Date of Award

Fall 10-30-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Julia Kirk (Chair)

Second Advisor

Bethany Powers

Third Advisor

Brad Smith

Abstract

Schools across the nation faced a teacher shortage, and North Carolina was no exception. North Carolina leaders used alternatively licensed teachers to fill vacancies. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive study was to compare beginning alternatively licensed teachers’ perceptions to principals’ perceptions of the needed and implemented supports for beginning alternatively licensed teachers and how these supports may have improved beginning alternatively licensed teachers’ self-efficacy in K-12, rural, North Carolina schools. This study included 14 beginning alternatively licensed teachers who participated in a questionnaire and six principals who participated in semi-structured interviews. I found beginning alternatively licensed teachers benefited from their principals establishing respectful relationships, providing quality feedback, assigning them mentors and instructional coaches, allowing them to have modified workloads to allow them to observe veteran teachers, and communicating expectations. Principals believed that alternatively licensed teachers benefited from being assigned a mentor, working with instructional coaches, being allowed to observe other teachers, and having protected professional learning community time with colleagues. Beginning alternatively licensed teachers reported the need for support with classroom management, time management, and prioritizing tasks when developing lesson plans, instructional practices, standard courses of study, more communication from principals, and differentiation. Principals believe beginning alternatively licensed teachers need support in understanding school specific procedures, classroom management, and having parent conversations.

Keywords

alternative licensure, principal support, rural schools

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