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Is Survival Enough? Inductionexperiences of beginning teacherswithin a New South Wales contextANN McCORMACK a & KAYE THOMAS aa University of Newcastle , AustraliaPublished online: 09 Jun 2010.

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Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 31, No. 2, July 2003

Is Survival Enough? Induction experiences ofbeginning teachers within a New South Walescontext

ANN McCORMACK & KAYE THOMAS, University of Newcastle, Australia

ABSTRACT There is a consensus among both educators and employers worldwide supportingthe need to ensure quality induction for beginning teachers to assist graduates to attain a highstandard of professional practice. This paper attempts to highlight the extent and nature of theprogrammes and procedures employed in government schools in NSW to assist induction.Analyses of data collected from questionnaires, focus group and personal interviews willhighlight the outcomes of these programmes. The conflict and tensions between the professionaldevelopment expectations of the employer and the need to ‘survive’ felt by beginning teacherswill be explored. Suggestions to improve this transition into the workplace will be made.

Background

The processes of becoming a teacher and the early stages of being a teacher have beenwidely researched. The initial year of employment or transition phase has beenrecognised as an important segment of a beginning teacher’s career, having long termimplications for teacher effectiveness, job satisfaction and career length. As beginningteachers make the transition into the work place they encounter new challenges,responsibilities and must find a professional place within the school culture (Herbert &Worthy, 2001).

Induction for beginning teachers has been recognised as a crucial part of thistransition into the school and classroom (Ramsey, 2000). These teachers come withmany needs so effective induction programmes should provide a means of minimisingthe ‘reality shock’ often experienced in the first year. Khamis (2000) states thatinduction is often misconstrued as just orientation to the school implying a briefadministrative process rather than a properly planned and implemented process ofongoing professional development and support. This view is supported by Rolley(2001) representing the Independent Education Union of teachers in Australia whoadvocates comprehensive models of industrially regulated teacher induction. She states:

The general experience for the beginning teacher is one of being ‘thrown in’ to thelife of a school with a sink or swim philosophy—often with cavalier advice to ‘forget allyou’ve learnt at uni’ whilst being given the school or department’s kit of survivalstrategies. These early years for a new teacher can be exceptionally difficult andprofessional survival is often based on inner resources rather than systemic, supportivestructures (p. 40).

Rolley (2001) states that induction is the point at which the issue of quality teachingcan be addressed in the most fundamental and practical way to prevent beginningteachers from leaving the profession or ‘stumbling forward without any feedback as towhether their practice is effective or not’ (p. 40). The Review of Australian Teacher

ISSN 1359-866X print; ISSN 1469-2945 online/03/020125-14 2003 Australian Teacher Education AssociationDOI: 10.1080/0955236032000108529

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Induction (NSW DSE, 1992, cited in Khamis, 2000) classified the problems faced bybeginning teachers into two broad categories: the teaching processes and the generalsocialisation of teachers. If these problems are left unattended, the professional growthand development of these teachers can be impaired and in the extreme lead to an earlycareer exit.

Researchers have suggested beginning teachers move through developmental stages(Katz, 1977; Fogarty & Lennon, 1991). Katz (1977) identified the descriptors ofsurvival, consolidation, renewal and maturity as the four main phases of development.The time spent in each of these stages will vary for each beginning teacher and isdependent on both personal factors such as family pressures, personality, self conceptand efficacy, to external factors including teaching context, support provided and socialfactors. However, all researchers in this area agree that ‘survival’ is the very first stageall beginning teachers encounter and for most they are generally overwhelmed andunderprepared for the workload they encounter (Dinham, 1992).

Research by Downing (1998) identified classroom management, curriculum plan-ning, difficult classes, large class numbers together with meeting the needs of andmotivating all students in their classes as regularly cited problems faced by beginningteachers. Feelings of fear, conflict and tension are common outcomes of encounteringthese problems in the workplace and are exacerbated if beginning teachers are left toface these alone. Lack of socialisation into the general teaching staff experienced by newteachers often results in feelings of isolation (Smith, 1993). Ramsey (2000) reports thattoo frequently new teachers are given the most difficult schools and classes. They areoften required to teach outside their subject area of specialisation with little guidanceand encouragement. These expectations he considers are inappropriate and states ‘thetradition is that as a beginner you cope; not a tradition any profession should accept’(Ramsey, 2000, p. 65).

