Running the Treadmill: Explorations of Beginning High School Science Teacher Turnover in Arizona

Abstract

Over the past decade, the high number of teachers leaving the profession has been a growing concern among parents, teacher educators, administrators, and policy-makers. While most argue the problem is due to a burgeoning demand and increased numbers of retirements, some researchers propose that the problem of teacher shortages is far more complex. They argue that the greatest numbers of attrition actually occur among beginning teachers. In addition, teacher migration from school to school within the public education system is also a significant feature of the staffing problem, creating inconsistency and impacting student performance and the general effectiveness of schools. Research also points to the fact that migration is a more frequent occurrence among high school teachers, specifically in high demand subject areas such as science. This paper examines the status of a small sample of beginning high school secondary science teachers in Arizona who have either left the profession or changed positions within the public secondary school system. The authors present the context in which the beginning teachers worked, analyze reasons for their decisions, and compare findings to national data.