Chemistry Teacher Retention, Migration, and Attrition

Abstract

The chemistry teacher pipeline has experienced considerable loss of teachers due to turnover. High turnover rates create localized staffing problems and a revolving door of novice teachers, particularly in the sciences and in urban and rural locales, which impacts student learning and achievement. This nonexperimental longitudinal study examined patterns in teacher turnover (retention, attrition, and migration) of one cohort of chemistry teachers (n = 2410) over a five-year period between 2012 and 2017. The theoretical framework for the study incorporated teacher and school-level characteristics in predicting teacher career satisfaction and behaviors. Of the 2410 teachers, 196 retired from teaching during the five-year period. Descriptive statistics were generated for the remaining 2214 chemistry teachers, and data revealed that 79.4% of the chemistry teachers (n = 1757) stayed in their school districts, 11.6% (n = 256) left public school teaching (preretirement), and 9.1% (n = 201) moved to other school districts. Of the teachers who migrated to different locales, 61% moved from urban or rural schools to suburban schools. A multinomial logistic regression model revealed that professional age (years since certification), urban and rural locale, course load taught in chemistry, certification in chemistry, and teaching in isolation were all predictors of chemistry teacher attrition. The model also indicated that chemistry teacher migration was predicted by professional age, student chemistry performance, and teaching in isolation. The overall model had a large effect size. These findings have implications for the preparation and support of chemistry teachers, particularly novice teachers in urban and rural locales and those teaching in isolation.

Green Chemistry Teacher Professional Development in New York State High Schools: A Model for Advancing Green Chemistry

“…These educators have actively been involved in connecting their peers to green chemistry resources through running workshops at the annual Science Teachers Association of New York (STANYS) conference and the New York City STEM Institute. , The initial Lead Teachers who are also a part of the New York State Master Teacher Program have led green chemistry trainings for other Master Teachers, increasing the number of high impact educators who are equipping the next generation of green chemists and increasing safety within their classrooms. The teacher network that has evolved out of the New York workshops provide support to isolated chemistry teachers and those that are teaching chemistry despite it not being their primary field of training …”

“…The teacher network that has evolved out of the New York workshops provide support to isolated chemistry teachers and those that are teaching chemistry despite it not being their primary field of training. 24 New York Lead Teachers designed a guide to align New York standards with green chemistry curriculum. 56 As these standards are similar to NGSS, this guide can be easily adapted for the 43 other states that have adopted NGSS or have developed state standards similar to NGSS.…”

“…Green chemistry training can increase safety in the classroom through education about and reduction of hazards. Secondary chemistry educators report feeling that their safety equipment and training is inadequate. , While newly hired teachers are assumed to have had proper training in safety during their undergraduate education, this is often not the case, resulting in a group of educators that are ill equipped to recognize hazards. − At the present, only seven states include safety training as a part of teacher certification. In addition, some schools do not require certification to teach .…”

“…A report from Frontline Research & Learning Institute revealed that over 80% of the professional development offered by teaching professionals failed to meet the federal definition for four of the six aforementioned criteria . Additionally, a high percentage of high school chemistry teachers do not have chemistry degrees . These teachers need more support than those who teach within their field.…”

Professional development for STEM educators: A bibliometric analysis of the recent progress

“…Such issues might be magnified by the influence of the educational system or school leadership (Aslam et al, 2018; Gibbons & Cobb, 2017). This can cause high attrition rates among STEM teachers (Durksen et al, 2021; Jordan et al, 2017; Palermo et al, 2021; Whitfield et al, 2021). Hence, undeniably, the lack of teacher professional development (TPD) to overcome such challenges becomes a major issue in STEM education.…”