Running head: THE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN THE UNITED STATES 1
THE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN THE UNITED STATES 6
The Teacher Shortage in the United States
Aaron Hamid
American College of Education
RES 5323
Carmen Paniagua Ph.D.
July 17th, 2017
Thinking It Through Scenario
As a teacher that is has successfully completed my first year, there were some observations that I made from both my collegues as well as the media regarding education. During my first year, I was greeted with questions such as “why would anyone become a teacher now?” or “do you plan on leaving after three years like the others?” These inquiries began to upset me over the course of the year but more importantly I wanted to understand the causes of these comments. I am seeking to answer the question “why is there a teacher shortage in the United States?”
Participating in individual action research would be the most optimal way to conduct this descriptive research. My intention with this research is not teacher recruitment or retention, rather to answer the question of as to the reasons behind a teacher shortage nationwide.
Once the information regarding the subject has been collected from peer reviewed journals, I plan to gather data regarding this issue from three sources. These sources include, surveys from first year teachers, surveys from former teachers who have voluntarily left the profession and finally interviews with school principals. The surveys should garner insight as to why teachers decide to enter the profession but also the reasons as to why former teachers leave. Principal interviews should indicate the reasons from an administrative perspective as to why a large exodus of teachers in common in many districts.
Once data from these three sources has been collected, the responses shall be organized based on frequency of responses. From this data, similar themes and patterns would be presented in the form of a research paper in which critiques and recommendations from my colleagues should be welcomed into the discussion to determine the direction of this research.
Ultimately, the next step would be determining what can be done both locally and nationally to narrow or ideally eliminate the nationwide teacher shortage.
Annotated Bibliography
Howard, T. C. (2003). Who receives the short end of the shortage? Implications of the US teacher shortage on urban schools. Journal of Curriculum...