A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PERCEPTIONS OF POSITION FIT, JOB SATISFACTION AND RETENTION IN TEXAS SECONDARY TEACHERS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among teacher preparation pathway, perceptions of position fit, job satisfaction and retention rates in first-year and second-year secondary teachers (N=267) across 13 school districts in Texas. This was a quantitative, non-experimental study in which archival data from the Selection Study Teacher Questionnaire (SSTQ) was analyzed. Bivariate and point-biserial correlations were performed to examine possible relationships among teacher preparation pathway, perceptions of position fit, job satisfaction and retention. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine which independent variable is the best predictor for the dependent variable, teacher retention.

It was found that no correlation existed between the beginning secondary teachers’ preparation pathway and their perceptions of position fit. A significant relationship was found between the beginning secondary teachers’ perceptions of position fit and job satisfaction. In addition, for this study it was found that no correlation existed between job satisfaction and teacher retention during the 2010 – 2011 school year. However, significant correlations were found between job satisfaction and teacher retention during the 2011 – 2012 school year. In addition, no correlations were found to exist between perceptions of position fit and teacher retention among the beginning secondary teachers during the 2010 – 2011 school year. However, significant correlations were found to exist between perceptions of position fit and teacher retention during the 2011 – 2012 school year. Finally, in this study, findings from the multiple regression analyses determined that during the 2010 – 2011 school year, the three independent variables of teacher preparation pathway, position fit and job satisfaction were not statistically significant and were not contributing predictors for the dependent variable, teacher retention.

In conclusion, the retention of novice teachers has been an interest of educational researchers for some time. However, fewer studies have been conducted focusing on beginning secondary teachers. Being able to identify factors that influence a beginning teacher’s decision to remain in or leave the teaching profession allows for early prevention and intervention of the increasingly high attrition rates at both the middle school and high school levels. School systems will continue to lose a significant number of beginning teachers if they fail to recognize and understand why these teachers are leaving the profession. Findings in this study can inform policy, research and practice for teacher preparation programs. Furthermore, the findings in this study indicate future research in the areas of position fit, job satisfaction and teacher retention of novice secondary teachers will be beneficial in sustaining a highly qualified teacher workforce.