Dr. Jennifer T. Butcher, Dissertation Defense & Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair Dr. Jennifer T. Butcher is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Pan American.

1. An Examination of Factors Related
to the Job Satisfaction and
Retention of Alternatively Certified
Teachers
A Dissertation Defense
by
Jennifer T. Butcher
Dissertation Chair: William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
Prairie View A & M University
Educational Leadership
March 2009

2. Committee Members
William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
Chair
Donald R. Collins, Ph.D.
Member
David Herrington, Ph.D.
Member
Ronald Howard, Ph.D.
Member

3. Dissertation Defense
Format
I. Statement of the Problem
II. Theoretical Framework
III. Purpose of the Study
IV. Research Questions
V. Method
VI. Quantitative Major Findings
VII. Qualitative Major Findings
VIII. Review of Literature
IX. Recommendations

4. Statement of the Problem
Due to the influx of new teachers from
alternative certification programs, it is
important to address the problems of
attrition and identify strategies that
focus on the retention of alternatively
certified teachers. There is a need to
determine if current alternative
certification programs and school
districts are providing the training,
support, and continued monitoring of
alternatively certified teachers (Hill &
Barth, 2004).

5. Theoretical Framework
 One theory guiding this study is
derived from the economic labor
market theory of supply and demand.
 In the same vein, Frederick
Herzberg’s theory of motivation and
job satisfaction which was developed
from his studies of engineers and
accountants complements the supply
and demand theory.

6. Theoretical Framework
Supporting Literature
 Numerous authors have described the
application of the supply and demand theory to
the specifics of teacher labor markets in detail
(Haggstrom, Darling-Hammond, & Grissmer,
1988; Boardman, Darling-Hammond, & Mullins,
1982).
 The supply for teachers is related to the number of
qualified individuals willing to teach at a given level of
overall compensation.
 The demand can be defined as the number of teaching
positions offered at a given level of overall
compensation.

7. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was two-fold.
 To examine factors related to the job
satisfaction and retention of alternatively
certified teachers.
 To examine factors related to
alternatively certified teachers’ decision
to enter and remain in the teaching
profession.

8. Research Questions
Quantitative
1. What is the profile of alternatively
certified teachers in the selected
urban school district included in
this study?
2. To what extent do alternatively
certified teachers feel supported as
novice public school teachers by
the district and administrators?

9. Research Questions
Quantitative
3. To what extent do alternatively
certified teachers feel committed to
remain in the teaching profession?
4. Is there a relationship between
alternatively certified teachers’
perception of support and their
commitment to remain in the
teaching profession?

10. Null Hypothesis
H01: There is no statistically significant
relationship between alternatively
certified teachers’ perception of support
and their commitment to remain in the
teaching profession?

11. Research Questions
Qualitative
1.What do alternatively certified
teachers report to be the reasons
for entering the teaching
profession?
2. What do alternatively certified
teachers perceive to be the factors
that assisted in their development
as teachers?

12. Research Questions
Qualitative
3. What do alternatively certified
teachers perceive to be the factors
that hindered their development as
teachers?
4. What do alternatively certified
teachers report to be the reasons
that they have remained in the
teaching profession?

13. Research Questions
Qualitative
5. What do alternatively certified
teachers report about their early
educator preparation experiences?
6. What strategies do the selected
urban school district employ to
identify and utilize factors that
encourage teacher job satisfaction
and retention?

14. Method

15. Method
 Quantitative Data was collected in the form of
a researcher developed questionnaire and
survey.
 Descriptive statistics were used to acquire a
profile of participants of the study.
 Pearson’s Correlation was used to examine
whether a statistical significant relationship
existed between alternatively certified
teachers’ perception of support and their
commitment to remain in the teaching
profession.

16. Method
 Qualitative data was collected in the form of
structured personal interviews.
 Member checking was utilized to give the
interview participants an opportunity to review
and clarify their responses to the interview
questions.
 Data was reduced and extracted by clustering
and coding.
 Data was used to identify emergent themes.

17. Method
 Subjects of the Study (Quantitative)
 Alternatively Certified Elementary Teachers
Grades Kindergarten through fourth grade
 One major urban school district in Texas
 85 alternatively certified teachers responded
out of 150

57% rate of return

18. Method
 Subjects of the Study (Qualitative)
 5 alternatively certified elementary teachers
 2 Human Resources directors
 8 elementary administrators
 5 elementary mentors

19. Method
 Instrumentation
 Researcher developed questionnaire was used to
collect data related to the demographics of
respondents in the study.
 Researcher developed survey was used to collect data
related to the attitudes of alternatively certified
teachers in regards to their retention in the field

Five point Likert type instrument
 Researcher developed interview guide was used to
collect data from selected alternatively certified
teachers, mentors, administrators, and Human
Resources directors
 Pilot study was conducted using individuals that were
not included in the study

20. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
What is the profile of alternatively
certified teachers in the selected
urban school district included in
this study?

21. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Demographic Characteristics of Alternatively Certified Teachers
 Gender
 Years of Teaching Experience
 Grade Level Taught
 Career Goals
 Reason for applying for alternative certification
 Prior Teaching Experience
 Undergraduate Degree
 Undergraduate Major
 Undergraduate University Attended
 Graduate Degree
 Graduate Major
 Graduate University Attended

22. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Gender
Female 83.5%
Male 16.5%

23. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Teaching Experience
Years
0-5 51.7%
6-10 35.3%
11-15 7.1%
16-20 2.4%

24. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Grade Level
Kindergarten 30.6%
First Grade 20.0%
Second Grade 24.7%
Third Grade 17.6%
Fourth Grade 7.1%

25. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Career Goal
Remain a Classroom Teacher 34.1%
Educational Support System 41.2%
Administrator 20.0%
Remain in education until 4.7%

26. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Reason for Applying for Alternative Certification
Retirement 1.2 %
Job Layoff 4.7 %
Job Dissatisfaction 15.2 %
Love of Teaching 42.4 %
Something that was 16.5%
always desired
Passion for working 17.6%
with children
Other 2.4%

27. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Prior Teaching Experience
None 14.1%
Trainer at previous job 14.1%
Teaching in a religious 27.1%
sector
Daycare Teacher 14.1%
Other 30.6%

28. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Undergraduate Degree
BA 68.2%
BS 31.8%

29. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
 Undergraduate Majors of Respondents
 22 different majors reported
Top 3 Undergraduate Majors
 (28.2%) respondents majored in Psychology
 (9.4%) respondents majored in Communications
 (9.4%) respondents majored in Business
 Universities Attended for Undergraduate Degree
 30 universities reported
Top 3 Universities attended for undergraduate degree
 (27.1%) respondents attended University of Houston
 (11.8%) respondents attended Sam Houston State
University
 (8.2%) respondents attended Stephen F. Austin
University

30. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Graduate Degree
None 82.3%
MEd 5.9%
MA 5.9%
MBA 3.5%

31. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
Graduate Major
None 82.3 %
Curriculum and 4.7%
Instruction
Counseling 3.5%
Social Work 1.2%
Physics 3.5%
Business 2.4%
Administration
Criminal Justice 1.2%
Educational 1.2%
Administration

32. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 1
University Attended for Graduate Degree
None 82.3%
Texas Southern 1.2 %
Prairie View A&M 7.0%
University of Phoenix 3.5%
University of Texas 1.2%
Arlington
Center of Advance 1.2%
Research Mexico City
University of Central 1.2%
Florida
Lamar 1.2%
Georgetown University 1.2%

33. Review of Literature
Quantitative Research
Question 1
It is extremely difficult to create a profile
of the typical alternative certification
candidate. Alternative certification
program participants are a diverse group
of individuals who defy generalizations
(Humphrey and Weschsler, 2007).

34. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 2
To what extent do alternatively
certified teachers feel supported as
novice public school teachers by the
district and administrators?

35. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 2
 71.7% of the respondents agreed that the district offered
professional development opportunities specifically
designed for new alternatively certified teachers.
 85.9% of the respondents agreed that the quality of the
professional development offered to new teachers
supported the quality of instruction provided to their
students.
 78.8% of the respondents agreed that as a new teacher
they met with their mentor at least once a week.
 83.4% of the respondents agreed that their mentor
provided emotional support during the first year.

36. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 2
 78.8% of the respondents agreed that their mentor
provided instructional support during the first year.
 84.7% of the respondents agreed that the mentoring
program at their school was beneficial.
 84.7% of the respondents agreed that the principal at
their school supported and encouraged alternatively
certified teachers.
 78.8% of the respondents agreed that as a new teacher,
the principal met with them to discuss their progress.

37. Review of Literature
Quantitative Research
Question 2
 Staff development must be implemented
by each school system in order to
maintain a skilled and knowledgeable
staff (Rebore, 2007).
 The benefits of mentorship programs not
only reduce attrition rates among new
teachers, but also improve teaching
capabilities (Mullinix, 2002).

38. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 3
To what extent do alternatively
certified teachers feel committed to
remain in the teaching profession?

39. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 3
 92.9% of the respondents agreed that they are committed
to teaching as a career.
 89.4% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfied
with their teaching career.
 82.3% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfied
with the degree of administrative support they receive at
their school.
 77.6% of the respondents agreed that they are satisfied
with the duties required for their work.
 83.5% of the respondents agreed that they intend to stay
in teaching more than five years.

40. Review of Literature
Quantitative Research
Question 3
Teachers’ feelings about
administrative support, resources
for teaching, and teacher input into
decision making are strongly related
to their plans to stay in teaching
and to their reasons for leaving
(Darling-Hammond, 2007; Ingersoll,
2001).

41. Major Findings
Quantitative Research
Question 4
 Is there a relationship between alternatively certified
teachers’ perception of support and their commitment to
remain in the teaching profession?
 Null Hypothesis:
H01: There is no statistically significant relationship
between alternatively certified teachers’ perception of
support and their commitment to remain in the teaching
profession.
 Pearson’s r = .236 is significant at the p<.05 level of
significance.
 Correlation is significant at the .05 level (2-tailed). Therefore,
the null hypothesis is rejected.
 There was a statistically significant relationship between
alternatively certified teachers’ perception of support and
commitment to remain in the teaching profession.

42. Review of Literature
Quantitative Research
Question 4
Lack of administrative support can
impact a teacher’s decision to leave
the profession (Busch, Pederson,
Espin, and Weissenburger, 2001).

43. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 1
What do alternatively certified
teachers report to be the reasons for
entering the teaching profession?

44. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 1
 Always wanting to teach
 “Some always wanted to be a teacher, but for financial
reasons did something else or family told them that it
was not the best profession” (HR1).
 Parents and family members were teachers
 “I have always had a desire to become a teacher. This
desire may have been influenced by having a mother
in the profession; however, I have always viewed
teaching as an opportunity to make a difference” (T2).

45. Review of Literature
Qualitative Research
Question 1
Studies demonstrate that people do not
start looking for new jobs because of
money; rather they seek careers in
organizations that increase their sense of
value and offer them an opportunity for
empowerment, career mobility, personal
growth, and opportunities to acquire new
skills. This may include alternatively
certified teachers (Rosenow, 2005).

46. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 2
What do alternatively certified
teachers perceive to be the factors
that assisted in their development
as teachers?

47. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 2
 Observance of teachers
 “My development as a teacher has been mainly from my
classroom experience and observance of my fellow teachers”
(T4 ).
 Professional development
 “Staff development is provided in areas such as classroom
management, subject area, dealing with special populations,
technology, and communication with parents” (ADM2).
 Mentor program
 “Mentors are chosen based on strength. I match mentors
with mentees according to grade level and subjects taught”
(ADM1).

48. Review of Literature
Qualitative Research
Question 2
 Staff development must be implemented
by each school system in order to
maintain a skilled and knowledgeable
staff (Rebore, 2007).
 Teacher mentors should be selected
based on their ability to develop
curriculum, personal interests,
educational philosophies, and compatible
personalities (Mullinex, 2002).

49. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 3
What do alternatively certified
teachers perceive to be the reasons
that hindered their development as
teachers?

50. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 3
 Lack of classroom management
 Not having contact with children prior to
the first year teaching
 “They did not have the student teaching
experience. They lack student management.
They did not have the opportunity to watch
veteran teachers. They did not have the
opportunity to accumulate prior classroom
observation hours while they were in college”
(ADM2).

51. Literature Review
Qualitative Research
Question 3
Alternatively certified teachers’
limited preparation impacts their
sense of efficacy as well as job
satisfaction (Easley, 2006).

52. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 4
What do alternatively certified
teachers perceive to be the reasons
that they have remained in the
teaching profession?

53. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 4
 Love for children
 Love for teaching
 “I have a love for teaching, and I find joy in
the students I work with every day. It’s
amazing to see their light bulbs go off and to
see them grow” (T1).
 Found their niche
 Rewarding field

54. Review of Literature
Qualitative Research
Question 4
The main contributors to high levels
of teacher job satisfaction are
working with children particularly
where teachers can develop strong
professional relationships (Spear,
Gould, and Lee, 2000).

55. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 5
What do alternatively certified
teachers report about their early
educator preparation experiences?

56. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 5
 Enrolled in Alternative Certification Program
 “I think that they should complete all class work and
receive certification before being placed in a
classroom. The state should have set standards for all
programs. The basic classes should be like
universities. They should have more classroom
management and lesson cycle information
incorporated in their program. They should receive all
necessary training before being placed in the
classroom to deal with children” (ADM 5).
 Working as a substitute teacher
 Volunteered in an after school program
 Taught pre-school

57. Review of Literature
Qualitative Research
Question 5
Considering that No Child Left Behind is
calling for a qualified teacher in every
classroom, a concern with nontraditional
teachers is that they are actually the
teacher of record who may not yet have a
high degree of confidence in their
teaching ability (Desjean-Perrotta, Flores,
and Steinmetz, 2004).

58. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 6
What strategies do the selected
urban school district employ to
identify and utilize factors that
encourage teacher job satisfaction
and retention?

59. Major Findings
Qualitative Research
Question 6
 Mentors/Campus Mentor Programs
 “The district assigns experienced teachers to mentor
our incoming teachers. I feel this is a good program,
because it gives the new teachers someone to lean on
for guidance” (M1).
 Staff Development
 “The district offers several professional development
opportunities that have benefited me in several ways. I
have attended training on classroom management,
learning styles, and organization. These types of
workshops have helped me tremendously” (T3).

60. Review of Literature
Qualitative Research
Question 6
Studies found that districts that provided
established pre-service, induction and
staff development programs that factored
in the professional background and
personal histories of alternatively
certified teachers tended to retain more
of these teachers (Wang, 2007).

61. Recommendations
from the Study
 Alternative teacher certification programs
should provide opportunities for classroom
observations and field experiences in teaching
environments prior to entering the classroom
as the teacher of record.
 Alternative teacher certification programs
should provide training preparedness in the
areas of designing classroom instruction,
assessment, and classroom management.

62. Recommendations
from the Study
 Principals should provide opportunities
for alternatively certified teachers to
observe veteran teachers.
 Principals should conduct a needs
assessment of first year alternatively
certified teachers to determine their
confidence of preparedness for the
classroom.

63. Recommendations
from the Study
 Principals should ensure that mentoring
supports are in place for alternatively
certified teachers, and provide time for
collaboration between mentors and
mentees.
 Principals should provide professional
development opportunities for
alternatively certified teachers in
classroom management, technology, and
areas based on needs assessment.

64. Recommendations for
Further Study
 A study could be conducted with middle
schools and/or high schools in
examining factors related to the job
satisfaction and retention of alternatively
certified teachers.
 A study could be conducted in examining
the impact of mentoring on the retention
of alternatively certified teachers.

65. Recommendations for
Further Study
 A study could be conducted in examining
the impact of student academic
achievement on the retention of
alternatively certified teachers.
 A study could be conducted evaluating
selected Alternative Certification
Programs and teacher retention.

66. References
Boardman, A., Darling-Hammond, L., and Mullin, S. (1982). A framework
for the analysis of teachers’ demand and supply. Economics of Education
Review, 2(2), 127-155.
Busch, T.W., Pederson, K., Espin, C.A. & Weisenburger, J.W. (2001).
Teaching students with learning disabilities: perceptions of a first-year
teacher. Journal of Special Education, 35, 100-104.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2007b). Evaluating no child left behind. The Nation,
11-18.
Desjean-Perrotta, B., Flores, B., and Steinmetz, L. (2004). Teacher efficacy:
A comparative study of university certified and alternatively certified
teachers. Action in Teacher Education, 26(2), 37-46.
Easley, J. (2006). Alternative route urban teacher retention and implication
for principals’ moral leadership. Educational Studies, 32(3), 241-249.
Haggstrom, G., Darling-Hammond, L., and Grissmer, D. (1988). Assessing
teacher supply and demand. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.

67. References
Humphrey, D. and Wechsler, M. (2007). Insights into alternative
certification: Initial findings from a national study. Teachers College
Record, 109 (3), 483-530.
Ingersoll, R. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: an
organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3),
499-534.
Mullinix, B.B. (2002). Selecting and retaining teacher mentors.
Washington, DC. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No.
ED477728).
Rebore, W. (2007). Human resources administration in education. Boston,
MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Rosenow, D. (2005). Stress, burnout and self-esteem among educators.
Journal of Border Educational Research, 4, 87-90.
Spear, M., Gould, K., and Lee, B. (2000). Who would be a teacher? A review
of factors motivating and demotivating prospective and practicing teachers
(Slough, UK, NFER).

68. An Examination of Factors Related
to the Job Satisfaction and
Retention of Alternatively Certified
Teachers
A Dissertation Defense
by
Jennifer T. Butcher