The Retention Question in Context-Specific Teacher Education: Do Beginning Teachers and their Program Leaders See Teacher's Future Career Eye to Eye

Abstract

This paper discusses the retention challenge by examining how it is addressed in three context specific teacher education programs, which prepare teachers to serve in urban, Catholic, and Jewish Day Schools. The findings of this study suggest that teachers from the three programs we studied expressed high motivation to serve as teachers or leaders in their particular schools and communities. In particular, we found that teachers’ career commitments developed around the religious or civic missions promoted by their respective programs. Finally, teachers’ career perceptions seem to correlate, though not entirely match, with those of their program leaders.