Preparation for Persistence: Exploring the Relationship Between Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation and Persistence in Under‐Resourced Schools

ABSTRACT The retention and persistence of well‐prepared science and mathematics teachers in under‐resourced schools remains a challenge across the United States. Considering Social Cognitive Theory, we examined the relationship between features of science and mathematics preservice teacher preparation programs across 10 universities and colleges and their graduates' attrition in under‐resourced schools. We employed survival analysis, which demonstrated that none of the common features of teacher preparation programs significantly predicted science and mathematics teacher persistence in under‐resourced schools. However, teachers' perception of being prepared for under‐resourced schools predicted how long they remained in these schools. Additional exploratory analysis using simple linear regression suggested a positive relationship between teachers' persistence in under‐resourced schools when five program features prepared them for under‐resourced contexts specifically: methods courses, content courses, practicum, their cooperating teacher, and having a cohort model. These findings contribute to the field's understanding of the relationship between teacher preparation programs and science and mathematics teachers' persistence in under‐resourced schools.