Measures of Person-Organization Fit and Teacher Retention

This dissertation study investigated how the fit between first-year teachers and the features of their schools was associated with first-year teacher retention. The data used in this study comes from 159 first-year teachers who graduated from five teacher preparation programs in three states and completed the First-Year Teacher Survey in the spring of their first year as a teacher of record. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to analyze the survey data. This study found that the professional fit between first-year teachers and their teaching colleagues was the strongest predictor of teacher retention in this study’s data and that the professional fit between first-year teachers and their teaching colleagues was a stronger predictor of teacher retention than several school and teacher characteristics as well as several principal observation and mentor related activities. These findings provide evidence that the professional fit between first-year teachers and their teaching colleagues is an important factor in first-year teachers’ mobility decisions and contributes to the growing literature base in regard to the relationships between teachers and teacher outcomes.