Further studies have identified the survival phase as the most important and essentialstage of development as a beginning teacher. These studies have observed that it canlast throughout the whole of the first year of teaching and beyond (Katz, 1977; Kagan,1992; Lang, 1999). A study by Lang (1999) identified common problems experiencedby newly qualified teachers in New Zealand as tiredness, stress on personal and familyrelationships, difficulty balancing their work and domestic responsibilities as well asgeneral lack of access to support structures and resources within their schools. Lang(1999) reported these problems ‘exacerbated their struggles to survive as teachers’(p. 1).

Beginning teachers commonly find conflict in both the teaching processes and thesocialisation aspects of their new workplace. Conflict can be experienced with schoolculture, procedures and structures, with the beginning teachers needing to compromisebetween their own ideas and recent pedagogical training and the prevailing culture ofthe school and supervisor (Khamis, 2000). Beginning teachers are generally enthusias-tic and highly motivated, however, often they report the feeling of conflict betweenadapting their teaching styles and adjusting their own levels of expectations to what isrealistic in the context in which they are teaching. Again this situation is often mademore difficult by the sense of isolation they experience and lack of support they receivein schools (Ramsey, 2000).

Tensions resulting from difficulties in developing social relationships in schools,particularly with mature experienced colleagues, and the devaluing of new ideas andopinions by principals and colleagues have been expressed by beginning teachers to theReview of Australian Teacher Induction (NSW DSE, 1992 cited in Khamis, 2000).

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Induction Experiences Within a NSW Context 127

Weiss (1999) observed that school systems do not recognise or capitalise on beginningteachers’ enthusiasm and willingness to be innovative in their teaching. This failure tosupport their special situation leads to many newly qualified teachers becoming demor-alised and leaving teaching as a career. Adding to these tensions is the fact that ateacher’s work in general provides little direct or immediate evidence of its worth.Beginning teachers often receive little positive reinforcement such as praise or gratitudeand this together with dealing with parents and the negative attitudes of the communityto the teaching profession increases the lack of self efficacy and tension experienced(Cairns & Brown, 1998; Khamis, 2000).

Finally, researchers have identified that tension and conflict commonly arise from theneed for beginning teachers to meet formal assessment requirements for teachingcertification. The role of meeting supervisors’ requirements as part of this formalinduction process can conflict with the personal need of the beginning teacher formentoring and assistance with teaching processes and socialisation into the context andculture of the school (Serpell, 2000; Gee, 2001). In contrast, Martinez (1994) foundthat when beginning teachers were not provided with sufficient supervision and feed-back tension arose as they questioned how an accurate assessment of their teachingcould be made.

This study seeks to understand the induction process from both the teachingprocesses and the school socialisation aspects as they impact on a group of beginningteachers entering the workforce. By exploring the induction programmes, satisfactionlevels and problems encountered by this group of beginning teachers, it is hoped thatrecommendations can be made to generate more valuable early teaching experiences.Lower attrition rates for beginning teachers and improved student learning by qualityteachers who will enrich the profession are further desired outcomes.

Setting the Scene

The NSW Government Department of Education and Training (DET) is the largestemployer of teachers in the southern hemisphere with more than 55,000 teachersemployed in NSW schools (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Each year approxi-mately 2,500 new teachers commence their teaching career in the government sector(Leete, 2001). To assist the professional development of the beginning teachers, theDET has developed a suggested induction programme for beginning teachers. Theprogramme offers support to beginning teachers at three levels—state, district andschool. The major part of the programme has been planned to be implemented withinthe school context. Roles and responsibilities have been designated for a coordinator,the principal, a mentor, a supervisor and the beginning teacher. Each school is providedwith an ‘Induction of Teachers’ Kit’ to help programme implementation. The induc-tion period is perceived as ‘at least a year long process of professional learning duringwhich the beginning teacher makes the transition from initial (preservice) teachereducation to competent permanent or casual/contract teaching practice in a specificschool context or contexts’ (NSW DET, Training and Development Directorate, 2001,overview p. 5).

