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Article
Publication date: 28 July 2023

Gang Zhu, Liang Shen, Lianjiang George Jiang, Biyuan Yang, Keyuan Shi and Juanjo Mena

Although the importance of teacher induction is widely acknowledged, how teachers experience inductions, particularly those conducted in under-resourced areas, remains…

Abstract

Purpose

Although the importance of teacher induction is widely acknowledged, how teachers experience inductions, particularly those conducted in under-resourced areas, remains underexplored.

Design/methodology/approach

This study narrates a novice teacher's induction experience in a Chinese high school, from the perspectives of professional capital and community, social realist theory, practice architecture and teacher agency. The participant, Ming, reflected on a broad array of formal and informal induction activities and participated during the induction period.

Findings

Through the three-dimensional narrative space, namely broadening, burrowing and storying and re-storying, five themes emerged from Ming's induction experience: (1) heightened awareness of the meaning of teaching, (2) interacting with various professional communities, (3) professional identity tension and development, (4) the discursive influence of various aspects of culture and (5) the influence on future professional development. Overall, this narrative study shows that teacher expertise and identity development play central roles in teacher induction, and context acts as an important mediating factor in teacher induction. These findings echo the importance of teachers' agency in inductions. The implications for facilitating novice teacher induction are also discussed.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of a novice teacher's induction experience in China from the perspectives of practice architectures, professional capital and professional community. The conclusion highlights the importance of professional capital and agency during Ming's induction period. This paper unpacks the complexity of teacher induction by revealing new ways of thinking about induction.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Benjamin Kutsyuruba

The purpose of this exploratory article is to address the questions of teacher attrition and retention by examining the policies supporting beginning teachers in different…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this exploratory article is to address the questions of teacher attrition and retention by examining the policies supporting beginning teachers in different jurisdictions (provinces and territories) in Canada through teacher induction and mentorship programs.

Design/methodology/approach

This research study relied on the collection of documents as the primary method of data collection. Both policy documents as means of external communication and the informal responses to formal policies by various stakeholders were analyzed in a complementary fashion in this study. The study examined numerous government documents, websites, program/policy memoranda, newsletters, as well as academic reviews pertaining to beginning teacher induction programs across Canada.

Findings

Data analysis revealed significant policy variability across the provinces and localities, with comprehensive induction programs instituted only by the educational authorities in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Northwest Territories. A fundamental building‐block of the induction programs was the creation of a formal mentoring program that matched experienced teachers with teachers who were new to the profession and/or to the province/territory.

Research limitations/implications

Policy makers should consider the implementation of structured induction programs that successfully inculcate new teachers into school cultures and result in decreased teacher attrition and increased retention of beginning teachers. Mentoring is at the core of successful induction programs. Evident in all policy‐mandated induction programs under study was the importance of the school principal's role in effective functioning of mentoring programs. This aspect of the principal's role should be further examined and researched to understand the administrator role in the implementation and functioning of effective induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers not only in Canada but worldwide.

Practical implications

In considering implementation of teacher induction programs, policymakers need to be aware that comprehensive, intensive support programs for new educators are both an effective and an efficient public investment. If mandated by policies at the macro levels as part of formal induction programs, mentoring programs have the potential to transform schools into collaborative places by establishing a culture of mentoring in schools.

Originality/value

Despite the perceived and actual benefits, government‐instituted induction programs for new teachers are not very common in Canada. While the discussions of such programs are certainly present in the educational literature, this exploratory pan‐Canadian review of induction and mentoring policies has the ability to inform provincial and territorial policymakers about the variability in institutionalizing those programs.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 1 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2021

Gideon Petrus van Tonder

The researcher emphasised with current research the need for an induction programme for beginning teachers in the South African context to overcome the challenges experienced by…

Abstract

Purpose

The researcher emphasised with current research the need for an induction programme for beginning teachers in the South African context to overcome the challenges experienced by beginning teachers while bridging from pre-service teaching to in-service teaching and to introduce and illuminate the design of a new multimodal induction model.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher followed a narrative approach by discussing previous research regarding the insufficient pre-service training beginning teachers received and the lack of a structured induction programme in the South African context.

Findings

Research has shown that South African beginning teachers have faced similar difficulties as beginning teachers worldwide, but South African beginning teachers are not subjected to formal induction programmes. While the South African Department of Basic Education offered guidelines for the beginning teacher orientation programme, there is almost no evidence in the literature that schools follow such guidelines.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of this paper give other researchers in this field a broader perspective on how the new multimodal induction model can make a measurable contribution to the school, the mentor, the beginning teacher and, most importantly, the learner.

Practical implications

The Department of Basic Education in South Africa and Principals need to follow the guidelines of this multimodal induction model to retain beginning teachers and improve the performance of learners.

