Prospective teachers often enter teacher education programs with a strong sense of idealism but may become disillusioned by the dissonance between their ideals and their practice. Sadly the attrition rate among new Alberta teachers within the first five years of practice is nearly 30%. Establishing a clear sense of professional identity is a key factor in the motivation, effectiveness, and retention of teachers.
Jodi Nickel, Associate Professor and Chair in the Mount Royal's Department of Education and Schooling, and Jim Zimmer, Dean of the Faculty of Teaching and Learning, have engaged in a longitudinal study of how the emergence of new teachers' professional identity impacts their self-efficacy, their views on teaching, and ultimately their commitment to the profession.