The NSW DET initially provides probationary status to beginning teachers. Duringthe induction phase the principal and the beginning teacher’s supervisor are responsiblefor assessing and reporting on the progress of the new teacher resulting in the awardingof the Teacher’s Certificate and tenure at the end of the first year of teaching. Three

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128 A. McCormack & K. Thomas

focus areas—teaching skills, interpersonal relationships and professional and personalqualities—form the basis of the DET assessment criteria.

Purpose of the Study

This project aimed to identify and monitor a sample of beginning teachers’ experiences,support, problems and reflections encountered during the first year of their inductioninto teaching. The specific aims of the study were to:

• identify and evaluate induction programmes undertaken by beginning teachers;• review the level of satisfaction and major concerns encountered by the beginning

teachers;• determine how beginning teachers perceived conflict between everyday survival and

the professional development expectations of the school;• provide suggestions to improve the transition of beginning teachers into the work-

place.

Method

The participants in this study were teacher education graduates from a large city regionaluniversity in NSW with the majority of graduates undertaking the four-year EducationDouble Degree programme for primary, secondary and early childhood education.

Questionnaires were sent to 1999 and 2000 education graduates who were aged from22 to 50 years of age, were teaching in city and country NSW locations and in schoolsvarying in size and ethnicity. The questionnaire was completed in 2001 with 248responses received. The response group comprised of 25% males and 75% females with52% of the group teaching in secondary schools and 48% in primary schools. Of therespondents 60% were teaching in city locations whilst 40% were teaching in countryor rural schools. Two-hour interviews were conducted involving randomly selectedgraduate respondents in focus groups of six beginning teachers from primary andsecondary specialisations in mid-2002. The interviews were conducted by both re-searchers and followed a semi-structured format to clarify areas relating to the primaryand secondary teachers’ induction experiences identified in the responses to thequestionnaires and to give them an opportunity to discuss sensitive issues or concernsand allow for comparative data across subjects.

The questionnaire and interviews sought information on the format and perceivedvalue of the graduates’ induction programmes, levels of teaching satisfaction, concernsrelating to survival, tensions and conflict experienced and professional support provided.The questionnaire data were analysed using SPSSPC and the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. The open-ended response data from the questionnaire and thetranscripts from the interviews were reviewed for common thematic elements across thegroups. When presenting the qualitative data the participants were identified by referringto their gender, location and specialisation as follows: F, Co, S representing a femaleteacher in a country secondary school or M, Ci, P representing a male teacher in a cityprimary school.

Results

Responses to the questionnaire assisted in identifying in general terms the types ofinduction experiences received by the graduates during their first year. Table I indicates

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TABLE I. Type of induction experienced by beginning teachers

Induction type % of teachers to participate

Teacher induction material, e.g. kit, booklet 64Induction by principal 61Induction by other members of school executive 77Formal link to mentor 49Attendance at formal induction sessions 52Informal support by colleagues 95

the percentage of graduates receiving the main types of induction offered in theschools.

These results indicated the most common form of induction was provided throughinformal links made with colleagues, followed by induction by executive members ofthe school, for example faculty head teachers. It is also apparent from Table I thatmany beginning teachers were not provided with the types of support suggested by theNSW DET such as ‘formal link to mentor’ and ‘attendance at formal inductionsessions’. Although the formal induction material was available to all schools, only 64%of beginning teachers in this study were exposed to these resources to support theirtransition into the school. This lack of introduction to the specifically developedresources became evident during interviews and responses to open-ended questions inthe questionnaire with one teacher writing:

I was shown where the Induction Kit was kept by the head teacher and hesuggested I read it at my own leisure. There was no further follow up ordiscussion relating to its content as both my supervisor and I were too busyjust teaching and coping day to day. (F, Co, S)

During the focus group interviews another related her positive experiences as:

I have met with my supervisor every second Monday afternoon and we gothrough until about 4 o’clock. We read through the questions in the Inductionmaterials, we talk it through as to how it relates to my classroom and what wehave been doing. She says how can you show me you are doing this … shesometimes comes into my class to observe me teaching. I also went to adistrict session for one day. (F, Ci, P)

When beginning teachers, who had been provided with induction support, were askedto evaluate it they generally ranked it in the moderate range (value of 3 on a 5-pointscale). Significant differences were noted between primary and secondary beginningteachers in four of the six areas of support listed in Table I. In each instance primaryteachers found the support significantly more valuable than their secondary counter-parts (Table II). Only teacher induction material (Item 1 in Table I) and informalsupport from colleagues (Item 6 in Table I) were similarly valued, with informalsupport from colleagues being highly valued (secondary mean � 3.92; primarymean � 3.86).

