Dissertation Defense: Amanda M. Abdelaal

The College of Education has scheduled the final oral examination of Amanda M. Abdelaal for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. The title of the dissertation is A Phenomenological Study Exploring a Teacher’s Pathway into Education.

 

This phenomenological study was conducted to examine the ways in which early-career teachers are certified in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to understand what they experience in their training programs, induction programs, and professional development. It is urgent that the state and nation consider the growing trend of alternative certification with the goal of improving early-career training that differentiates preparation across the varied pathways and supports teachers at all stages. 

 

The changes to certification and pathways to become a teacher have recently been intentionally incentivized; the experiences of newly hired, early career teachers in Pennsylvania must be recognized. Properly training teachers with appropriate certification creates positive outcomes for students. Examining this increasingly prevalent phenomenon of preparation and training for early career teachers should guide universities, the state, and teacher training programs (pre-service and professional development) in the best ways to support teacher retention, and potentially find ways to recruit qualified teachers for hard to fill positions. This study highlights the real-life experiences of educators coming from various pathways, both traditional and alternative pathways.