The relationship between UNCG elementary teacher education graduates' satisfaction with their teacher preparation, initial teaching positions, and retention

This study examined the retention rates of UNCG Elementary Education graduates (1993-2000), their ratings of how satisfied they were with their teacher preparation, and their satisfaction with the teaching profession during their first three years of teaching. Past studies have cited two major reasons for high attrition rates: (a) teachers who lack quality preparation (pedagogical/content knowledge and clinical experiences with supervision), and (b) teachers who are dissatisfied once they are in the profession (pay, responsibility, and school environment).; Ninety-one graduates participated in this study. Surveys and open-ended items were used to answer the research questions of this study. Research indicated that all participants rated their preparation as favorable. However, those who remained in the teaching profession rated their clinical experiences and supervision higher, while those who left the profession rated their pedagogical and content knowledge as higher. Research also indicated that participants rated their satisfaction with the teaching profession during their first three years as favorable. Participants rated the responsibly and school environment factors as favorable, while the factor of pay was significantly rated as unfavorable by both groups.