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Capstone proposal: Enhancing teacher retention through structured mentorship programs

Capstone
2026

Repository

Description

The proposed action research case study focused on investigating how implementing a structured mentorship program influenced teacher retention, instructional self-efficacy, and perceived professional support among early-career teachers in Catlettsburg Elementary School. In this context, a structured mentorship refers to an ongoing system of instructional, professional, and emotional mentoring provided in the process of collaboration, reflection, and learning. As the main theoretical framework, the paper used Functionalism and Symbolic Interactionism to discuss the importance of mentorship in terms of promoting organization stability, cooperation, and developing professional identity. This paper used a mixed-methods action research method combined with a case study approach to evaluate the impact of a mentorship program in one school. The main research question for this paper was: “How does participation in a structured mentorship program impact teacher retention, instructional self-efficacy, and professional experiences of early-career teachers?” The current paper focused on exploring the effects of a mentorship program in one elementary school located in Sevierville, Tennessee, specifically in Catlettsburg Elementary School. The key participants of the action research were early-career teachers, their mentors, other school staff members, and any other stakeholders associated with a mentorship program in Catlettsburg Elementary School. To obtain necessary data, the author used such tools as surveys, interviews, reflective narratives, classroom observations, feedback forms, and artifacts. All quantitative data was analyzed in a descriptive and comparative manner, whereas qualitative data was coded, analyzed thematically, and triangulated.
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Record Data:

Program :
  • Doctor of Education
Location :
  • CBE
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