The difference in the size of school and staff numbers between primary and second-ary schools could account for the greater support given by primary principals ininduction (mean � 3.40). However, the importance of the role of leadership in this areawas acknowledged and reinforced by the beginning teachers in the open-ended re-sponses as stated by the following comment:

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TABLE II. Value of induction support provided to beginning teachers

Induction type Specialisation n Mean p-value

2. Induction by principal Secondary 83 2.86 0.016Primary 43 3.40

3. Induction by other members of school Secondary 95 3.05 0.016executive Primary 52 3.56

4. Formal link to mentor Secondary 55 3.16 0.004Primary 39 3.92

5. Attendance at formal induction sessions Secondary 65 2.97 0.023Primary 35 3.57

1 � Very low value to 5 � very high value.

We did not have a programme at my school. There was no induction, theHead Teacher just gave me a set of keys, said there is your desk, here is yourclassroom and here are the class lists, so go to it. (M, Co, S)

Attendance at formal induction sessions was valued by the primary beginning teachers(mean � 3.57) with most teachers being accompanied by their principal and mentorwhich helped them to develop the induction as a collaborative process within theschool. One teacher explained her experience:

I have had an amazing induction experience. My principal is very approach-able, and supportive and providing and accompanying me to professionaldevelopment courses including a beginning teacher weekend. My supervisor/mentor also attended. I am lucky to be in a school that has a great sense ofcommunity and support. (F, Co, P)

Secondary teachers also received support, however, little focus appeared to be given topedagogical issues with an emphasis on administrative matters. Many reported thesesessions to be more informal and less frequent due to contextual constraints placed onthe teachers and school. This is highlighted by a secondary beginning teacher whendescribing the formal induction session he received:

Most of my induction has been in fortnightly meetings (when possible) withmy supervisor during lunch time to discuss topics such as legal issues,financial advice, resource support and management. The meetings were rarebecause of the time and staffing constraints experienced in a small countryschool. (M, Co, S)

Others were not so fortunate and were often left to seek advice from other colleaguesor cope by themselves. One teacher wrote:

I had horrific induction experiences during my first year due to powerstruggles in the school. The supervisor was appointed as it was school policybut no meetings or contact was made even after I requested more supporttwice from the principal. (F, Co, S)

Respondents to the questionnaire were asked to rate their overall level of satisfactionwith their current teaching position (Table III) and given the opportunity through anopen-ended question to explain their responses and concerns.

The responses indicated very high to high levels of satisfaction were experienced by57% of secondary teachers and 62% of primary beginning teachers. Written responsesfrom these teachers acknowledged the extent of respect and support provided by the

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Induction Experiences Within a NSW Context 131

TABLE III. Level of satisfaction with current teaching position

Specialisation % Very high % High % Moderate % Low % Very low

Secondary 21 36 31 10 2Primary 26 36 24 8 6

staff and the school community in assisting their induction and level of satisfaction.This was reinforced by comments from the interviews where colleagues support or lackof, were discussed as reasons for survival and present satisfaction. One teacher high-lighted this in the following way:

I found within my own faculty all of the staff members have been reallygreat … the other young female is very supportive, she will come up to me andsay you are very quiet today is there anything wrong and she sort of keeps aneye on me, kind of like a mother. In our staffroom we all share information,ideas and help one another. (F, Ci, S)

Another satisfying aspect of their current position, which was commonly expressed byboth secondary and primary teachers, was developing the rapport with the students atthe school and particularly, seeing them improve and learn over time. Other satisfyingaspects identified from questionnaire responses were:

• strong leadership from principal and school executive;• whole school approach with clear goals;• involvement in extracurricular activities;• small size classes;• good resources available;• opportunities for professional growth; and• casual ‘blocks’ rather than day to day casual work.

