Person–Organization Fit with Teaching Colleagues, Person–Job Fit With Grade Level, and First-Year Elementary Teacher Retention

This study explores features of person–organization (P-O) fit and person–job (P-J) fit, and their associations with teacher retention. The authors utilize a person–environment fit framework and conduct a logistic regression analysis that drew on survey data from 153 first-year elementary teachers. They find that first-year elementary teachers in Grades K–2 valued P-J fit with their grade-level assignments while first-year elementary teachers in Grades 3–6 valued P-O fit with teaching colleagues when making their retention decisions. The findings have implications for teacher preparation, the teacher hiring process, and in-school teacher development.