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The Development of Communication Networks of Preservice Teachers on a School-Led and University-Led Program of Initial Teacher Education in England

Sat, April 6, 8:00 to 10:00am, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Floor: 700 Level, Room 705

Abstract

Objectives
Darling-Hammond and Sclan (1996) described the experience of novice teachers as ‘sink or swim’. Le Cornu and Ewing (2008) highlighted the importance of peer-relationships as a source of mutual support beneficial to learning and well-being. The resulting relationships may provide a resilient context to support the development of novice teachers (Gu & Day, 2007). In this study we are interested in the development of the communication networks between pre-service teachers on a university-led (UL) programme and on a school-led programme known as School Direct (SD), which account for over 80% of trainee teachers engaged in graduate teacher-education programmes in England (Foster, 2017).

Framework
Social capital theory, which contends that networks of relationships support people’s efforts to achieve various goals (Lin,1999). Social network analysis (SNA) helps us to understand how the properties of relational networks are related to actor and network characteristics while taking into account the interdependent nature of the data (Wassermann & Faust, 1998). We used stochastic actor-based modelling (Snijders et al., 2010) which is particularly suited to analysing longitudinal network data and so explain the creation and dissolution of ties over time.

Data
Via online questionnaires the trainees nominated peers with whom they had communicated during the previous month and also indicated to which of their peers they turned for different types of support. This included support for developing strategies for classroom instruction. We also collected friendship networks. Trainee teachers were asked to complete scale measures of perceived self-efficacy and interpersonal trust (Bokhove & Downey, 2018).

Methods
Social network data was collected via an online survey at four different points during the one year programme of study. These data were analysed using UCINet/NetDraw (Borgatti et al, 2002: Borgatti, 2002). RSienna (Ripley et al., 2016) was used for longitudinal analysis of the network data.

Results
The density of communications networks decreases over time. Even when changes in density are modest, there was still appreciable tie creation and dissolution. A measure of homophily (the E-I index - Krackhardt & Stern, 1988) suggests there is only limited mixing between the trainees on the two different programme types (UL and SD).

In the longitudinal analysis the existing friendship (expressive) network is a significant predictor of communication network change between timepoints 1&2 and 2&3. Between the final timepoints (3&4) the existing instrumental network of support-seeking to develop teaching strategies becomes a significant predictor of network. By this point the existing friendship network is no longer significant in predicting change. Neither interpersonal trust, nor perceived self-efficacy were found to be significant predictors of change between any pair of timepoints.

Significance
It is instructive to see that changes in communication is predicted by instrumental support-seeking behaviour during the period of the programme when trainees are on their main school placement. Investment by course tutors in helping trainees develop support-seeking behaviours during the early part of the course may be a key mechanism for ensuring that strategic ties remain when trainees have to take much greater initiative to communicate with one another while on placement.

Authors