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Descriptors:
Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Beginning Teachers; Teacher Effectiveness; Beginning Teacher Induction; Semi Structured Interviews; Vignettes; Teacher Attitudes; Personal Narratives; Teaching Experience

Abstract:
This study looked at the transition from preservice teacher to teacher by considering novice teacher success stories. This investigation rested on the presumption that the first year of teaching may be a struggle for some. This claim was underscored by the prevalence of the sink or swim metaphor in discourse related to induction. To understand how novice teacher success stories can inform teacher education, narratives were captured using task-oriented, semi-structured interviews deliberately designed to elicit authentic responses. Iterative analysis of the narratives yielded two profiles and 10 stories that are presented in a combination of vignettes written in the voice of the participant and expository comments. Iterative analysis of the 10 stories using the features or elements of story (setting, character, tone, and theme) yielded a number of patterns. In sum, consideration of these findings informs a deeper and richer understanding of induction through the experiences and perspectives of the purposively and conveniently selected participant in this study. Her case supports the rationale for this inquiry. She demonstrated a keen awareness of the struggles novices face. Yet, she self-identified as successful and her administration concurred. The overarching finding is deep insight into the persona of the participant--a survivor that understood successes as a novice teacher to be occurrences marked in sometimes minimal relief upon a context of struggle. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Expertise; Student Teaching; Literacy; Teacher Effectiveness; Program Effectiveness; Educational Change; Elementary School Teachers; English Teachers; Case Studies; Preservice Teacher Education; Inservice Teacher Education; Beginning Teacher Induction; Beginning Teachers; Developmental Studies Programs; Individual Development; Portfolio Assessment; Interviews; Teaching Skills; Professional Development; Teaching Experience; Performance Factors; Barriers; Followup Studies; Graduate Surveys; Teacher Attitudes

Abstract:
The purpose of this collective case study was to investigate the transitions of three effective teachers of literacy from pre-service to in-service teaching. As their university supervisor, I selected these students out of a group of pre-service teachers assigned to me for supervision during their eight-week student teaching requirement, based upon a number of criteria. Among the criteria was their demonstrated skill at teaching literacy to their students according to best practice in their assigned classrooms. This was demonstrated during my formal observations of them, required by the School of Education at State University (a pseudonym) for satisfactory completion of their student teaching. In addition, the three case study participants were also assigned to me for supervision the following semester for their 14-week internships. During this assignment, I continued to supervise and documents the practices evident in their teaching, retaining all artifacts associated with our professional meetings and conferences, as well as any extraneous communications. Upon their acceptance of my invitation to take part in the research, I began collecting all documents and artifacts, along with field notes that I acquired as their university supervisor. I held interviews with them regularly, and encouraged their open communication and dialogue regarding their experiences. I was interested in documenting the characteristics of their individual transitions from student teaching to internship, to their first-year as in-service teachers, and then to their second year as inservice teachers, as evidenced in the data obtained. Each of the participants has experienced marked successes, as well as significant challenges, in their efforts to teach literacy according to best practice to their students, despite a variety of assessment-related issues they have encountered. My research questions posed were the following: How do novice teachers handle the disparities between best practice taught in teacher preparation and the realities of the classroom as they transition from pre-service to in-service? What can universities do to assist future teachers of literacy as they transition from pre-service to in-service? Within the vast amounts of data collected from the participants over a three-year period, unique and important insights have emerged to inform these questions. The participants' demonstrated growth, development, and expertise in literacy instruction provide important information regarding the nature of novice teachers' entry into the workforce in an assessment-driven school reform climate. The research discussed in the literature review aligns with the goals for best practice in literacy instruction, and the strategies demonstrated within that practice which the participants have exemplified in their classrooms. In addition, the participants' recommendations for support mechanisms for future literacy teachers are further substantiated in data reported. This study contributes to teacher education research in literacy, largely because the information is presented from the perspective of novice teachers. The participants' clearly convey the scope of the knowledge they have acquired in their coursework and field experiences, the teaching and processes that they most value, as well as their insightful recommendations for equipping novice teachers with what they need most to survive their first two years in the workforce. The participants reveal their important findings that the teaching environments and the concurrent demands placed upon them have held a number of surprises. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Expertise; Preservice Teacher Education; Early Childhood Education; Teacher Education; Teacher Education Programs; Educational Needs; Teaching Skills; Change Strategies; Educational Change; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Teacher Certification; Skill Development; Teacher Competencies; Teacher Effectiveness; Beginning Teacher Induction; Beginning Teachers

