Monday, July 27, 2009
Becoming a teacher…final report
The final report of a six year study following teachers from initial training through to their fourth year in teaching was published in July.
The study, conducted between 2003-2006, was jointly funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, The General Teaching Council and The Training Development Agency. The research was designed to evaluate the experiences of student teachers of initial teacher training and then follow them through to their experiences beyond qualification of induction and first years of teaching.
There were 4,790 participants from a variety of initial teacher-training routes with a sub-set of 1,443 teachers who were tracked for the full six years of the project. A range of research techniques were used including surveys, in-depth interviews and the use of e-journals.
The study revealed the quality of relationships with staff and pupils was consistently the highest factor of both positive experiences and hindering progress, in all six years of the study.
During Initial Teacher Training 84% of student teachers said they found having a school-based mentor "good or very good" in supporting their development as a teacher. Most of the teachers did not continue to have a Mentor past their first year of teaching but those who did consistently reported they found the relationship very valuable. Only 20% of teachers still had access to a Mentor in year four and five of their teaching career but 80% of those that did found the support, "very good".
The student teachers overwhelmingly cited "being in the classroom and interacting with pupils" as the main aspect of teaching they were looking forward to . (84%) And it was when this aspect was not perceived as developing successfully that new teachers opted to leave teaching. 25% of those who left teaching in the first four years cited pupil behaviour as the reason for leaving.
The study shows that over the six years newly qualified teachers were successful in gaining employment. 87% of the 4,700 participants had a teaching post ( temporary or permanent) within a year of completing their initial training, with a further 7% working as supply teachers.
One finding that future student teachers might find useful before they start their teaching placements is that 32% of NQTs secured a post in a school they had had a placement at during their initial training.
The study revealed the levels of responsibility quickly given to newly qualified teachers.
68% of teachers in Primary Schools had a subject responsibility by their second year of teaching, rising to 80% by their third year, 83% by fourth year.
24% of teachers in Secondary Schools had a subject-coordinator role by their second year of teaching, rising to 36% by third year and 46% by fourth year.
9% were Heads of Departments by their second year in secondary teaching, 16% by third year and 46% by fourth year.
These levels of responsibility early on in a teaching career may explain why the new teachers consistently reported working a significant number of hours after their working day. In the first year after qualifying 49% of the teachers interviewed reported working 16 hours or more beyond the school day, each week. By year four the average number of hours the teachers were working each week beyond the school day was 15.
The workload did not seem to cause most of the new teachers to re-consider teaching as a career choice, with 84% planning to still be in teaching in five years time at the end of their fourth year and 92% describing themselves as "effective teachers".
However, for those who did decide to leave teaching, workload was cited alongside lack of support and pupil behaviour as the main reason.
The final conclusions of the six year study are that the three key features to developing and retaining confident and successful learners are being well-supported; having good relationships with pupils and a manageable workload.
To read Becoming a Teacher- the final report click here.