University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses 5-22-2006 Rites of Passage: The Role of Induction in the Enculturation of Beginning Teachers Linda Blakley University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Blakley, Linda, "Rites of Passage: The Role of Induction in the Enculturation of Beginning Teachers" (2006). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 379. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/379 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RITES OF PASSAGE: THE ROLE OF INDUCTION IN THE ENCULTURATION OF BEGINNING TEACHERS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction by Linda Blakley B.S., Xavier University of Louisiana, 1987 M.A., Xavier University of Louisiana, 1994 M.Ed., University of New Orleans, 1999 May 2006 © 2006, Linda Blakley ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. April Bedford, my professor and committee chairperson. She was a source of strength, inspiration and encouragement throughout the dissertation process. It is difficult for me to imagine reaching this point without Dr. Bedford’s guidance and ability to motivate at just the right moment. I relied not only on her excellent editing skills, but also on her insight and diplomacy. She is ideally the major professor doctoral students want and need. I count myself lucky to have had the pleasure of being advised and guided through the doctoral process by Dr. April Bedford. My committee members - Dr. Cory Buxton, Dr. Renee Casbergue, Dr. Rachel Davis- Haley, Dr. Wilma Longstreet and Dr. Richard Speaker – were patient and supportive and I offer them my sincere appreciation. I am especially grateful to Dr. Cory Buxton. His guidance in the development of my conceptual framework was vital on so many levels. To all of my committee members, I thank you for your time and efforts. I want to thank my family for loving and supporting me throughout this journey. To my mother, you are a constant source of strength for me and I aspire to be as compassionate and giving as you have always been to me and others. To my beautiful sisters, Lisa and Angela, as you both journey towards your own educational pursuits, I hope that I am capable of giving you at the very least, the level of support you have given to me. I love you both. To my niece Taylor, who is unaware of how much her good night calls meant to me, especially during the exceptionally long nights working: I love you Taylor. Finally, I acknowledge my friends and colleagues. The exceptional editing skills of Leonard Williams and his ability to make everything right was invaluable. I take this opportunity to thank Leonard for his time and friendship. To my peer reviewer and friend Sequau Adams iii who was there in the beginning of my doctoral pursuit encouraging me through each phase of the process. Thank you for your help and reassuring words. Many nights were spent working on this dissertation and I extend my utmost gratitude to Stacey Jackson for welcoming me into her home and her family. I am especially thankful to Jamesha and Sandra Turner; your support, encouragement and kindness will always be remembered and treasured. I am so fortunate to have a work colleague and friend like Jackie Joe. She has been a constant source of comfort and help to me. This acknowledgement is only a small token of my appreciation for her support and assistance throughout my doctoral process. To Terry Scott, Cheryl Woods, and all my friends and colleagues: your support and encouragement have been immeasurable and I thank each of you for the words of encouragement and confidence in me. You are all true friends. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 2 Nationwide Teacher Shortage.....................................................................................................2 Research on Teacher Shortages and Teacher Attrition............................................................... 3 Factors Influencing Beginning Teacher Attrition....................................................................... 7 Reality Shock (Situational Factor).......................................................................................... 8 Feeling Overwhelmed (Situational Factor)............................................................................. 8 Lack of Support (Organizational Factor)................................................................................ 9 PURPOSE OF STUDY................................................................................................................. 10 The Development of Beginning Teachers ................................................................................ 12 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY................................................................................................ 15 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................... 16 LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY...................................................... 17 DEFINITION OF TERMS ........................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................................. 20 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............................................................................................. 20 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................. 21 Induction: A Rite of Passage for Beginning Teachers.............................................................. 22 TEACHER ENCULTURATION: SOCIALIZATION OR DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS.... 25 Teacher Enculturation as a Socialization Process Within the School Culture.......................... 30 School Culture Defined......................................................................................................... 30 Induction as a Mechanism to Facilitate Enculturation.......................................................... 36 Induction Defined ................................................................................................................. 37 History of Induction.............................................................................................................. 39 Characteristics of Effective Induction .................................................................................. 41 Teacher Enculturation as a Developmental Process: Stage Theory.......................................... 42 CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................................. 46 v RESEARCH DESIGN.................................................................................................................. 46 Research Paradigm.................................................................................................................... 46 Researcher’s Role: Addressing Subjectivity............................................................................. 48 Research Setting........................................................................................................................ 50 School District ...................................................................................................................... 50 Research Site......................................................................................................................... 53 Ethical Issues and Negotiating Research Relationships ........................................................... 54 Recruiting Participants.............................................................................................................. 56 Data Collection Procedures....................................................................................................... 58 School Culture Questionnaire (SCQ)...................................................................................