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I’m new, you’re the boss … where are we going?

A transnational exploration of school leaders and beginning

teachers.

Dr. Eva SundeThe University of Bergen

Dr. Anna E du PlessisThe University of Queensland

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The outline• Beginner teachers assigned to complex teaching positions

has significant meaning for these teachers, their leaders and their classrooms

• Interrelationships▫ School leaders’ perceptions of beginner teachers’ real-life

experiences▫ Beginner teachers’ lived experiences and their ‘truths’

• The literature(Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007; 2009) (Hattie, 2009)(Teague & Swan, 2013)(Le Maistre & Pare, 2010)

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What is happening? (Moir, 2011; Wisconsin Education Association Council, 2014).

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Contextualising complex teaching experiences

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Literature: Being novice and effective

•‘A teacher needs to possess knowledge before they are able to share it’ (Leaman, 2006, p. 7; Berliner, 1986).

•Teachers concerns - unfamiliarity with cultural background (Boreen et al., 2000).

Being a beginner, and still effective – the balance between content knowledge and classroom management strategies (Boreen, Johnson, Niday & Potts, 2000).

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Positioning the argument

‘Being a novice teacher’

‘Being competent’

‘Being adjustable’

Leadership decisions and perceptions

Expectations Their truth...AssignmentsWork loadPlacementsSupport‘Being effective’

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Approach and Methodology

Semi-structured interviews

Classroom and staff room observations

Document analysis/Support and developmental strategies

Reflections in field diary

Way of inquiry

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The analytical tools

• Thematic analysis• Inter-relationships (Units of meaning) • Looking through different lenses - Various levels of school

leaders and beginner teachers

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Findings: Perceptions and real-life experiences

Expectations: The gapConfidence

Self critique Support

Lack of content knowledge

Self-esteem

Insecurities

Communication

Experiences of beginner teachers in

complex teaching situations

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Beginning teachers: Summary

• Need to learn rules and routines• Practical solutions, need to know the system• Understand their role and duty• Find themselves• Find their place in school

Results: Leadership perceptions(Norway)

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Results: Leadership perceptions(Australia and South Africa)

Leaders leading:

She is a very effective teacher but she doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. I did feel sorry for her because she could’ve performed far better if she had been in her own area.

Principal, Australia

....any good teacher should be able to teach anything...they are

too picky...Principal, South Africa

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Summary• Leadership focus, priority and perceptions influence

real-life experiences and assignments of beginner teachers

• Leadership style plays a major role in the lived experiences of beginner teachers▫Instructional leadership models▫Transformational leadership models (Hattie, 2009)

Results: Leadership perceptions(Australia and South Africa)

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Results: Life-world of beginner teachers (Australia)

…..felt like the cart was before the horseBeginner teacher

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I tried when we got our timetables (talks fast) I came in …I said can I see you please…to the Deputy…and he said: Oh sorry, I am really busy. I emailed him a couple of times and I had no reply, I tried to see him before the kids came in at the start of the year and he was busy ...he didn’t have time for me …I felt like I was fobbed off and I just wanted to sort the stuff out because I felt really quite stressed…

Beginner teacher

Results: Life-world of beginner teachers (Australia)

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...I tried to talk to them (leaders)...but they didn’t listen...I feel angry and depressed. If things do not improve by the end of the year...I am leaving...

Beginner teacher

Results: Life-world of beginner teachers (South Africa)

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The most difficult experience for me was all the things I was not prepared for, as a beginner teacher …

I was not made familiar with the job… After a while I found two sources to survive, my own common sense and an experienced colleague…

…to get the most difficult classes, either in a subject I was not educated for or the classes that the experienced teachers resisted to take and, for example, by holding back on information about the class.

Beginner teachers, Norway 

Results: Life-world of beginner teachers (Norway)

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The truth...and the meaning of leadership choices.... (Ingersoll,2012)

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The interrelationship:School leaders and novice teachers

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anna.duplessis@uqconnect.edu.au

School of Education: The University of Queensland 

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:330372

Eva.sunde@iub.uib.no School of Education: The University of Bergen