Induction Programs in Independent Schools - A Qualitative Study on New Faculty Members’ Experiences

Oct 15, 2026

Induction programs offered by four independent schools in the greater Washington, D.C. area were examined through a qualitative study focused on newly hired faculty experiences and their relationship to job satisfaction. Evidence was collected during the 2017–2018 academic year via document review and semi-structured interviews with six administrators and 17 faculty members. Findings highlight how positive school culture and relationship-building with colleagues shape overall professional satisfaction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose of the Qualitative Study

Methodology and Data Sources

Key Findings on School Culture and Relationships

Background: Teacher Attrition and Job Dissatisfaction

Statement of the Problem and Research Gaps

Induction Programs in Independent Schools: A Qualitative Study on New Faculty Members’ Experiences Jamie N. Segraves St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Alexandria, Virginia David B. Reid Seton Hall University The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of newly-hired faculty members in the induction programs provided by four independent schools in the greater Washington, D. C. area and examine how each induction program influenced faculty job satisfaction. Data came from six administrators and 17 faculty members and were collected during the 2017–2018 academic year. Through the use of document review and semi-structured interviews, similarities across schools and individual participants emerged. The findings showed that a positive school culture and opportunities to build relationships with colleagues influenced the faculty members’ overall professional satisfaction. Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 7. Fall/Winter 2019 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2019 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions of this text, full attribution to the author/s is required. Teacher turnover affects public and private schools throughout the United States, where turnover refers to attrition combined with teacher migration. It is calculated that more than one million teachers leave the profession (attrition) or migrate to other schools annually (Alliance for Excellent Education [AEE], 2014; Ingersoll, 2001, 2011; Ingersoll & May, 2012) . Recent studies have shown that up to 17% of new educators do not complete their first year of teaching (Breaux & Wong, 2003; Hammer & Williams, 2005; Ingersoll & Merrill, 2010; LoCascio, Smeaton, & Waters, 2016), while the number of teachers leaving the profession after completing their first year has increased by more than 40% over the past two decades (Ingersoll, Merrill, & Stuckey, 2014) . Researchers such as Smith and Ingersoll (2004), Brill and McCartney (2008), and Moore (2012) suggest that the principal reasons for the evolving crisis in teacher attrition have more todo with job dissatisfaction, changing careers (attrition), or moving to different teaching jobs (migration) in other schools to escape organizational conditions and less to do with teacher retirement. The primary complaints of job dissatisfaction include the following influences: inadequate preservice preparation, insufficient compensation, poor working environments (e.g., high-stakes testing, excessive and increasing workloads, and disruptive student behavior), absence of teacher support (e.g., ineffective administration or leadership), inadequate professional development and in-service preparation, and lack of voice in decision-making (Brill & McCartney, 2008; Dean, London, Carston, & Salyers, 2015; Johnson, 2011; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004) . The findings in these studies indicate that administrator retention and support efforts have implications for teacher retention (Johnson, 2011), teacher morale, student achievement, and school budgets (Miller, 2010; Sass, Bustos Flores, Claeys, & Pérez, 2012; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004) . The results also suggest that the development and implementation of effective and comprehensive faculty development, mentorship, and preparation programs are more costeffective in teacher retention. These help to mitigate teacher attrition (Shockley, Watlington, & Felsher, 2013) through positively affecting teachers’ perceptions ofthe level of support provided by the school and, therefore, the overall collaborative culture of the school (Dimatteo, 2014), and improve overall student and teacher experiences (Brill & McCartney, 2008; Dean et al., 2015) . Furthermore, teachers who have been formally paired with a mentor have reported that they were supported, experienced greater job satisfaction, and wished to return to their present position (BrittStevens, 2014; McCamley

FAQs

What was the purpose of the qualitative study?

To explore newly hired faculty members’ experiences in induction programs at four independent schools and examine how each program influenced faculty job satisfaction.

How was data collected for the study?

Data came from document review and semi-structured interviews conducted during the 2017–2018 academic year with six administrators and 17 faculty members.

What factors most influenced faculty professional satisfaction?

A positive school culture and opportunities to build relationships with colleagues shaped faculty members’ overall professional satisfaction.

Oct 15, 2026

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