Abstract
Rural school principals continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified teachers. Researchers have sought to determine the preferred type of preparation programs and the specific characteristics of teacher candidates, but few have specifically focused on the perceptions of the rural principal. The purpose of this study was to understand current rural school principals’ perceptions regarding various factors affecting the selection of teacher candidates. Using an online, cross-sectional survey of rural school principals, data were collected to understand their perspectives regarding various factors that may affect the selection of potential teacher candidates. Results indicate that rural principals prefer to hire applicants who have completed a traditional 4-year college/university preparation program. In addition, when reviewing applicant materials they look for specific factors such as experience, those who are known in the community, cooperating/lead teacher evaluations, and areas of licenses held among teacher candidates. Rural school principals specifically reported a preference toward hiring applicants who hold a dual license in elementary and special education.
Rural school principals continue to have unique difficulty hiring and retaining fully licensed teachers across the elementary, middle, and high school settings (Brenner et al., 2015; Espinoza et al., 2018; Showalter et al., 2017). A majority of states (48) and the District of Columbia experience the ongoing impact of the teacher shortage in the area of special education in both rural and urban areas (Sutcher et al., 2016). Teacher shortages in rural areas occur for a variety of reasons, such as lack of available qualified teacher candidates (Brief, 2018), a lack of understanding of rural communities, low compensation, tough working conditions, and the cost of training programs (Espinoza et al., 2018; Showalter et al., 2017; Sutcher et al., 2016). Because not all rural districts and schools will have the same barriers to hiring and retaining teachers (Espinoza et al., 2018), it is important to understand the preferences and perspectives of a variety of rural school principals. One way to understand the needs of principals is to foster partnerships between teacher preparation programs and building level principals (Espinoza et al., 2018) in rural areas who are responsible for hiring teachers. These partnerships may provide opportunities to distribute feedback surveys and engage in rich conversations or interviews necessary for preparation program faculty to truly understand the unique needs of a rural area. Therefore, to further understand the current hiring preferences in rural school settings, this study investigated the perspectives of current rural school principals regarding various factors that might affect the selection of potential teacher candidates.
Gaining an awareness of the specific needs and preferences will provide teacher preparation programs with the knowledge to revise and adjust current preparation programs to ensure candidates are prepared for these unique locations. Although multiple programming options (e.g., online, traditional, hybrid) are currently available and accessible in some rural areas, the needs of those pursuing teacher licensure have expanded beyond the traditional undergraduate student. Thus, to meet the needs of both traditional and nontraditional teacher candidates, many colleges and universities have implemented programming options for those who wish to complete a teacher preparation program (Espinoza et al., 2018; Gist et al., 2019; Kamler & Goubeaud, 2018).
Teacher Preparation Program Options
Traditional university teaching preparation programs offer a route to licensure that is embedded within a 4-year degree. These programs include coursework and student teaching requirements with mentor teachers (Moffett & Davis, 2014). Through this preparation, teachers develop pedagogy and content knowledge in a particular licensure area (e.g., elementary, secondary English, special education). For aspiring teachers with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than education, one can pursue a traditional license through postbaccalaureate credential programs or master’s degree programs (Ingersoll et al., 2014). These graduate-level programs offer coursework and student teaching, similar to the traditional university route at the bachelor’s level. In each of these traditional programs, aspiring teachers complete all program requirements, obtain licensure, and then apply for teaching positions.
In contrast, an alternative route to licensure (ARL) program offers a unique route to licensure for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than education (Beare et al., 2012; Brenner et al., 2015; Moffett & Davis, 2014; Shaw, 2008). These programs allow candidates to begin teaching before having licensure and while working on the ARL program requirements (Beare et al., 2012; Clark et al., 2013; Shaw, 2008). Upon completion of the ARL program, these teachers are eligible for standard teacher licensure; however, they could be teaching for 1 to 3 years without full licensure (Beare et al., 2012; Zeichner, 2016). In some states, there may also be an option for teachers who have a teaching license in one area (e.g., elementary education) to teach out of area (e.g., special education) and to work on the appropriate license while working in the out-of-licensure classroom.
Each type of licensure preparation program follows specific program requirements based on state licensure and preparation program requirements. With an increased variety of preparation options, it is important to understand the perceptions of the principals of rural schools who hire candidates who complete various teacher preparation programs to ensure programs are preparing teachers for successful careers.