For the beginning teachers who perceived moderate to very low levels of satisfaction intheir current teaching position many of the positive aspects mentioned by the previousgroup were not evident. The most common area of dissatisfaction was the general lackof support particularly in the areas of programming and dealing with students’ individ-ual needs. They were given the message to ‘survive and work things out for themselves’.One interviewee explained:

My first six months was very difficult. We are a small unit in a SpecialEducation Department and starting up a second class, that is why Icame … my classroom still had not arrived and we had two classes in onesmall demountable room. Even though the classroom finally came there wereno programmes written and I had to do all of that myself. The other teachergot sick half way through Term 1 and went on extended leave which left mewith only untrained casuals who were hard to get and I felt like I was doingeverything. (F, Co, S)

The beginning teachers were asked to identify professional concerns they had experi-enced both within and beyond the classroom. The most common areas of concernassociated with the teaching processes were those involving classroom managementissues. It was perceived that a minority disrupted the learning for the majority and ofteninconsistent school management procedures existed to deal with this problem. The lackof support with management gave these teachers a sense of isolation. During a focusgroup interview a beginning teacher explained her situation:

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132 A. McCormack & K. Thomas

I felt at uni we were really well supported with our practicums. We always hada teacher with us for the large part in our Internship who we could relate toconfidently even though they were not in the classroom. Whereas now in theclassroom, it is very isolated and I was not at all prepared for that iso-lation … it is a lost feeling to begin with because you are totally on your ownand these kids I had to handle and no one to back me up if something goeswrong. (F, Ci, S)

Other concerns associated with teaching processes, which were mentioned in bothquestionnaire responses and interviews, were:

• the poor literacy and numeracy skills of students;• lack of resources to promote student learning;• required to teach unfamiliar content outside specialisation;• no relief for training and development;• programming to meet all students needs;• lack of support from or dealing with parents;• large amount of paperwork required due to possible litigation.

It was the socialisation process which caused the beginning teachers in this study thegreatest range of professional concerns. The most common area discussed was the lackof ongoing support from principals and school executive. Many respondents expressedsurprise at the lack of formal supervision and unclear school expectations for attainmentof their teaching certification awarded at the satisfactory completion of the first year ofteaching. Most beginning teachers were allocated a supervisor/mentor but in manyreported cases the monitoring process, responsibilities and expectations of assessmentwere not clearly defined. One teacher explained his concern during the interviews bystating:

My supervisor could have been more interested in what I was doing instead ofsaying that I will learn on the job. It has been frustrating at times having asupervisor who does not carry out the supervision role but has to contributeto my final report. (M, Co, S)

Other newly qualified teachers felt obliged and pressured to undertake too manyresponsibilities as a beginning teacher. These tasks or duties were often allocated tothem because they were the newcomer or as a means of proving their ‘survival skills’.A comment from a beginning teacher in a small country school:

We have a staffing problem (i.e. not enough teachers). This has placed allteachers at the school under a heavier workload than normal and therefore Iam covering other teachers’ classes and taking on many responsibilities, morethan I would ever have expected in my first year, e.g. sports organiser, yearadviser, senior classes, magazine editor. (F, Co, S)

The respondents were consistent in their comments relating to socialisation aspects ofassimilating into the culture of the school. The following concerns were prominent inthe written and discussion responses:

• teaching position in isolated country areas;• given lower or more difficult classes;• negative attitude and work ethics from older long-term staff;• lack of communication between staff, faculties and school executive;• negative public perception of teachers;

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Induction Experiences Within a NSW Context 133

• lack of support from executive to try new things and teaching styles;• dealing with school politics and staffroom power struggles.

