Perceived network bridging influences the career commitment decisions of early career teachers

Background: Retaining highly qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers is imperative for meeting demands of the twenty-first century STEM workforce. While multiple studies have revealed several factors that influence teacher retention, little work has examined how these factors interact with one another. This study explored the relationship between two critical factors that relate to teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession: teacher identity and communities of practice (CoP) networks. Results: Drawing upon scholarship on science teacher identity, CoP, and social network theory, we demonstrate a quantitative relationship between perceived network bridging roles and career commitment, which is mediated through teacher identity. Conclusions: The findings from this study have both implications for scholarship in teacher retention and science teacher identity development. Potential solutions for improving novice teachers’ self-image through providing opportunities to grow their professional networks both locally and regionally/nationally are suggested.