Principal Perceptions
Ongoing research to determine principal perceptions has been conducted in rural and urban environments through the use of interviews, questionnaires, and surveys (Abernathy et al., 2001; Engel, 2013; Jabbar, 2018; Moffett & Davis, 2014; Sindelar et al., 2004). In general, reports of rural and urban principals’ perceptions of a teacher’s route to licensure are mixed. Principals in one survey ranked teachers as adequately- or well-prepared, regardless of what type of preparation program was completed (Beare et al., 2012). Licensure route was important to principals in one study (Moffett & Davis, 2014), but it was ranked less important by principals in other studies (Cannata & Engel, 2012; Engel, 2013).
Specifically, traditional teacher preparation programs are valued by some principals, who believe traditionally trained teachers have stronger subject matter knowledge (Moffett & Davis, 2014) and classroom management skills than alternatively trained teachers (Brenner et al., 2015; Brown et al., 2006; Moffett & Davis, 2014). Other reports indicated that principals expressed concerns that ARL programs may have low expectations (Brenner et al., 2015), and added that alternatively trained teachers would need extra support in their first years in the classroom (Brenner et al., 2015). Principals in one study ranked traditionally trained teachers as marginally adequate overall, whereas alternatively trained teachers in the same study were scored as inadequate (Brown et al., 2006). For as many studies that found negative perceptions of ARL programs, there are studies that found positive perceptions. Principals in two studies ranked alternatively trained teachers higher than traditionally trained teachers (Beare et al., 2012; Sindelar et al., 2004).
Overall, studies of principals’ perceptions of teacher licensure routes show mixed results. There is disagreement over whether licensure route matters; for those who believe it does matter, there is disagreement over which licensure route produces better teachers. These conflicting results indicate that more research is needed to better understand rural principals’ perceptions of the preferred characteristics of candidates and different teacher licensure options.
Preferred Characteristics
A teacher’s licensure program is just one variable that principals consider when hiring new teachers. Principals tend to look for certain personality traits and skills, as well as experience and recommendations. Enthusiasm is a sought-after trait, both for teaching (Cannata & Engel, 2012; Engel, 2013) and for trying new and innovative teaching techniques (Giersch & Dong, 2018). Principals also appreciate teacher candidates with strong interpersonal skills (Abernathy et al., 2001; Dillon et al., 2010), good character (Abernathy et al., 2001), and compassion for students (Cannata & Engel, 2012; Engel, 2013). Teacher candidates who are team players (Cannata & Engel, 2012) and positive role models for students (Engel, 2013) also are valued by principals.
For classroom skills, principals look for teacher candidates with a strong grasp on classroom management (Abernathy et al., 2001; Engel, 2013), subject matter knowledge (Engel, 2013), and an ability to work with diverse learners (Abernathy et al., 2001). Many principals look for teachers with prior teaching experience (Abernathy et al., 2001; Giersch & Dong, 2018; Jabbar, 2018) and take recommendations from other personnel in the school or district (Abernathy et al., 2001; Engel & Curran, 2016; Engel & Finch, 2015). For new teachers without any contracted teaching experience, principals look for positive evaluations from mentor teachers (Abernathy et al., 2001). Knowledge of these variables continues to be helpful for teacher preparation programs to evaluate programming to ensure teacher candidates are prepared for rural settings.
Purpose of the Present Study
Even though there are multiple avenues to prepare teachers, it is important to consider the preferences and needs of schools in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of current rural school principals regarding various factors that may affect the selection of potential teacher candidates. The study focused on the following research questions:
Method
An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the current perspectives of principals of rural schools in a western state. The survey was comprised of 19 closed-ended and four open-ended questions. Through the combination of these questions, the authors sought to first determine if principals have a preference for the type of teacher preparation program completed by the candidates they hire (e.g., ARL, traditional 4-year program, online for profit). Second, the authors wanted to identify reported characteristics principals consider when reviewing application materials and interviewing teacher applicants.
