The Power of Resilience: A Theoretical Model to Empower ...

1 The Qualitative Report 2013 Volume 18, Article 70, 1-25 The Power of resilience : A Theoretical Model to Empower , Encourage and Retain Teachers Janice L. Taylor University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, USA Due to the many challenges that teachers face in today s classrooms to facilitate the academic success of all children and to meet federal and state accountability standards, having both the competence and the ability to adjust to meet these challenges are required. teacher retention is an ongoing issue in the United States; teachers who lack these traits may have a negative impact on teacher retention. Resiliency is a critical element that teachers need to meet these challenges and remain in the education profession.

2 In this study, the stories of four female African American teachers who taught in the same school district in a rural community in the South before, during, and after desegregation, were examined. Using qualitative methodology and a narrative inquiry technique, the data analyzed from the stories of the four women confirmed eight themes of resilience as identified in Polidore s Theory of Adult resilience in Education (2004). An additional resilience theme, efficacy, also emerged. The additional theme provided an enhanced conceptualization and construct of Polidore s Theory of Adult resilience in Education Model . With the massive challenges facing educators today, the stories of the four teachers can be used to Empower , encourage and retain teachers in the education profession.

3 Keywords: resilience , African American Teachers, teacher Retention, Efficacy Introduction The problem of recruiting and retaining certified teachers is a complex issue. Ingersoll (2007) indicated that as many as half of those trained to be teachers never enter teaching and 40-50% of those who do enter teaching leave the occupation altogether in the first five years on the job. According to Page and Page (1991), the number of African American teachers began decreasing in the late 1970s, and the trend had shown little sign of reversing. However, over the past two decades, the growth rate of minority teachers entering the profession has been twice the growth rate of white teachers (Ingersoll & May, 2011).

4 So, while there has been improvement in the number of minority teachers entering the profession, African Americans have had less stable careers and have left schools at higher rates (Ingersoll & May). Teachers are leaving the teaching profession because of low salaries, lack of administrative support and teacher blame (Curtis, 2012). Ingersoll (2007) indicated reasons for teacher shortages result from two converging demographic trends, increasing student enrollments and increasing teacher retirements due to a graying teaching force; however, the impact of retirements on the teacher shortage is minor considering the number of candidates who are trained and never become teachers. Ingersoll further stated that the prominent causes of teacher turnover that account for almost half of all departures were because of job dissatisfaction, low salaries, lack of support from the school administration, student discipline problems, and a lack of influence over school decision-making.

5 In a study conducted by Muller, Gorrow, and Fiala (2011), characteristics of teachers who persevered and remained in teaching, despite exposure to the same conditions indicated by Ingersoll, were explored. 2 The Qualitative Report 2013 Using a survey to measure six protective factors that were strongly associated with resiliency as defined by Henderson (2003), the researchers concluded that each of the six factors might contribute to developing resiliency for educators; however, they may not do so in an equal manner. The six protective factors are: (a) purpose and expectations, (b) nurture and support, (c) positive connections, (d) meaningful participation, (e) life guiding skills, and (f) clear and consistent boundaries.

6 Bobek (2002) stated that challenging conditions related to the teaching profession require that teachers be resilient. Furthermore, Bobek stated that when teachers are resilient, they are better able to assess adverse situations and determine options for coping, in addition to implementing the appropriate solutions. Bobek recommended that individuals be provided with the necessary resources to develop resilience : (a) significant adult relationships; (b) a sense of personal responsibility; (c) social and problem solving skills; (d) a sense of competence, expectations and goals, confidence, a sense of humor; (e) and a sense of accomplishment. Bobek maintains that teacher resiliency is a critical element in teacher retention.

7 New teachers may enhance their resilience by fostering productive relationships with people who understand the trials and tribulations of teaching, and can offer insight on options available for dealing with various situations (Bobek). Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of African American female teachers related to their (a) teaching experiences and (b) the characteristics of resilience that influenced their retention in education in a rural community before, during, and after desegregation in the South. For the purpose of this study, teacher resilience is defined as the ability to adjust to varied situations and increase one s competence in the face of adverse conditions (Gordon & Coscarelli, 1996; Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1990).

8 The research questions for this study were developed to ascertain characteristics of resilience that may have led to career longevity in education for the African American female teachers. The two research questions were: 1. What were the teaching experiences of African American female teachers in a rural community before, during, and after desegregation in the South? 2. What characteristics of resilience emerged as themes that influenced the retention and longevity of African American female teachers in education in a rural community before, during, and after desegregation in the South? Significance of the Study This research study was pursued for two reasons. First, the teacher shortage in the United States continues to increase; retaining teachers continues to be an imminent issue.

9 As minority student enrollments continue to increase, the number of minority teachers, particularly African Americans, is underrepresented. In the 2008-2009 school year, only of all teachers were minority while 41% of students were minority (Ingersoll & May, 2011). The reasons why teachers leave the profession are widely known. However, the published research, which consists of valuable and comprehensive data collected from numerous empirical studies, still leaves questions to be explored for understanding the larger context of why teachers do not remain in the education profession. As significant and as useful as the research is to address the issue of teacher retention, it has not been enough to make a dynamic impact on retaining teachers.

10 This researcher perceived that further research Janice L. Taylor 3 was needed to explore the underpinnings and depth of how some teachers remained in the profession for many years, and others are currently choosing not to. Second, from this researcher s experiences as an African American in the rural community where the study was conducted, the researcher personally knew teachers who experienced unparalleled adversity during the court-ordered desegregation of schools, yet they remained in the teaching profession without the supports that have been touted to make a difference in teacher retention. These supports include quality teacher preparation programs, administrative support, sufficient salaries, adequate workplace conditions, mentors, and opportunities for professional development.