Teacher induction programs and beginning teacher job satisfaction

There is continued concern about how many teachers leave the education profession in their first few years. This study determined the relationship of the quality of teacher induction programs and beginning teacher job satisfaction. Specifically, this study answered the questions: Is there a relationship between overall teacher job satisfaction and the quality of new teacher induction programs? What are the most important factors in beginning teacher induction programs with respect to overall teacher job satisfaction? Is there a relationship between the quality of a teacher\u27s induction program and a beginning teacher\u27s intention to remain in the profession? What are the most important job factors relating to overall teacher job satisfaction? In May, 2004, a three-part questionnaire was mailed to Nebraska teachers with between one and three years experience. The questionnaire consisted of the Job Descriptive Index (1997), factors of teacher induction programs, and demographic questions. Means, standard deviations, and ranges were compiled in a descriptive analysis. Pearson Correlation Coefficients were used to determine correlation among specific variables, such as job satisfaction and the quality of a teacher\u27s induction program, along with teacher induction programs and retention. Multiple Regression Procedures were used to analyze questions involving induction and job factors. Factors of teacher induction programs were analyzed to determine what, if any, effect these variables had on the dependent variable job satisfaction. Multiple Regression was also used to determine which factors were most influential in explaining the variance of overall job satisfaction. The results of this study showed a positive significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.268) between teacher induction programs and overall job satisfaction. No factors of the induction program were found to individually have more than a very small significant impact on job satisfaction; only the number of factors present was significant in predicting overall satisfaction (R2 = 0.127). A positive significant correlation (r = 0.251) was discovered between teacher induction programs and retention. Finally, the variables describing the work a teacher does and the supervision a teacher receives were significant in explaining 67 percent of the variance in overall job satisfaction