Abstract:
Too often, early elementary teachers enter the classroom unprepared for the particular challenges of teaching children in grades 3 and under. Many were trained in programs that focused on older elementary grades, even though their license qualifies them to teach children as young as kindergarten. Teachers who obtained their certification through a program focused on early childhood might not have the expertise needed to create effective lessons in such content areas as social studies and science. Others may not have received instruction in teaching children how to read. Still others may not have studied child development. Bornfreund suggests that teacher training and licensure programs be changed so that all teachers in these early grades will have the preparation they need. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Needs; Role Models; Beginning Teachers; Males; Teaching Skills; Beginning Teacher Induction; Professional Development; Mail Surveys; Likert Scales; Questionnaires; Capacity Building; Change Strategies; Educational Change; Needs Assessment; Teacher Attitudes; Novices; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
There has been much media speculation and general conversation about the crisis of masculinity, the lack of male role models--in particular, the lack of fathers, and how many boys are becoming a "lost" generation. An 2002 Australian House of Representatives report "Boys: Getting it right" investigated this issue in depth and made recommendations to the Australian Minister of Education, Science and Training concerning policy direction and strategies that could be developed for teacher education courses relating to boys and boys educational needs. The research reported here was designed to investigate the needs of male teachers as they enter their professional life in schools. This research is significant because it addresses a major area of concern, namely the retention of newly qualified male teachers in both primary and secondary school environments, as well as issues related to the male identity and the impact of older beginning teachers as they enter the profession. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Beginning Teachers; Teaching Experience; Preservice Teacher Education; Music Teachers; Data Analysis; Diaries; Interviews; Focus Groups; Teacher Attitudes; Music Education; Questionnaires; Attitude Change; Mentors; Teacher Administrator Relationship

Abstract:
The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the current reflections of experienced teachers on their past perceptions of preservice music teacher preparation as documented in the author's previous research. Research questions included the following: (a) How would participants describe their reactions to a present-day examination of 1999 or 2000 data (journals, individual and focus group interviews, and two questionnaires) and 2002 study findings? (b) How had their perceptions regarding preservice music teacher preparation changed since 1999-2000? and (c) On the basis of their recent work with preservice interns and student teachers, what could these experienced teachers say about preservice music teacher preparation today? Data collected in 2010 included participant journals and individual interviews. Findings categories include (a) general agreement with 2002 study findings regarding best and worst facets of preservice preparation, (b) experience is the best teacher, (c) teacher education is doing the best it can do, (d) preservice students will get out of teacher education what they put into it, and (e) specific suggestions for teacher education provided by participants. (Contains 1 note and 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teaching Methods; Semi Structured Interviews; Teaching Skills; Barriers; Performance Factors; Student Centered Curriculum; Beginning Teacher Induction; Case Studies; Professional Development; Educational Practices; Teaching Experience; Longitudinal Studies; Educational Strategies; Intention; Student Participation; Teacher Attitudes; Curriculum Implementation

Abstract:
The current article provides a perspective on the day-to-day challenges that a group of new teachers experienced as they adopted more student-centred approaches to teaching. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted over two years with 11 new teachers from a range of higher education institutions and subject disciplines. The analysis used case studies, alongside a search for common themes, to provide fine-grained insights into the teachers' development. A main finding was that in using approaches that more actively involved the students, the teachers described challenges specific to their local contexts. In particular, the idiosyncrasy of the topic being taught was a key factor. The second finding was that regardless of the conception of teaching held, all teachers described challenges in translating this way of thinking into practice. Such data provides a useful resource for academic developers to open dialogue with new academics about the challenges they face in developing as teachers. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teacher Attitudes; Beginning Teachers; Beliefs; Educational Practices; Case Studies; Teaching Experience; Teaching Skills; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); Professional Development; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Competencies; Teacher Characteristics; Teacher Behavior; Teaching Styles

