Science Teacher Retention in Today's Urban Schools

Abstract

This study is based on data collected during 6 years (12 semesters) in the secondary science methods courses at an urban university in Southern California. The secondary science credential candidates were teaching on emergency permits or internship credentials in local urban secondary schools. They taught science during the day and pursued their teaching licenses in the late afternoons. Power relationships, urbanity, and critical pedagogy lenses were critical in analyzing the data. Multiple data sources, such as the credential candidates' written assignments, verbal communications, and field notes during classroom observations, were triangulated. Findings suggest that secondary science interns tend to thrive in schools where there is a perceived cohesive vision regarding science education and where efforts of all the stakeholders in the educational community (teachers, students, administration, community, including parents, district personnel, university instructors, and the science education research community) are focused on reaching a common goal. However, efforts are wasted where there is no cohesion, and frustrated players in the educational community tend to blame each other for the lack of positive results. Implications of these situations for the interns' attitudes and actions are further explored.