Designing and Validating a Model of Supportive School Culture for Newly Recruited Teachers: A Mixed-Methods Study
Keywords:
Newly recruited teachers, supportive school culture, teacher professional developmentAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to design and validate a comprehensive model of supportive school culture focused on newly recruited teachers and to identify the causal, contextual, intervening, strategic, and outcome-related factors influencing the development and sustainability of such a culture within schools.
Methods and Materials: This applied-developmental study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory methodology following Strauss and Corbin’s approach was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 educational experts, including faculty members, educational administrators, human resource specialists, and teacher trainers. Through open, axial, and selective coding, 521 open codes and 107 axial codes were identified and organized into a paradigmatic model. In the quantitative phase, the proposed model was validated using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of public-school teachers in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. A sample of 280 teachers was selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings. Reliability and validity indices, including Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, discriminant validity, and model fit indicators, were assessed before testing the structural model.
Findings: Structural equation modeling confirmed the adequacy and validity of the proposed model. Significant direct effects were found between causal conditions and the central phenomenon (β = 0.500, t = 12.495), contextual conditions and supportive strategies (β = 0.372, t = 3.388), intervening conditions and supportive strategies (β = 0.378, t = 5.891), and the central phenomenon and supportive strategies (β = 0.456, t = 12.741). The strongest relationship emerged between supportive strategies and educational outcomes (β = 0.735, t = 22.144), indicating that implementation of supportive strategies substantially enhanced positive outcomes. Measurement model assessment demonstrated acceptable reliability and convergent validity, while discriminant validity was confirmed through both the Fornell–Larcker and HTMT criteria. Overall model fit indices were excellent (SRMR = 0.009, NFI = 0.912, GOF = 0.851), supporting the robustness of the proposed framework.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that supportive school culture is a multidimensional construct shaped by structural, managerial, cultural, psychological, and professional factors. The validated model demonstrates that comprehensive support systems—including psychosocial care, professional development opportunities, collaborative learning structures, equitable policies, and participatory leadership—play a crucial role in strengthening professional identity, enhancing teaching performance, increasing job commitment, fostering collaborative school environments, and reducing occupational burnout among newly recruited teachers. The model offers a practical and evidence-based framework for educational policymakers and school leaders seeking to improve teacher retention, professional growth, and educational quality.
Downloads
References
Aldridge, J. M., & Fraser, B. J. (2016). Teachers' Views of Their School Climate and Its Relationship with Teacher Satisfaction and Self-Efficacy. Learning Environments Research, 19(2), 291-307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-015-9198-x
Amin Bidokhti, A. A., Hayat, A. A., & Zarei, S. (2016). Relationship between School Culture and Effectiveness of Elementary Teachers in Damghan County with the Mediation of Learning Culture Semnan University, Faculty of Educational and Psychological Sciences].
Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher Turnover: Why It Matters and What We Can Do about It.
Couvier, S., Brandon, J. F., & Prasow, C. (2018). Inhabiting a Welcoming New Landscape: A First Year Teacher's Voyage of Discovery. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42(3), 261-276. https://doi.org/10.55016/ojs/jet.v42i3.52426
Diab, K., & Green, E. (2024). Cultivating Resilience and Success: Support Systems for Novice Teachers in Diverse Contexts. Education Sciences, 14(7), 711. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070711
Farahmand, M. (2024). Comparing the Effectiveness of Supportive (Contracted) Teachers and Recruited Literacy Movement Teachers from the Perspective of School Principals. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Top Teachers,
Gholamzadeh, M., Keshti-Arai, N., & Sa'adatmand, Z. (2022). Designing a Practicum Curriculum Model for Farhangian University: A Grounded Theory Approach. Curriculum Studies, 17(67), 35-56.
Göregen, M. S., Tanghe, E., & Schelfhout, W. (2024). What Works to Retain Beginning Teachers in the Profession? A Mixed Methods Approach to Detect Determining Factors. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1319. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121319
Hajizadeh Anari, M., & Miri, M. N. (2025). Comparing the Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Training and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Self-Efficacy and Teaching Anxiety of Physics Student-Teachers. Psychological Sciences, 24(152), 81-100.
Heydari Tayeb, T. S., & Akbari Kia, H. (2024). Examining the Communicative, Supportive, and Counseling Roles of School Vice-Principals. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Sociology, Social Sciences, and Education with a Future-Oriented Approach,
Hulme, M. (2022). The Importance of Starting Well: The Influence of Early Career Support on Job Satisfaction and Career Intentions in Teaching. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), 504-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1985981
Johnson, B., Sullivan, A., Simons, M., & Peters, J. (2019). How School Leaders Attract, Recruit, Develop and Retain the Early Career Teachers They Want. In (pp. 101-122). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8621-3_6
Kazemi, A., Shirbagi, N., & Amjad Zabardast, M. (2022). A Qualitative Study of Human Resource Recruitment and Retention Processes in Deprived Educational Areas: A Case Study of Kurdistan Province. Innovative Educational Thoughts, 18(1), 213-237.