Abstract:
Dispositions are the engine of performance in teaching, linking inner values and commitments with action in the context of practice. This article presents a theoretical conception in conjunction with an individual case study of the process by which dispositions develop and function in teaching. Focusing on teaching that is ambitious both in its intellectual goals and in its concern for the learning and well-being of all children, this article argues that dispositions can be understood as "performances of understanding" that are developed over time, influenced by context, integrated into the array of dimensions of learning to teach and emerge within professional communities. It is based upon a longitudinal research study that tracked two cohorts of 10 beginning teacher candidates through their undergraduate teacher preparation experience. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teacher Persistence; Foreign Countries; Faculty Mobility; Teacher Attitudes; Beginning Teachers; Principals; Resilience (Psychology); Administrator Role; Interviews; Teaching Experience; Administrator Attitudes

Abstract:
Given the current climate of high levels of teacher attrition, it is critically important that we understand what keeps early career teachers in the profession. This paper reports early findings from a project addressing the question: "What conditions are conducive to promoting teacher resilience and retention in the first two years of teaching?" The research aims to identify the internal strengths and external strategies that promote resilience in early career teachers. School leaders and first year teachers from 59 schools across two states in Australia contributed to in-depth, open-ended interviews in which they talked about the experiences of beginning teaching. From this data, narrative portraits were developed and emerging themes documented and analysed. A strong emerging theme is how relationships with principals influence teachers' feelings of personal and professional well-being, with both negative and positive effects reported. This paper uses portraits of two early career teachers to examine this theme. The findings provide important insights for principals who wish to foster resilience in early career teachers. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Experienced Teachers; Principals; Mentors; Grouping (Instructional Purposes); Learning Experience; Teaching Experience; Beginning Teacher Induction; Administrator Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Statistical Significance; Participant Satisfaction; Individual Differences; Attitude Change; Attitude Measures; Change Strategies

Abstract:
The purpose of this mixed research study was to examine mentoring experiences specific to grade span through the perspective of principals, mentors, and mentees. An instrument containing items on demographics, administrative support, and mentoring program components was administered to first-year teachers (n = 998), mentors (n = 791), and principals (n = 73). Mentors' attitudes towards mentoring were statistically significantly more positive than were the mentees' attitudes, although, on average, the attitudes for both groups were positive. A statistically significant difference in attitudes emerged as a function of grade span, with elementary school mentees reporting the highest levels of motivation to be mentored and the greatest desire to observe veteran teachers. Qualitative analyses revealed that mentoring includes specific format, better matches, increased time for mentoring, observation opportunities, and better training for mentors. Implications are discussed. (Contains 7 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Beginning Teachers; Classroom Techniques; Preservice Teacher Education; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Teacher Effectiveness; Teaching Skills; Longitudinal Studies; Pretests Posttests; Student Surveys; Student Attitudes; Caring; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys; Comparative Analysis; Attitude Change

Abstract:
This study examined the levels of pedagogical knowledge and skills as perceived by student teachers who were enrolled in the Post Graduate Diploma in Education program at the National Institute of Education, Singapore, from the beginning of their initial teacher preparation program to the end of their first year of teaching. Their perceptions were assessed using the Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills in Teaching (PKST) survey which comprised six factors, namely, Student Learning, Lesson Planning, Instructional Support, Accommodating Diversity, Classroom Management, and Care and Concern. A sample of 812 student teachers participated in the study. The MANOVA conducted showed that there were significant increases in both their pedagogical knowledge and skills in teaching in all six factors from the start of their initial teacher preparation (ITP) program till the end of their first year of teaching. However, between the exit from the program to the end of the first year of teaching, they only perceived that their level of pedagogical knowledge in classroom management and care and concern continued to increase significantly. In the case of self-perceived skills, their level increased significantly between entry and exit of the program for all factors, except for care and concern, while the increase between the exit and first year of teaching was significant for all six factors. These results may have implications for preservice teacher education and this will be discussed in this article. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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