Personal and Contextual Factors Shaping Novice Teachers' Early Professional Career

• In Event: 56.080 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 56.080-2 - Exploring Labor Contexts and Conditions: Issues in Teachers' Work and Teacher Unions

Abstract

Many novice teachers experience difficulties starting their careers and many of them leave the profession at early stage. The main aim of this research was to analyse how personal and contextual factors interrelate during a newly qualified teacher’s first years of work. The sample (N=373) consisted of first year novice teachers, teachers with 5 and over 25 years of experience. The research consisted of qualitative and quantitative studies. The most important findings of these studies are that a positive school climate, a positive sense of community, a supportive collegial atmosphere, a professional mentoring system and systematic supportive feedback help promote novices’ self-efficacy beliefs and retain the high level of motivation to work as a teacher, and increase job satisfaction.

Author

• Merilyn Meristo, Tallinn University