Influencing the psychological well-being of beginning teachers across three years of teaching: self-efficacy, stress causes, job tension and job discontent

Abstract

In this study, the path of influence of support programmes for beginning teachers (BTs) is examined. Longitudinal relationships between self-efficacy and stress causes experienced by BTs and their job tension and discontent are investigated. Differential effects are explored in the relationships between the perceived psychological variables for induction and non-induction groups, after a period of three years. A total of 62 secondary schools and 338 BTs, in the Netherlands, were randomly selected to two context conditions. In the experimental condition, an induction arrangement was provided to the BTs. The remaining schools and BTs followed their regular (induction) arrangements. Results show that school and class efficacy are negatively related to job tension and job discontent. Stress causes were positively related to job tension and discontent. The link between classroom self-efficacy and stress outcomes is much stronger in the induction group. For school self-efficacy, however, the link is weaker in the induction groups. Implications of the findings for practice and theory are discussed.

Keywords:

• psychological well-being
• beginning teacher
• induction arrangements
• multilevel growth curve analysis

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Dutch ministry of Education via Actieprogramma Onderwijs Bewijs [Action Program Education Evidence, grant number: ODB08110].