Examining the Experiences of First-year Special Education Teachers: a Multiple Case Study Analysis

The attrition rate of beginning special educators has been a constant and growing concern within the field of education (Boe & Cook, 2006, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; CEC, 2000; Leko & Smith, 2010; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Four to five of every ten new special education teachers leave the field within the first five years (CEC, 2000; Olivarez & Arnold, 2006) and beginning special education teachers are more likely than general education teachers to leave the field within the first five years of teaching (Boe & Cook, 2006, Boe, Cook & Sunderland, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; Leko & Smith, 2010; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Those who have left the field have stated that minimal inductions, lack of administrative support, poor mentorships, and poor school climates were the main causes for their departures. Using an exploratory case study methodology with multiple-case analysis (Yin, 2009), this study examined how quality induction service (QIS) and teacher preparation affected the experiences of nine first-year special education teachers and further examined how the participants? sense of self-efficacy and their levels of resiliency impacted their experiences.