A Study on the Effect of a Dual-role Induction Model on Retention and Student Achievement
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Date
2016
Type of Work
Department
Department of Educational Professions
Program
Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
Citation of Original Publication
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The author owns the copyright to this work. This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by FSU for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the author.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare/explore the effectiveness of a dual-role new teacher induction model in a Western Maryland School District (WMSD) to a site-based induction model in a Pennsylvania School District (PASD) on new teacher retention and student achievement. In this study, the exploratory design was used in conjunction with the comparative design in order to provide an in-depth depiction of the effectiveness of a WMSD dual-role induction model. The exploratory research was an attempt to lay the groundwork for future studies (Kowalczyk, 2016). Quantitative data were comparative, and qualitative data were exploratory. This study used a mixed-method approach, organized into four phases. Phase One consisted of secondary Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) data, as well as attrition data for both a WMSD and a PASD to make a comparison of new teacher retention and reading and math student achievement. First and second (1-2) grade MAP data and new teachers’ (district-wide) attrition data were used for both districts. Independent samples t-tests were used to explain the difference between two means, and repeated measures ANOVA tests were used to make comparisons of the average student scores across multiple time periods. Both tests were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Attrition data were calculated by percentages. Phase Two consisted of an online survey of 41 primary grade (K-2) new teachers in the WMSD, consisting of primary grades kindergarten, first, and second (K-2). The online survey program, Survey Monkey, organized the data into percentages. The online survey served as the guide to the development of interview questions for the new teachers. Phase Three involved semi-structured interviews with WMSD new teachers in primary grades K-2. New teachers volunteered and were selected through a question on the survey. The interviews addressed experiences of new teachers regarding why they stayed, what would cause them to leave, professional development, support systems, and how the use of data informed their instruction. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and Thematic In Vivo coding was used to analyze the responses. Phase Four was triangulation of the data analysis from the MAP, attrition data, survey and interviews. The most critical finding of this study was that the WMSD dual-role induction model did not make significant impact on student progress over the course of three years in reading and math achievement over a PASD site-based induction model. Another important finding was that the WMSD survey and interviews determined that the professional development used to guide instruction was more effective in math than reading. A final significant finding of this study was that the WMSD increasingly retained new teachers for each of three years since the onset of the dual-role induction model. Based on triangulation of data, implications for future practice include recommendations to enhance quality of mentor time, teacher preparedness in data analysis, and reading professional development, and to reduce teacher attrition. These practices will broaden the exploration of a dual-role induction model and its effectiveness on new teacher retention and student achievement, and provide school districts options in choosing an effective induction model.