Date of Award

5-12-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Economics

Advisor(s)

Alfonso Flores-Lagunes

Second Advisor

Ying Shi

Keywords

Asian students;Student misbehavior;Teacher retention;Well-being

Subject Categories

Economics | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This dissertation studies several key issues related to teacher turnover, mentorship, and discrimination. The first chapter examines the impact of misbehaving students on the likelihood of novice teachers leaving their positions within the first five years. Utilizing data from North Carolina between 2007 and 2015, the study employs quasi-random variation and instruments the grade-by-school level share of misbehaving students to address potential sorting issues. The findings reveal that teachers with more misbehaving students are more likely to leave their positions within the next three years. Additionally, there is suggestive evidence that stronger school leadership can mitigate this adverse impact on teacher retention. The second chapter focuses on the effectiveness of teacher induction programs, specifically mentoring, in reducing teacher attrition rates. The study uses administrative data from North Carolina to evaluate the influence of colleague teachers on novice teachers' retention decisions. The analysis shows that having experienced colleagues and demographic matching by race and gender significantly reduce novice teacher turnover, particularly in middle schools. These results underscore the importance of experienced colleagues and a diverse work environment in retaining novice teachers. The third chapter addresses the increasing discrimination and violence toward Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a large-scale survey of students in U.S. colleges and universities, the study employs a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the racial differentials in the pandemic’s impact. The findings indicate that Asian students experienced more discrimination and felt less safe than their White peers after the onset of the pandemic. They also utilized fewer mental health services but did not report an increase in serious mental health struggles. Results suggest this could be due to a social connection channel, with Asian students engaging in more entertainment activities with others while reporting a greater sense of belonging.

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Open Access

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