Induction Needs of a Group of Teachers at Different Career Stages in a School in the Republic of Ireland: Challenges and Expectations
This article was published in Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol 27 number 2,
Author(s): Ro Aitken, Judith Harford , " Induction Needs of a Group of Teachers at Different Career Stages in a School in the Republic of Ireland: Challenges and Expectations",
Pages 350-356, Copyright Elsevier (February 2011).
The current study examines how a school-based induction programme can best accommodate the needs of a diverse group of teachers at different career stages.
This case study carried out in a socially disadvantaged secondary school in the Republic of Ireland.
The participants were 44 teachers, 11 of whom were student teachers, 11 of whom were newly qualified teachers, 4 of whom were experienced teachers returning to the school after an extended career break and 18 of whom were new to the school having previously worked in a different school .
Data were collected through quantitative and qualitative techniques, including 44 questionnaires and nine semi-structured interviews.
Findings reveal that the induction needs of both newly qualified teachers and returning teachers were broadly similar.
All participants indicated the need for support in the following areas: handling discipline problems; working with colleagues; negotiating a new school culture; and dealing with management.