The points listed above were strongly debated as areas of tension experienced byparticipants in the focus group discussions and open-ended responses. This wasreiterated by a beginning teacher who explained in the written responses the tension sheencountered during her first six months of teaching:

My lack of support and disgruntled feelings towards the profession and thestaff are due to the manipulation and undermining that I have experienced asa new teacher. The profession contains lazy, has-been teachers who are notwilling to change or help others, thus impacting on fresh, enthusiastic teachersby dampening their spirit and crushing their ideas. (F, Ci, P)

Discussion

The NSW Review of Teacher Education (Ramsey, 2000) identified the inductionperiod for beginning teachers as ‘a major test of the extent to which employers, schoolleaders and the profession are interested in and committed to the quality of teaching inschools’ (p. 64). It also supported the view held by most researchers in the area ofbeginning to teach that induction experiences are critical in shaping the quality of ateacher’s future performance and career path.

The results of this study indicated that, although the NSW DET has developed andimplemented a three tier beginning teacher induction programme including compre-hensive, planned and written support resources and kit, only 64% of the participantshad access to the documentation which generated this programme. This support isavailable to schools, however, implementation is suggested rather than mandated whichhas lead to an inconsistent approach to the induction of beginning teachers. Most of theparticipants in the focus group discussions were aware of the induction resources butwere generally left to access and work through the written resources individually. Theinduction programme resources were designed to support key school personnel such asprincipals, supervisors and mentors to work with beginning teachers. These resourcesprovide a framework for schools to initiate a planned ongoing induction programmebased on the specific context of the school and its community. It is unfortunate thatsome schools have chosen not to access this valuable resource.

Induction by the school principal and executive was undertaken by 61% and 77% ofbeginning teachers in this study, however, the beginning teachers rated this form ofinduction to be of lowest value, particularly the secondary respondents. Most found thisform of induction was of an administrative nature with information relating to schoolroutines and requirements rather than assistance with the teaching and socialisationprocesses within the school. Ramsey (2000) highlights the fact that ‘in too manycircumstances educational leaders are failing to establish structures and processeswhich will enable new teachers to enjoy success and a sense of professional reward intheir early years’ (p. 65). This, together with comments from participants in the study,highlights the important role the principal and school executive have in establishing,supporting and evaluating induction processes which promote ongoing professionaldevelopment for the beginning teacher. At the same time the university should alsore-evaluate their professional preparation programme to ensure that graduates are givenassistance to enable a smooth transition into the teaching profession.

While attendance at formal induction sessions developed and delivered by the

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134 A. McCormack & K. Thomas

employer outside the immediate teaching context were attended by 52% of thebeginning teachers in this study, there was a significant difference between the valuegiven these, with primary graduates valuing these experiences more highly than theirsecondary counterparts. The availability of school personnel to accompany the begin-ning teachers was seen as important, while the lack of follow up to address the needsof individual teachers served to account for some of these differences. The need forcontextualised approaches with personalised ongoing support as opposed to a ‘genericone-off’ session, was articulated by the beginning teachers in both their written anddiscussion responses.

The value of mentors has been widely researched and supported through the literature(Smith, 1993; Dowding, 1998; Carter & Francis, 2001). Mentoring assists the newteacher to build confidence, reflect on their practice and properly access the wisdom andknowledge of experienced colleagues in their school. In this study 49% of participantswere allocated mentors and often these were perceived as not being adequately trainedor aware of their responsibilities. Again, there was a significant difference between theperceived value of the mentor between primary and secondary teachers. The primaryteachers reported spending increased time with their mentors due to either team teachingor teaching the same grade and valued their support and assistance. However, in thesecondary schools the mentors were often executive teachers with many other adminis-trative responsibilities or teachers from other faculties who had little specialist knowledgeto assist the beginning teachers. In recent years the NSW DET, in conjunction withselected universities across the state, have introduced a mentoring certificate programmeto assist in the professional development of teachers who are responsible for thementoring of beginning teachers in selected school districts. A further DET initiativewhich commenced in 2003 is the allocation of 50 mentor teacher positions at executivelevel to identified schools across the state. The results of this study suggest that theseare positive steps towards improving the quality of mentoring of beginning teachers.

