Perceived workplace conditions and first-year teachers’ morale, career choice commitment, and planned retention: a secondary analysis

The relationships between perceived workplace conditions and morale, career choice commitment, and planned retention were examined for first-year teachers in the United States. A nationally representative sample of first-year teachers (K-12) was extracted from the United States Department of Education's Schools and Staffing Surveys database for 1987–88 and 1993–94. A school culture that supports collaboration and teacher participation in decision-making was most strongly related to higher morale, stronger commitment to teaching, and intentions to remain in the profession. The discussion highlights the importance of providing supportive workplace conditions during a formalized induction year that socialize new teachers into a collaborative and participatory work-ethic that sustains commitment.