The multilayered effects of initial teacher education programs on the beginning teacher workforce and workplace: Perceptions of beginning teachers and their school leaders

Abstract

<p>Initial teacher education (ITE) impacts the preparedness of beginning teachers. A large scale mixed methods investigation (<i>n</i> = 2145) offers perceptions through surveys of beginning teachers in their first five years of teaching (<i>n</i> = 1362) and their school leaders (<i>n</i> = 736) and one-on-one semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 47) with beginning teachers (<i>n</i> = 38) and school leaders (<i>n</i> = 9). The findings offer a deeper understanding of ITEs influence on beginning teachers’ preparedness. Qualitative analysis of survey open questions and the quantitative analysis of beginning teachers (<i>n</i> = 504) and school leaders’ (<i>n</i> = 306) completed Likert scale surveys items unveiled perceptions about ITEs impact on beginning teachers’ satisfaction levels, expectations and realities; professional support and mentoring offered at school level; and professional interrelationships within schools.</p>