Martinez (1994) adds another dimension by arguing that not all mentor–beginningteacher relationships are effective or appropriate. As an alternative she suggests the needfor a network of experienced and beginning teachers in a cluster of schools who canprovide support, cross-fertilisation and opportunities for observation and feedback forthe beginning teachers. The concept of networking and developing support from otherbeginning teachers and experienced staff has lead to the piloting of an AcademicAssociate Programme by the NSW DET and the universities in two of 40 educationdistricts in NSW in 2002. This programme involves the conjoint appointment of a seniorexperienced teacher to work in a district with a group of beginning teachers and schoolstaff in a cluster of approximately 15 primary and secondary schools. The two districtschosen to pilot the programme have a rural location, large numbers of beginning teachersand close proximity to a regional university. The Academic Associate assists inductionand professional development at district and school level using the teacher inductionresources developed by the DET, acts as a mentor and promotes the development ofnetworks with beginning teachers and mentors on both an informal and formal basis.Finally, the Academic Associate teaches in the professional preparation programme atthe university. Although the programme is in its infancy, the researchers feel its successwill rely heavily on the expertise, enthusiasm and communication skills of the AcademicAssociate and the support gained from the principals and teachers in the school district.

The participants in this study reported the importance and value of having oppor-tunities to interact informally with colleagues to assist and support them in regard to bothteaching processes and socialisation induction issues. Research by Williams and Prestage

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(2000) which reviewed induction processes in the UK noted ‘informal support andprofessional development mechanisms are highly valued and given top priority by bothbeginning teachers and mentors. Ad hoc informal meetings serve a valuable pro-fessional development purpose in addition to being a mechanism for personal support’(p. 3) in assisting beginning teachers’ induction beyond the survival stage.

It was evident from the interview responses that after six months of teaching most ofthe beginning teachers were still ‘learning to survive’ the everyday requirements ofteaching. While some experiences were common—such as long hours of teachingpreparation, dealing with parents, high administrative loads and additional responsibil-ities, others existed within specific contexts. Examples of these included teachingoutside their specialisation, taking on the equivalent of head teacher responsibilities dueto teacher shortage and teaching multi stage classes with extreme range of abilities. Thebeginning teachers who perceived themselves as isolated, either through location or lackof support from school personnel, particularly secondary teachers in country settings,appeared more concerned about ‘survival’ issues.

Satisfaction with current teaching position was another area of inquiry in this studyand it is of concern that only 57% of secondary and 62% of primary rated this as highto very high. These teachers reported high levels of support, respect and opportunitiesfor professional development, and they had developed a good rapport with theirstudents and colleagues. Beginning teachers experiencing low levels of satisfactionexpressed concerns associated with the teaching processes including classroom manage-ment, programming and meeting the needs of all students. These are common con-cerns among most beginning teachers (Veenman, 1984), however, other tensionsshared by the teachers in this study were related to resourcing and financial constraintsplaced on schools such as lack of classroom resources, teaching outside their specialis-ation, and lack of relief funding to allow training and development. However, Martinez(1994) places greater importance on the contextual aspects of the beginning teacher’splacement stating that while ‘beginning teachers continue to be placed in settingsloaded with difficulties, no amount of resourcing or induction programmes will be ableto redress such impossible contextual givens’ (p. 179). Situations such as large classes,difficult classes, a large range of extra-curricula tasks and administrative responsibilitiesare examples from the beginning teachers in this study which caused them tension andthe feeling of merely ‘surviving’ during their first year of teaching.

Another major area of conflict and tension felt by the beginning teachers in this studywas associated with the uncertainty and lack of support in the area of professionaldevelopment expectations of the system and school. Most of the beginning teachers inthis study had completed a 10-week internship in their final year that was developmen-tally structured and closely assessed and monitored. Therefore the beginning teacherswere surprised at the lack of supervision or formal monitoring experienced during theirfirst year to enable them to gain their teaching certificate. Martinez (1994) called this‘an absence of signposts’ caused by many principals expecting all beginning teachers tobe competent, often resulting in a lack of observation, feedback and clearly defineddevelopment expectations.

Recommendations

Analysis of the results and responses from the study and literature indicate that theremust be a greater focus on quality induction experiences for all beginning teachers tomove their teaching from the stage of survival to consolidation with the least amount

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of conflict or tension. This focus should occur at the two major levels of system andschool and should target both the teaching processes and socialisation aspects ofprofessional development. At the same time universities should also take note of theexperiences and concerns of beginning teachers in order to maximise future graduates’preparation for the numerous and varied challenges ahead.