Originality/value

This is a new model developed by the researcher to explore the benefits of promoting excellence in the teaching profession through a technology-rich, integrated induction programme to increase the productivity, retention and leadership of beginning teachers, enhance and prevent the loss of human capital, with the ultimate goal of improving learners' growth and performance.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 25 September 2020

Rachel Shanks

Scotland's Teacher Induction Scheme, which covers new teachers in the state sector, was introduced in 2002, before which there was a 2-year probation period. This chapter covers…

Abstract

Scotland's Teacher Induction Scheme, which covers new teachers in the state sector, was introduced in 2002, before which there was a 2-year probation period. This chapter covers teacher probation prior to 2002; the components of the Teacher Induction Scheme; allocation of induction year teachers; the Standard for Full Registration; support and professional learning and tensions in the scheme, namely mentors' dual support and assessment roles, the vulnerable position of induction year teachers and the role of universities in teacher induction. While there have been some minor changes to the Teacher Induction Scheme and the Flexible Route (originally called the Alternative Route) to Registration, there has not been an official review or overhaul since their introduction in 2002. Therefore, this chapter concludes with suggestions on possible future developments.

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 10 August 2023

Michelle Attard Tonna

Teachers in the initial stages of their career need support. The quality of their development will depend strongly on the kind of support that is given to them during induction

Abstract

Teachers in the initial stages of their career need support. The quality of their development will depend strongly on the kind of support that is given to them during induction. In this chapter, the author explains how the induction years need to be seen as a distinctive part of the teacher education continuum, building on initial teacher education (ITE) and feeding into continuing professional development (CPD). The University of Malta's Faculty of Education proposed national strategy for induction of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) stresses the need for an effective design of induction programs in terms of the type of activities, the involvement of teacher education institutions and the role of the mentor – all of which can vary, depending on the learning needs of the NQT involved. Such programs will ensure that the support provided creates opportunities to relate back to initial teacher education and to prepare teachers for career-long continuing professional development. The aim of this discussion is to evaluate the current state of professional opportunities available for beginning teachers in Malta, and to discuss an effective approach which facilitates experienced teachers to build their capacities to play a key role, through mentoring, in their new colleagues' professional learning journey.

Details

Studying Teaching and Teacher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-623-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2012

Rachel Shanks and Dean Robson

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the induction of new teachers might be regarded as a form of apprenticeship in which informal support (on‐the‐job learning) plays an…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the induction of new teachers might be regarded as a form of apprenticeship in which informal support (on‐the‐job learning) plays an important role alongside formal continuing professional learning (off‐the‐job learning). The sample teachers are part of the Teacher Induction Scheme in Scotland, which provides a reduced teaching workload during the induction year, so that new teachers have time to develop their practice through continuing professional learning and development activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential mixed methods study was undertaken, with two online questionnaires sent to 167 new teachers and two sets of semi‐structured interviews with ten new teachers.

Findings

The findings highlight the importance of a reduction in teaching hours and the significance of informal learning for new teachers. Furthermore, while an induction scheme framework with reduced workload is important, new teachers need supportive colleagues to learn from and with during their first year of teaching.

Research limitations/implications

This study only involved new teachers who had completed their initial teacher education at one Scottish university. Policy makers and school leaders could do more to recognise, value and encourage informal work‐based learning and collegiate support for new teachers.

Originality/value

The paper provides a deeper understanding of the nature of informal learning, often characteristic of the apprenticeship model, in the context of a formal induction scheme. It highlights that more than a formal induction scheme on its own is needed to support teachers in their transition from student teacher to qualified teacher. The paper draws attention to the need for policy makers, local authorities and schools to be more supportive and responsive to the learning and development needs of new teachers when implementing an induction scheme for new entrants.

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2018

Suzanne Molitor, Lana Parker and Diane Vetter

After many years working with mentors for beginning teachers, both through a formal, Ministry-sponsored program, known in Ontario as the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) and…

Abstract

Purpose

After many years working with mentors for beginning teachers, both through a formal, Ministry-sponsored program, known in Ontario as the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) and through a university-based Faculty of Education practicum, the authors cultivated an understanding of the value of both mentoring and the communities that foster it. The authors observed that pre-service mentors are not offered the same level of support as their induction mentor counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the aforementioned gap by bringing together a small group of pre-service mentor teachers with several highly trained induction mentors from the NTIP program in two full days of professional development: one day of learning and community building among mentors, and the second day of collaboration by pre-service mentors alongside their teacher candidates (TCs). The authors learned that pre-service mentors need and desire professional learning and community mentoring support to develop foundational understandings about the role of mentors and the skills and strategies that support an effective mentoring practice. As a result, the authors advocate for sustainable professional development that leverages existing programs and the clarification of the pre-service mentoring role through continued study and collaboration over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study was designed to explore, understand, and interpret pre-service mentor teachers’ experience of professional learning about mentoring and the role of the mentor, including their responses to participating in a like community of learners. This study brought together educators serving as pre-service and induction mentors to engage them in formal professional learning about mentoring, within an environment that created the conditions for collaboration and community in the context of learning about mentoring.

Findings

This study surfaces the insights related to the types of knowledge and skills that mentors developed in this study in addition to pointing toward the knowledge and skills they perceive to be necessary to their effective participation in their roles as mentors. The study also identifies both the value that pre-service mentors perceived as a result of being invited into a learning space and the dynamics of professional learning and dialogue in collaboration with their induction mentor counterparts and their pre-service mentees.

