Tensions of Early Career Teachers: Revealing Dominant Themes and Impact

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Abstract

Early-career teachers experience tensions related to their agency and identity development. This study aimed to gain insight into dominant themes and impact of tensions of early-career teachers. Three digital journals were gathered throughout one year from 42 early-career teachers. Our results indicated that: 1) early-career teachers experience tensions with nine different dominant themes; 2) dominant themes change over time per teacher; 3) classifying impact of tensions as low and high does insufficient justice to diversity of impact experienced by early-career teachers; 4) tensions often depend on specific situational characteristics; 5) acting on tensions often leads to positive appreciation of the situation in which tensions occur. Implications of this study for future research and induction programs are discussed.

Authors

• Merel M van der Wal, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Helma Oolbekkink, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Harmen Schaap, Radboud Docentenacademie