Khaleghi, M., Naderi, N., Rezaei, B., & Jafari, H. (2022). Examining the Relationship between School Organizational Culture and Teachers' Work Motivation with the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment: A Case Study of Public Elementary Schools in Eslamabad-e Gharb. Research in School-Based and Virtual Learning, 10(3), 33-50.
Kraft, M. A., Marinell, W. H., & Yee, D. S. (2016). School Organizational Contexts, Teacher Turnover, and Student Achievement: Evidence from Panel Data. Teachers College Record, 118(9), 1-40. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831216667478
Kraft, M. A., & Papay, J. P. (2014). Can Professional Environments in Schools Promote Teacher Development? Explaining Heterogeneity in Returns to Teaching Experience. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36(4), 476-500. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373713519496
Kutsyuruba, B., & Bezzina, C. (2024). Head of School Engagement in Teacher Induction and Mentoring in Malta. European Journal of Educational Management, 7(2), 109-124. https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.7.2.109
Kutsyuruba, B., Walker, K. D., & Godden, L. (2017). Creating Supportive School Cultures for Beginning Teachers: Mitigating the Cultural Contextual Factors. International Journal of Educational Organization and Leadership, 24(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.18848/2329-1656/CGP/v24i02/1-18
Liu, Y., Bellibaş, M. Ş., & Gümüş, S. (2021). The Effect of Instructional Leadership and Teacher Collaboration on Teacher Job Satisfaction: Findings from TALIS 2013. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(3), 430-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220910438
Mohammadzadeh, N., Ghalavandi, H., & Hasani, M. (2024). Examining the Effect of Distributed Leadership Style on Teachers' Self-Efficacy with the Mediating Role of School Culture. Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Research in Psychology, Counseling, and Educational Sciences,
Mohremi, J., Keyhan, J., & Samari, M. (2025). Designing and Validating a Multicultural Education Policy Model in Iran's Public Education System. Curriculum Planning Research, 83(21), 48-67.
Moreno Díaz, K., Mauri Majós, T., & Colomina Álvarez, R. (2025). Tipos de Apoyo que Recibe el Profesorado Jefe Novel Chileno para su Aprendizaje Profesional Durante la Inducción. Revista Complutense de Educación, 36(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5209/rced.90395
Niroomand, P., Ghahramani, J., & Ghasemzadeh Alishahi, A. (2022a). Designing a Mentoring Model for Newly Employed Teachers in the National Education System Based on Grounded Theory from the Perspective of Educational Sociology. Sociological studies, 3, 225-240.
Niroomand, P., Ghahramani, J., & Ghasemzadeh Alishahi, A. (2022b). Examining the Importance of Elements and Components of Mentoring for Newly Employed Teachers in the National Education System. Iranian Political Sociology, 4, 1571-1594.
Rohi, M., Tahmasbzadeh Shikhlar, D., & Parvari, A. (2021). The Mediating Role of School Culture in the Relationship between Effective School Components and Lesson Study Quality among Elementary Teachers. Teaching Research, 3, 77-102.
Safarian Piralilu, T., Torbati, A. H., Moghaddam, M., & Qaderi Pega, Z. (2024). The Role of Teachers in Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment for Effective Learning. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Talent and Culture-Oriented Teachers in Technical and Vocational Education for Sustainable Development,
Schumacher, N. (2022). Welcome to the New Teacher Tribe: Empowering Beginning Teachers by Co-Creating Sanctuaries of Learning. In (pp. 189-202). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4464-2_13
Schutter, N. D., & Lehmann, E. (2024). Novice Teacher Recruitment and Retention in a Midwestern State: An Exploration of Contextual Factors. Theory and Practice in Rural Education, 14(1), 183-201. https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2024.v14n1p183-201
Sepehvand, M., Omidian, M., Shahni Yilagh, M., & Maktabi, G. (2024). Relationship between Ethical Leadership of School Principals and School Culture with Teachers' Innovative Work Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety and Moderation by Dynamic Personality. Innovation and Creativity in Humanities, 54, 105-140.
Wilcoxen, C., Bell, J., & Steiner, A. (2019). Empowerment through Induction: Supporting the Well-Being of Beginning Teachers. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 9(1), 52-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-02-2019-0022
Zahed Babolan, A., Hosseinzadeh, R., & Hanifi Kalashani, S. (2025). The Role of Teachers' Attitudes and School Culture in Predicting Elementary School Teachers' Self-Efficacy. Educational Leadership Research, 9(34), 223-246.
Zarei Shokatabadi, S. (2022). Examining the Relationship between School Culture and Teacher Effectiveness with the Mediation of Learning Culture: A Case Study of Elementary Schools in Damghan County and Amirabad District. Proceedings of the 7th National Conference on Innovation and Research in Management, Psychology, and Education,
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Samira Khezri (Author); Javad Keyhan; Maryam Sameri (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