Survey Development
The Principals’ Perception Survey, a 23-item survey comprised of open- and closed-ended questions, was designed by the authors to collect information from current rural school principals regarding geographic demographics, past educational experience, preferences regarding teacher preparation programs, and the ideal characteristics of teacher candidates. To determine a list of specific characteristics principals seek in a candidate, the authors reviewed multiple studies to determine the perceptions of principals when hiring teachers (Abernathy et al., 2001; Engel & Curran, 2016; Engel & Finch, 2015; Giersch & Dong, 2018; Jabbar, 2018). Based on this review, it was determined that a prior study that reported 18 factors principals consider important when hiring teacher candidates was still relevant and appropriate for this study (Abernathy et al., 2001). The list of factors was further reviewed and slightly adjusted to compile a list of characteristics for the current survey. After meeting to determine the questions for the survey, the first author created the survey using a secure online platform. Once the survey was complete, the first and second author reviewed each question for accuracy. Then each author reviewed the content and accuracy of the survey using an online link (see Appendix for complete survey).
The survey begins with a yes/no qualifying question asking if the principal was based in a rural school district. Following the eligibility question, the survey contains demographic questions to identify the participants’ current type (e.g., elementary, secondary, charter) and location (e.g., urban, rural) of school, educational background (e.g., master’s, EdS, PhD), and the years of experience as a school principal. Other questions focused on the types of programs participants attended for their teacher licensure and administrative license. Participants were then asked to identify the type of college or university program from which they preferred to hire if there were enough applicants as well as if there is a preference for the type of preparation program the candidate attended. In the second section of the survey, the participants identified the types of preparation programs recent hires completed for licensure and if the teaching license of those hired matched the teaching assignment. To determine the potential characteristics considered when hiring fully licensed teacher candidates, participants were asked to check all that apply from a list of 19 options and were afforded an open-ended option to provide a characteristic, not on the list. Next, to ascertain the characteristics considered when hiring non-licensed teacher candidates, participants were asked to check all that apply from a list of 17 options and were provided an open-ended option to provide a characteristic, not on the list. Finally, four open-ended questions were designed to elicit specific descriptive responses regarding the candidates principals prefer to hire, candidates they avoid hiring, and candidates they have recently hired.
Participants
The Principals’ Perception Project study was approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and focused on recruiting rural school principals across a western state. Prior to recruitment, a graduate research assistant compiled an email list of rural school principals by reviewing the State Department of Education and individual school district websites. Rural areas were broadly defined as less populated areas of the state and identified as rural by the State Department of Education. The final principal list used for recruitment contained 134 unique email addresses. The survey was sent to these 134 rural school principals; three potential participants opted out of the study upon receipt of the initial email invitation. All respondents indicated that they met the inclusion criteria of being a current rural school principal by self-selecting the location (e.g., urban, suburban, rural, other) of an elementary, middle, or high school and completed the survey. Respondents who did not self-identify as a principal in a rural location were deleted. The final response rate of the study was 38.8% (52/134).
A majority of the participants were from elementary schools (see Table 1). Ninety-eight percent (51/52) reported having a master’s degree and four reported having an additional degree (e.g., EdS, EdD, PhD). The average years of experience among principals was 8.44 years with a standard deviation of 6.96. Responses for the years of experience within a particular school setting (e.g., elementary, secondary, charter) were further analyzed with the exception of the one participant who reported working at a behavioral school. Responses at the school setting level were averaged and the means and standard deviations are presented in Table 1.
Participants Current Type of School and Years of Experience.
Elementary and secondary. bBehavioral school.
To understand the educational experience of each principal, the participants were asked to select the type of program they attended for their teacher and administrative licenses from a list of options (see Table 2). Of the responses, 69.2% (36/52) of principals attended a traditional 4-year public college or university for their initial teacher licensure. Administrative license responses indicate that 42.31% (22/52) were obtained through a public university master’s degree program and 44.23% (23/52) through an online program. The survey did not indicate any distinction between for-profit, nonprofit public, or private.
Type of Degree Program Attended for Teacher Licensure and Administrative Licensure.
Data Collection Procedures
Data were collected over a 2-month period. Initially, a recruitment email was sent to all 134 email addresses inviting potential participants to complete an online survey. Interested participants were directed to click an embedded link directing them to a secure online survey platform. One week later, a second email was sent to potential participants who did not respond to the initial message with a third email sent a week after the second. Two weeks later, a fourth, and final, recruitment email was sent. The survey platform tracked the respondents by using the corresponding email address; however, the researchers were unable to view this information as per the IRB protocol. Instead, the survey platform reported the number of respondents who completed the survey, the nonresponses, and those who opted out of receiving future emails from the researchers. Using this information, the platform allowed the researchers to generate follow-up emails sent only to those who did not complete the survey.
Data Analysis
Responses to both closed- and open-ended questions were analyzed to understand the perspectives of rural school principals. The responses to the closed-ended questions were reviewed using the online survey platform and also downloaded to a comma separated value file and imported into Microsoft Excel for further analysis. A chi-square analysis was used to determine relationships between particular variables.
An inductive approach, where themes emerge from the data, was used to analyze the open-ended responses (Miles et al., 2020). Each open-ended question was separated into individual Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, with written responses to open-ended questions serving as the transcription, thus allowing an orderly set of data for further analysis (Yin, 2016). Responses to each open-ended question were first analyzed for codes, the smallest unit of meaning consisting of words or phrases (Miles et al., 2020). As responses were analyzed, it was possible that one answer could have multiple codes in that more than one idea could be represented in a single response (e.g., qualified, have a “rural fit,” appropriate dispositions). Codes were reviewed for patterns (Yin, 2016) and subsequently placed into categories, which were defined as code groupings that exemplified similar features (Rossman & Rallis, 2017). A constant comparisons process was followed to determine similarities and dissimilarities as categories were formed (Yin, 2016). Finally, these categories were then reviewed for patterns to identify a more extended theme that explained the data (Miles et al., 2020). Responses to each open-ended question were analyzed in this manner to identify codes, categories, and the final themes.
Results
Results are first presented for the closed-ended, quantitative questions followed by a presentation of the qualitative results from the open-ended questions. The results for the closed-ended questions focused on respondents’ preferences for types of teacher preparation programs, licenses possessed by applicants, the qualifications and background of the applicants they hire, and applicant characteristics.
Preparation, Licensure, Hiring Preferences, and Hiring Practices: Closed-Ended Responses
Teacher preparation program preferences
Two closed-item questions focused on the type of preparation programs from which principals preferred to hire as well as a more general question asking about the types of programs they preferred applicants had attended during college. These slightly different questions helped to provide a validation of participant responses. First, participants were asked, “If you have enough applicants for a position, from which type of college or university program do you prefer to hire?” Responses indicated that 25% (13/52) preferred to hire an applicant with a bachelor’s degree from a traditional 4-year public university, 3.85% (2/52) preferred an applicant with a master’s degree from a traditional public university, and one participant preferred a candidate who completed a bachelor’s degree from a traditional 4-year private university. However, 69.2% (36/52) of participants did not have a preference regarding an applicant’s educational background.
Subsequently, participants were asked, “If you have enough applicants for a position, which type of teacher preparation program do you prefer they attended or completed?” The purpose of this question was to determine if principals had a preference regarding the format (e.g., traditional, alternative route, masters) of the preparation program completed. Responses indicated that 38.46% (20/52) preferred applicants who have completed a traditional 4-year college or university teacher preparation program, 1.92% (1/52) preferred a traditional 4-year private college/university, 5.77% (3/52) preferred a traditional master’s with student teaching, 3.85% (2/52) preferred an ARL program, and 50% (26/52) respondents had no preference for the type of preparation program completed. The results of this second question, while slightly different than the first, served as an appropriate reliability measure.
Licensure preferences
The subsequent three questions focused on determining if principals at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels had preferences for the types of license applicants hold. Respondents were provided a list of licensure options available from which they could check any that applied. At the elementary level, 13.46% (7/52) reported a preference for an early childhood license, 7.69% (4/52) preferred an early childhood special education license, 36.54% (19/52) reported a desire for dual license in elementary and special education, 34.62% (18/52) reported preferring elementary (K–8), 7.69% (4/52) stated a preference for special education only licensure, and 19.23% (10/52) stated having no preference. Fifteen respondents (28.85%) indicated that the question was not applicable to them.
At the middle school level, the following preferences regarding teacher licensure were reported: 17.31% (9/52) preferred elementary (K–8) licensure, 13.46% (7/52) desired middle school licensure, 15.38% (8/52) wanted secondary (7–12) licenses in the relevant teaching area, and 3.85% (2/52) indicated secondary (7–12) license in a content area other than specified position. At the middle school level, no respondent reported desiring special education only licensure. However, 9.61% (5/52) reported a preference for special education licensure combined with a general education license. Four (7.69%) of respondents reported no preference for type of licensure held by applicants and 57.69% (30/52) selected not applicable.
Responses from secondary principals indicated the following preferences for type of license held by applicants: one participant reported preferring a middle school license, 32.69% (17/32) stated preferring a secondary (7–12) license in a relevant content area, and 11.54% (6/52) indicated preferring secondary (7–12) licensure in a content area other than the specified position. None of the respondents reported special education only licensure as a preference; 13.46% (7/52) indicated a preference for special education licensure combined with a general education license. No preference was reported by 7.69% (4/52) of the respondents, and 53.85% (28/52) selected not applicable.
A chi-square analysis was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between the school level of the principal (elementary, middle, high school) and the educational background of the principal’s preferred applicants. Results of the analysis revealed a significant association between the level of principal and the preferred applicant teaching license,
Preparation programs from which respondents reported hiring
Understanding that their preferred candidates may not be available, principals were asked who their recent hires were. Respondents answered a question indicating the type of bachelor’s or master’s/graduate teacher preparation program from which they recently hired a teacher. A traditional 4-year college/university teacher preparation program was selected by 86.54% (45/52) respondents, a traditional master’s program with student teaching was selected by 28.85% (15/52), and an ARL program was selected by 55.77% (29/52). Following this response, respondents were asked to indicate the type of program from which they have hired most of their teachers. Eighty-three percent (43/52) hired most of their teachers from a traditional 4-year college/university teacher preparation program, 7.69% (4/52) hired from a traditional master’s with student teaching, and almost 10% (5/52) hired from ARL programs. These results suggested that while respondents appeared to have no preferences in terms of hiring, most of their hires were from traditional university teacher preparation programs. In this case, actual hiring appeared to be predictive of principal preferences to hire from a traditional 4-year college/university teacher preparation program.
Hiring applicants for positions that do not match their licenses
Respondents were asked if they have hired an applicant for a position that does not match the applicant’s teaching license. Forty-four percent (23/52) indicated that they have hired teachers for positions that do not match the teaching licenses held by the applicants, whereas 56% (29/52) indicated they have not. The average number of teachers hired out of licensure area was 1.87 with a standard deviation of 1.29. Subsequently, if the principal has hired a teacher whose teaching license does not match the teaching assignment, they were asked to indicate for what areas of need they hired out-of-area teachers. The highest number of applicants hired out of their licensure areas were reported as special education (12), followed by elementary (four), early childhood special education (three), math (three), and one applicant across multiple areas (i.e., English, vocational, science, humanities). Interestingly, this finding differed slightly from the preferences that principals indicated in previous questions.
Factors considered when hiring licensed and unlicensed candidates
Respondents were presented with 19 factors related to qualities and experiences of applicants. Respondents were asked to select the specific factors they considered when reviewing materials and interviewing candidates who are fully licensed. Respondents were directed to check all factors that applied. The most common characteristic selected by 85.71% (42/49) of respondents was that the candidate had a previous successful teaching position. In addition, 65.31% (32/49) selected cooperating/lead teacher evaluations and 55.10% (27/49) selected the number of licenses/endorsements held (see Table 3 for all responses). These findings suggested that experience and preparation were highly regarded by principals in the hiring process.
Factors Considered When Hiring Licensed and Unlicensed Candidates.
In addition, respondents were provided 17 factors related to qualities and experiences of applicants who were either non-licensed or an ARL teacher (see Table 3). Sixty-one percent (30/49) indicated that they consider whether the person was already known in the district and 55% (27/49) took into consideration if the candidate was already known in the school location. Over 50% (25/49) took recommendations from school personnel into consideration when hiring teachers. For non-licensed or ARL applicants, principals were looking for personal references and knowledge of the applicant over experience. Based on the results of describing preferences and actual hiring behaviors, it was likely that these principals were selecting licensed and experienced teachers over non-licensed and ARL teachers.
Relationship between principal preparation program and hiring preferences
After the initial review of all data, further analysis was conducted. Chi-square analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between principal preparation (public, private and online preparation) and the educational background of the teachers they preferred to hire (public, private, online preparation, no preference). Results indicated that there is a significant association between principal background and teacher hiring preference,
Qualitative Results to Open-Ended Questions
Respondents were asked to respond to four open-ended questions: (a) In a perfect world, with no teaching shortages, describe the teacher you prefer to hire. (b) In a perfect world with no teacher shortage and plenty of applicants, are there any teacher preparation programs from which you would avoid hiring? (c) In a perfect world, would you prefer to hire teachers with more than one license and if so, what licenses would you like the teachers to have? (d) Given the current shortage of teachers in the state, describe the teachers you hire. Through an inductive qualitative analysis process, the following themes emerged from these four questions: (a) preference for type of teacher preparation program, (b) preference for hiring teachers with more than one license, (c) struggles in hiring and supporting teachers, (d) hiring most qualified teachers available, and (e) dispositions, background, and school/community fit.
Preference for type of teacher preparation program
As one principal indicated, “I don’t avoid certain programs.” Although the majority of respondents (59%) indicated that they did not avoid hiring from any particular type of program, a number (22%) of other respondents expressed concerns about certain types of programs. Several (20%) specifically referenced avoiding online programs: “In a perfect world, I would not hire teachers from online preparation programs.” In some cases, these respondents expressed concerns about online, for profit programs as having “lower standards” or as being “hit or miss” in terms of teacher preparation mirroring the results of Brenner et al. (2015). A small group of respondents (6%) indicated that they avoid hiring from alternative route to licensure programs.
Preference for hiring teachers with more than one license
Overwhelmingly, these respondents (73%) preferred to hire teachers who are licensed in more than one area as reflected in the statement “I would like to have teachers licensed in more than one area.” The most commonly stated preference revealed that if special education is combined as with dual elementary/special education licenses, principals preferred to hire teachers with special education preparation, making special education the highest reported need area. Interestingly, when respondents were given options for hiring teachers with specific licenses, special education was not highly preferred. Other areas identified as being preferred for more than one license were linked to content areas with math as the most prominent answer, but with other content areas identified as well (e.g., science, English, computer science). One respondent stated, “rural schools need multiple licenses in order to meet program and budgetary constraints.” Another respondent indicated that having teachers who possess more than one license allowed principals to “move around or save positions should ones have to be cut.” These statements provided support for the reasons that rural principals preferred teachers to possess more than one license.
Struggles in hiring and supporting teachers
Respondents indicated that they have struggles in both hiring and supporting teachers in their rural school districts. These struggles encompassed needing to hire inexperienced teachers due to limited numbers of applicants, needing to hire from out of state, as well as hiring those who needed substantial support to be successful in the classroom. One respondent indicated she hires “ones we get from recruitment fairs who are just graduating from 4-year degrees,” whereas another indicated that, for the first time ever, he had to hire “three fresh out of college 1st year teachers.” Another respondent indicated having only one applicant for a specific teaching position as did another who stated, “sometimes we have 1–2 candidates for a job.” A third respondent indicated needing to settle for “teachers who have a degree in the area without a criminal background.” Several respondents indicated that they “hired fairly successfully from out of state” rather than hiring applicants from in state. Unfortunately, some of those hired “needed a lot of support,” with some who “may have some deficiencies in their content area or issues with classroom management.” These issues related to hiring and supporting inexperienced teachers were reported as taxing on rural school districts’ resources.
Hiring most qualified teachers available
One principal’s comment “I hire the best we can get” was reflective of the sample. Although there was a clear preference to hire teachers with the appropriate preparation and experience, principals were willing to adjust their expectations. Responding principals indicated that they have the goal of hiring the best teachers possible who already hold teacher licensure, but they sometimes had to settle for those who are on an alternate route to licensure (ARL; that is, not currently a teacher, but possessing a bachelor’s degree) or on an “options” program where they are a licensed teacher but teaching out of area. Respondents indicated the desire to hire “the best of the pool that we get,” but “on occasion we have to hire just for the license.” Several respondents (18%) indicated the need to fill “positions with ARL teachers and long-term substitute teachers,” with “ARLs becoming more and more common.” Other respondents indicated hiring teachers who were licensed, but not in the area in which they were teaching. For example, one hired someone who “is an excellent teacher, but teaching out of her content area.” When teachers were hired on the ARL route or to teach out of their area of licensure, it became necessary for those teachers to complete classes, including student teaching in some cases. Depending upon the location of the districts, this necessity proved to be difficult for the teachers and required the districts to provide additional support to these teachers.
