Policy and Research on Teacher Induction: Insights From the Portuguese Context

• In Event: Key Issues in Induction and Mentoring of NQT: Theory, Policy, and Practice

Abstract

The induction of beginning teachers has attracted a number of scholars as it is seen as the fundamental link between initial and in-service teacher education with implications for retention, professional knowledge and the development of the professional identity (Flores, 2006; Flores & Day, 2006). Despite the growing number of publications in the field, more needs to be done if successful induction schemes are to be put into practice, namely regarding the role of the mentors and the conditions for effective mentoring and professional growth. The development of such support and guidance strategies involves the nature of induction including its goals and activities, its duration and content, and the role, selection and training of mentors, to name but a few. This paper aims at examining the Portuguese case as far as teacher induction is concerned taking a diachronic perspective. It also discusses key issues to be considered in future scenarios in which induction plays a pivotal role in the professional development of teachers. I draw on my own work on the topic over the last 25 years and on existing national and international literature as well as on policies of induction. Induction varies both in terms of content and form. It may entail various levels of formality and organization as well as a wide array of participants and activities depending on its degree of flexibility and coherence. Who should be responsible for the design and implementation of teacher induction schemes? Is induction mainly used to verify teachers’ compliance with the required demands for the job, focusing on evaluation and certification, or does it aim primarily to provide guidance and support for the new teachers and to foster their professional development? Does it entail a bureaucratic and administrative logic or does it involve issues of pedagogy and curriculum? Does it focus on classroom work or does it go beyond it? How is mentoring understood in such context? What about teacher collaboration and school development and innovation? The need to further explore the effectiveness of the induction process and other school support processes has been identified (Johnson, et al., 2019) especially in contexts in which participation is voluntary and in which equal access to formal induction and quality mentoring schemes is compromised (Bjerkholt, & Olsen, 2020). When looking at induction it is clear that there is a need to move beyond the survival strategy. The lack of attention to a coherent and carefully designed induction scheme in the Portuguese context parallels the situation in other jurisdictions (Frederiksen & Bonde,2020). A systemic and global view of the continuum of initial teacher education, induction and in-service education requires much more than the discourse of the recognition of the importance of the early years of teaching. It entails the involvement of all stakeholders (policy makers, teacher education institutions and schools) and a clear political priority. Not investing in the induction phase may represent an unrealistic optimism to the transition from student to teacher, but, more importantly, it shows the importance attached to the teaching profession.

Author

• Maria A. Flores, Minho University, Portugal