Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Chad Walerstein, EdD

Second Advisor

Tonie McDonald, EdD

Third Advisor

Jaclyn Winter, EdD

Abstract

This phenomenological study investigates the preparedness of novice educators transitioning from higher education programs to urban school settings, addressing high teacher attrition rates in under-resourced urban communities. Through the lens of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and a phenomenological framework, the research explores how novice educators perceive their preparedness for urban classroom challenges and which elements of their preparation proved most beneficial. The study analyzes in-depth interviews with 10 novice teachers across four Title I school districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York. Findings revealed that participants perceived themselves as underprepared for the socioeconomic realities, behavioral complexities, and cultural diversity of Title I urban classrooms, despite feeling adequately prepared in content knowledge and lesson planning. Across both research questions ten emergent themes were identified. Participants consistently identified student teaching as the most valuable element of their preparation and the cooperating teacher relationship each contributing to preparedness. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a significant variable for participants whose student teaching was conducted in virtual settings. The study was conducted within a single Title I district, as three of the four contacted districts did not respond to recruitment, a limitation that shapes the generalizability of these findings.

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS