We Get by With a Little Help From Our Fellow Teachers (and Others): To Whom Do Teachers Turn for Advice, and Why?

• In Event: 35.081 - Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: 35.081-7 - The Lived Experiences and Identities of Educators

Abstract

Using survey data from 1020 teachers in a large Midwestern, urban public school system, this study examines teachers' advice-seeking patterns. The survey results showed that while teachers were most likely to go to other teachers, they were also likely to seek advice from other school staff members including coaches and administrators. Three main factors emerged from coded text responses, which indicate that teachers look most often for expertise, knowledge about their teaching situation, and personal or emotional support. While the first two of those factors were consistently important for all groups, the final category was significantly associated with new teachers, and strong leadership was similarly associated with a decrease in emotional concerns.

Author

• Dan Mindich, Punahou School