Professional Loss and Grief in Teachers Who Taught At Least Five Years Prior to the Implementation of No Child Left Behind
Abstract
In this mixed methods study, the researcher, a former classroom teacher, examines the
impact of No Child Left Behind on teacher’s emotions. Specifically, the researcher seeks to
understand whether or not and to what extent teachers who taught before and during the
implementation of No Child Left Behind experienced loss and grief. The researcher administrated
an electronic survey. Participants recalled teaching expectations and practices from the time
period prior to the implementation of No Child Left Behind and the time period during which No
Child Left Behind was implemented. The researcher then sought to determine which practices
teachers perceived as professional gains and which practices were perceived as professional
losses. Finally, the researcher situated survey data and responses into six stages of grief.
Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that most teachers who had taught prior to the
implementation of No Child Left Behind experienced loss and grief during its implementation.