Induction of new teachers
Many schools are not getting the most out of their new teachers’ up-to-date skills, energy and enthusiasm. This is because when newly-qualified teachers take up their first paid teaching post, they often experience a ‘praxis-shock’ as they confront the daily school reality. They may feel stressed, especially in schools where they are expected to cope with this complex new situation on their own.
Not surprisingly, many new teachers leave the profession after only a few years, which is increasingly a problem in countries that face teacher shortages or where many teachers are close to retirement.
Effective induction programmes can avoid some of these problems by providing all new teachers with systematic personal, social and professional support in the early years of their career. They can therefore also help improve school and teacher performance.
Induction provides a vital link in the continuum of teacher education that runs from Initial Teacher Education through induction to career-long continuing professional development.
By reviewing the latest research evidence, and by comparing policies from a number of Member States, Teacher Education experts have worked with the European Commission to produce a Handbook for Policymakers wishing to introduce such programmes. It does not propose a single model, but highlights those basic conditions that need to be met to ensure the success of induction programmes. Case studies are used to illustrate the key aspects of induction programmes.
Documents
- Developing coherent and system-wide induction programmes for beginning teachers - a handbook for policymakers (April 2010)