Ramsey (2000) suggests employers must exercise increased responsibility for whatoccurs during the induction phase, and in response to this the NSW DET hasintroduced several new initiatives in recent years which may minimise the concernsidentified by the beginning teachers in this study. The certificate of mentoring pro-gramme, the Academic Associate model and the teacher mentor positions need to beclosely monitored and evaluated, and if considered effective, extended across schooldistricts in NSW to support mentors and beginning teachers.

The NSW DET as the system employer has developed excellent general resourcematerials, however, their use rather than being suggested, needs to be organised toreach every beginning teacher through mandatory training for principals, mentors andsupervisors. In addition to prepared materials, schools need financial resourcing tosupport the teaching process providing teaching materials to assist learning and spe-cialised pedagogy assistance in areas according to the context in which the beginningteacher is placed. Resources in the form of time are important and this could be areduced teaching load for the beginning teacher in their first year and for the supervisor/mentor to give time for consultation, preparation and observation.

At the school level the principal is the crucial link in the beginning teacher’stransition and induction into teaching. Principals should take responsibility for imple-menting a systematic school-based programme with clarification of roles, expectationsand responsibilities of all parties involved. Use of school expertise through mentorsteaching in the same grade or specialisation can assist beginning teachers in under-standing contextual issues relating to the teaching processes such as classroom manage-ment, catering for individual student needs and appropriate programming (Carter &Francis, 2000). While the first six months of the school year may be spent primarilysupporting the beginning teacher through their early survival stage, ongoing observa-tions, feedback and support from the supervisor should be evident during the entireassessment process.

Another recommendation from this study is the need to assist the beginning teachers’socialisation into the school. Martinez (1994) identifies a commonly held view ofbeginning teachers as fitting the ‘deficit model’ where their weaknesses are the centreof concern and little thought is given to their strengths and what they can contributecritically to schools they enter. Just as a beginning teacher needs to be open and willingto enter the school community, the school needs to be accepting of new ideas andteaching styles rather than trying to force them into a subversive mould based ontraditional notions of teaching. The latter encourages a ‘play the game to survive’approach which may restrict their professional development and could end in attritionfrom rather than transition into teaching.

Conclusion

This study has reinforced the important role induction plays in the early career ofbeginning teachers within the broad terms of improving or consolidating teaching skills,resolving concerns, socialising the teacher into the school and ensuring the teacher’sprofessional growth. Along with these roles are the goals of increasing retention and

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Induction Experiences Within a NSW Context 137

satisfying certification requirements. Many beginning teachers come into teaching witha theoretical base and limited practice, however, they usually bring energy, enthusiasmand new ideas. The survival issues identified in this study reinforce the need for qualityinduction to occur at system and school level with mechanisms put in place to allowbeginning teachers to negotiate the early years of teaching with limited or no stress.They need structured support that provides encouragement, respect and assurance tohelp them experience success and expand their capabilities.

Many of these recommendations for improving the transition of beginning teachersinto the workplace are not new and have been features of earlier reviews of teachereducation and induction (NSW DSE, 1992, cited in Khamis, 2000; Ramsey, 2000).Unfortunately, with a predicted shortage of teachers looming in Australia it maybedifficult for some of these recommendations to be implemented. However, withincreasing emphasis on improving the quality of teaching, the face of induction needsto change to provide a cohesive model linking preservice education and inservicesupport through a collaborative system and school-based approaches. It is encouragingto the researchers that the NSW DET has acknowledged the issues facing beginningteachers. Since the Ramsey Report they have taken the initiative to develop many newstrategies to ensure all newly appointed teachers have the opportunity, within thecontext of their school, to move past ‘survival’ to consolidation of their practice. Thissupport should assist new teachers achieve professional growth and ongoing fulfilmentin their chosen career.

Correspondence: Ann McCormack, School of Education, University of Newcastle, NSW,Callaghan, NSW, 2308 Australia (e-mail: Ann.McCormack@newcastle.edu.au).

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