mentee relationship, and mentor-mentee relationship and self-efficacy. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in the dependent variables by group based upon year in the program. There were no significant differences found among the groups. Insufficient variance for the intention to remain in teaching variable precluded further analysis. Recommendations for future research included examining the fidelity of implementation of the new teacher induction program. Implications for positive social change include providing initial research findings to the study district’s administration on the relationships between teachers’ perceptions of the induction program effectiveness, the mentor-mentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores.Several decades of research have shown that quality teacher induction programs are effective in providing support to beginning teachers, improving teachers’ performance, and increasing teachers’ self-efficacy. A large urban school district implemented a new teacher induction program and the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the program using beginning teachers’ perceptions of program effectiveness, the mentormentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory provided the framework for this study. Research questions examined the relationships among the 4 variables of interest as well as the differences in each by the number of years of participation in the induction program. A modified version of the Teacher Efficacy Survey was used to obtain data from 124 beginning teachers in their 1, 2, or 3 year of the induction program. Pearson product-moment correlations resulted in statistically significant direct relationships between induction program effectiveness and self-efficacy, induction program effectiveness and mentor-mentee relationship, and mentor-mentee relationship and self-efficacy. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in the dependent variables by group based upon year in the program. There were no significant differences found among the groups. Insufficient variance for the intention to remain in teaching variable precluded further analysis. Recommendations for future research included examining the fidelity of implementation of the new teacher induction program. Implications for positive social change include providing initial research findings to the study district’s administration on the relationships between teachers’ perceptions of the induction program effectiveness, the mentor-mentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores. An Evaluation of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Retention in an Induction Program by Sherri L. Henry MA, Prairie View A&M University, 2002 BS, Lamar University, 1997 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University November 2016