Dispositions, background, and school/community fit
Principals indicated that it is essential that teachers have the right dispositions and background as well the ability to connect within the school and broader community. One principal shared, “I hire those willing to work and become a part of our community and support our vision as a school and district.” Respondents provided a variety of descriptors related to dispositions and personal characteristics for which they look when hiring teachers, including having “positive attitudes,” being “coachable,” being a “creative thinker,” being “knowledgeable, [a] team player,” and having a “great work ethic, excellent recommendations, steady work history.” Not only were personal and professional dispositions important, but respondents indicated that they prefer applicants who “have experience with kids (worked at after school program or Boys and Girls Club, etc.)” and could bring multiple skills to a school.
A number of respondents (22%) also indicated the importance of new hires being willing “to become a part of our community and support our vision as a school and a district” as well as those who “are familiar with the rural area” and “committed to stay” in the rural area in which they are applying for a teaching position. These preferences of principals highlighted the importance of intangible qualifications that are not linked to licensure or teacher preparation programs, but are viewed as essential to success as a teacher.
Discussion
This descriptive study was guided by two key areas of concern. First, the chronic teacher shortage has put pressure on principals in rural school districts to find qualified applicants. Second, traditional college/university teacher preparation programs feel the pressure to prepare more teachers, while competing with nontraditional routes to teacher licensure. Given this changing landscape, this study examined hiring practices in rural communities throughout the state to determine how principals approach hiring new teachers when the demand may be exceeding the supply. The descriptive nature of the study allowed for results that is helpful in terms of learning more about principals’ perspectives, but care should be taken in terms of drawing too many conclusions.
The closed-ended questions were written with subtle differences that allowed the researchers to gauge both the preferences of the respondents in terms of hiring and the choices that they have made during hiring. Furthermore, the items about preferences were written as hypothetical scenarios where principals could share preferences without the constraint of limited applicant pools. This perfect world scenario gave researchers insight into what principals value in the hiring process. Results of this study indicate that rural principals prefer candidates who have completed traditional college/university teacher preparation programs.
In general, college and university teacher education programs can rest assured that when they have options, principals hire teachers who have licenses from 4-year teacher education programs or 2-year master’s programs. Although many principals indicated that they had no preference for the type of university applicants attended, they clearly had both a preference and demonstrated hiring practices that lean toward hiring experienced and licensed teachers. Just as Moffett and Davis (2014) found, the rural school principals in this study indicated that experience and preparation matter. Teachers with licenses and/or those considered “highly qualified” were emphasized. Principals in these rural school districts also value expertise and what that brings to a school. These comments are reflective of the unique demands placed on rural schools in the state and the need to hire teachers who can be resourceful as there may not be enough perceived time to get novices fully prepared for the demands of teaching.
The results of this study indicated that principals focus on the level and needs of the students in their schools. They choose to hire candidates whose teaching licenses are appropriate for the age level of the students in the school. This finding was corroborated by the qualitative data, where principals shared their preferences for selecting teachers with multiple teaching licenses. Content expertise was important for middle and high school teachers and knowledge of early childhood development was important to elementary level principals. Special education as a second license was preferred across all of the principals.
The need for special education teachers is a noted shortage in this state and is relevant in most rural districts where teachers are often asked to fill positions where a school may not need a full-time teacher, but where there are clear instructional needs. This practice is evident in the data where special education teachers with only one license were less preferred than teachers with dual elementary/special education licenses. This finding is further substantiated in the qualitative data where principals need faculty who have a breadth of preparation to fill in any gaps in curriculum or instruction that may arise. This implies that dual licensure programs are essential if we are to meet the expectations of rural principals who are focused on meeting the needs of all students.
Principals do not live in a world without teacher shortages and they often fill positions any way they can. Although an applicant’s experience and preparation are paramount, in instances where principals need to hire teachers as long-term substitutes, on emergency contracts, or part of alternate route programs, the personal and professional dispositions of an applicant are essential. Principals look for applicant dispositions that show their enthusiasm for working with children and their willingness to work hard. This finding supports previous research conducted by Cannata and Engel (2012). Rural principals in this study rely on their network and community to provide references for unlicensed teachers to get a good measure of their dispositions toward students and the profession. This practice has been well documented in the literature as well (Abernathy et al., 2001; Engel & Curran, 2016; Engel & Finch, 2015). Adding to the research on this topic were the comments principals made about applicants’ connection with their community. Commitment to the school and the community are essential factors for principals to consider when hiring a teacher without the appropriate preparation and licensure. Furthermore, the qualitative data indicate that principals will hire teachers who are coachable and willing to learn. Principals see that when the personal dispositions are in place, they will be able to coach the teacher and mentor into securing the appropriate skills. Love of students, love of learning, and love of community matter to rural school principals.