Research limitations/implications

This research study explores a research gap in the area of mentoring as it relates to pre-service mentors or cooperating teachers. Its unique feature involves bringing together two previously segmented groups of mentors: pre-service mentors supporting developing TCs and induction mentors supporting novice teachers. It describes the value and impact of mentoring as understood by pre-service mentors, in particular identifying the reciprocal benefits they experienced. The authors also investigate and shed light on the value and impact of pre-service mentor participation in a community that is intentionally created to support their professional learning about their role. It provides recommendations for practice and indicates areas of potential research.

Practical implications

This study surfaces the potential benefits of professional learning and community for pre-service mentors who play an integral role in supporting TCs in the completion of their education degrees. It makes practical recommendations which point to uniting pre-service and in-service mentors as participants in learning communities that build leadership capacity and advance mentoring knowledge and skills to impact the mentoring relationship. This study advocates for a restructuring existing practice in the area of pre-service mentoring to encourage professional learning and interaction that connects the work of pre-service and in-service mentors, bridging two currently separate mentoring communities.

Originality/value

This study offers a re-visioning of mentoring as a community endeavor. It advances the notion that, supported by a targeted program of professional development and participation in communities of inquiry, knowledge creation and mobilization, mentors can build their mentoring and leadership capacity and extend their professional impact.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2017

Paul van den Bos

The purpose of this paper is to address the concerns of beginning university teachers about learning to teach in the context of an induction programme.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the concerns of beginning university teachers about learning to teach in the context of an induction programme.

Design/methodology/approach

The author asked 162 beginning teachers at Dutch universities of applied sciences to express their concerns about teaching. Of those, the author first asked 44 teachers to write down their concerns freely. These open statements were categorised and translated to a 20-item questionnaire, which was completed by the remaining 118 teachers before and after the induction programme.

Findings

Statistical analysis identified three main concerns: activating students, being an effective teacher in general, and being sufficiently facilitated and supported in the teaching context. While concerns about activating students and being an effective teacher were reduced after the programme, concerns about the supportiveness of the teaching context remained unchanged.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted in the context of a specific induction programme with a specific pedagogical design; thus, generalisation of the results should be done carefully. Additionally, while the instrument that was developed in this study must be improved, this study indicates a relevant problem: the results of induction programmes might be less sustainable without a proper supportive organisational context.

Originality/value

The study adds insight into the concerns of beginning university teachers and highlights some consequences at the organisational level.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 May 2023

Jodi Eirich and Jane Wildesen

The purpose of this paper is to describe a thriving partnership between Frostburg State University and the Garrett County Public Schools that aims to improve teacher effectiveness…

398

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a thriving partnership between Frostburg State University and the Garrett County Public Schools that aims to improve teacher effectiveness and retention through the implementation of a robust induction program. The initiative includes sustained, strategic mentoring; extensive professional development; and validated, competency-based microcredentials aligned to high-leverage practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study included surveys and structured interviews with teaching fellows and their instructional coaches.

Findings

Having ample support and mentoring can make a significant difference for novice teachers. Partnerships between universities and local school districts can provide this critical support.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation that cannot be ignored is the small number of participants in this program, all of whom are teaching in a rural school system. However, researchers working with larger school districts would add valuable knowledge to the field of study.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for designing new induction programs or improving existing ones.

Social implications

Mentoring, a major component of high-quality induction programs, has the potential of providing important benefits to beginning teachers including increased motivation, self-confidence, growth in professional identity, and reduced stress and anxiety.

Originality/value

As school systems are struggling to retain qualified teachers, high-quality induction programs are necessary.

Details

PDS Partners: Bridging Research to Practice, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2833-2040

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2019

Chris Wilcoxen, Julie Bell and Amanda Steiner

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways teachers undergoing induction via the Career Advancement and Development of Recruits and Experienced (CADRE) Teachers Project felt…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways teachers undergoing induction via the Career Advancement and Development of Recruits and Experienced (CADRE) Teachers Project felt empowered and supported in their well-being through mentoring and coaching.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys about CADRE Project impact were e-mailed to 675 current and former participants. Out of 438 surveys returned, researchers used homogeneous sampling to identify 341 teacher respondents. Researchers used qualitative thematic analysis to determine ways teachers felt supported.

Findings

Coaching and mentoring supported CADRE Project participants’ well-being through empowerment (theme). Sub-themes included: growth, collaboration, networking, improvement and resources.

Research limitations/implications

Possibilities for future research include exploring the role of mentors/coaches, tracking teachers’ leadership roles and investigating the link between induction and teacher retention in more detail.

Practical implications

Opportunities for growth and collaboration are cornerstones of first-year teacher support. These support systems can lead to a sense of belonging, develop a mindset for continuous improvement and create long-term networking opportunities. The support teachers need to empower them and maintain their well-being changes with each first-year teacher phase.

Originality/value

Few studies exist on induction programs with the longevity of the CADRE Project. The high survey response rate with overwhelmingly positive responses suggests that CADRE is unique in its support of beginning teachers’ well-being through the first-year teacher phases, specifically due to the combination of mentoring and coaching beginning teachers receive.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

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