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.