Implications
Two key findings come from this study. First, teacher education is important to principals in rural communities. Principals prefer to hire applicants from college and university teacher preparation programs. They value experience; dispositions also are important. Second, principals need teachers, and in instances where a preferred applicant is not available, they will select the most qualified applicant in the pool. This is typically an applicant who is known in the school and district, has experience working with students, and is willing to learn and work hard.
To merge principals’ preferences for qualified, well-prepared teachers with the needs of rural school districts, university teacher education programs are positioned to step into the role of providing teacher preparation to those teachers who have been hired without the appropriate licenses, but who rural principals have determined to be the right fit. As Espinoza et al. (2018) suggest, teacher preparation programs may need to move out of their comfort zones and partner with rural communities to provide the necessary instruction, supervision, and mentoring to develop teachers’ instructional skills. These changes may mean developing new programs, enhancing technology to provide quality online instruction, or developing ARL partnerships with rural school districts. In doing so, our rural partners can focus on the needs of students and traditional university teacher preparation programs can do what they do best. The results could be beneficial to rural school district personnel, the students they teach, and university teacher preparation programs.
Limitations
There are several limitations to this study. First response rates are often low within cross-sectional surveys. Although the response rate of this study was high for cross-sectional surveys at 38.8% (Fryrear, 2015), it still means that 61.2% of recipients of the survey did not respond. A larger response rate could possibly change the outcomes of the study. A second limitation is that a survey presents self-reports of practices and might not reflect accurate answers (Dillman et al., 2014), which means survey responses might not match actual hiring practices.
Another inherent limitation within surveys is that respondents might respond in a manner in which they think they are expected to respond. That is, they might provide responses they think the researchers want (i.e., demand characteristics). In order to minimize the presence of such response bias, the survey included a variety of types of questions (closed-ended and open-ended) as well varying types of each of these questions (yes/no, Likert scales, positive and negative responses required). Having different types of questions required respondents to think about their answers, thus minimizing response bias.
In addition, respondents represented principals of rural school districts in one western state. Although responses might be representative of rural districts, it could be that results would be different if rural districts from a larger number of states were included. Similarly, results might be different if urban, suburban, and rural districts were all included within the same survey. However, given the focus of this study on rural districts, it was not relevant to include urban and suburban districts.
A final limitation is that the survey was distributed in one mode only (i.e., email). It is possible that a greater number of responses could have been obtained if the survey was disseminated in varying formats (e.g., email and paper copies mailed). It is possible that some email messages went to junk or spam of the recipients, thus never actually being received. Paper copies that were mailed could have avoided this issue and perhaps resulted in a greater response rate, and perhaps in more representative responses.
Future Research
Future research should focus on including rural districts within other states. It might be that hiring practices in different states could vary. For example, hiring practices in rural districts within western states might be different from the hiring practices of rural districts within other parts of the country (e.g., eastern states, southern states). Increasing the rural districts surveyed could increase the generalizability of the results and allow for a comparison across different parts of the country. These comparisons could provide critical information for teacher preparation programs to take into consideration when evaluating and redesigning programs.
Similarly, future research could focus on including principals of rural districts as well as those from urban and suburban school districts to complete a comparison across types of districts. Broadening the pool of recipients to represent various types of districts could again enhance the generalizability of the findings in providing detailed guidance for teacher preparation programs.
Follow-up research might specifically focus on asking principals about who was hired within a specific time frame and how those specific hires matched criteria for the advertised position. Input on why criteria were matched as well as not matched could provide detailed information about actual hiring practices as compared with stated preferences. This information could provide teacher preparation programs with the current information necessary to ensure teacher program completers meet the needs of schools in rural settings.
In addition, conducting focus groups with principals would likely yield more in-depth information about preferences for hiring as well as actual hiring practices. The dynamic and interactive nature of focus groups might yield supporting information that could build upon the results of this study.
Footnotes
Appendix
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
