Teachers’ first year in the profession: the power of high-quality support

ABSTRACT

In research on teacher induction, scholars have pointed at the pivotal role of collegial support to overcome the challenges inherent to the first years of teaching. In this quantitative study, we extend current work by using a social network perspective to examine characteristics (i.e. network size, frequency and perceived usefulness) of professional, emotional, and social collegial support networks. Moreover, we explore the extent to which these characteristics explain key factors affecting teacher retention, namely job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation to teach, and self-efficacy. An online survey was completed by 292 beginning primary school teachers in Flanders (Belgium). Social network data showed that, on average, they receive professional, emotional and social support from six colleagues each week and found this mostly useful. Regression analyses demonstrated that network size and perceived usefulness of professional, emotional, and social collegial support networks were positively related to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation to teach, thus confirming the importance of collegial support in teacher induction. Frequency of support was not significant. Finally, no substantial relationship was found between collegial support and teachers’ self-efficacy. Implications of these findings for practice and policy are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Beginning teachers (BTs)
• teacher induction period
• collegial support
• social network perspective

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [G.0183.15N].

Notes on contributors

Laura Thomas

Laura Thomas is a PhD student at the Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Belgium. Her research focuses on beginning teachers’ school network in primary education. Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan, 2, 9000 Ghent; Telephone number: [phone]; Email address: [email protected] (corresponding author)

Melissa Tuytens

Melissa Tuytens is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Belgium. Her current research interests include Human Resource Management (HRM) in schools, school policy, school leadership and teacher professional development. Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan, 2, 9000 Ghent; Telephone number: [phone]; Email address: [email protected]

Nienke Moolenaar

Nienke Moolenaar is an assistant professor at the Department of Education at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Her research interests include teacher collaboration, educational change, school improvement and social network analysis. Postal address: Heidelberglaan, 1, 3584 CS Utrecht; Telephone number: 0031 30 253 1796; Email address: [email protected]

Geert Devos

Geert Devos is a professor in educational administration at the Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Belgium. He leads the research centre Bellon that studies educational policy and leadership in schools. Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan, 2, 9000 Ghent; Telephone number: [phone]; Email address: [email protected]

Geert Kelchtermans

Geert Kelchtermans is a full professor at the University of Leuven, Belgium, where he chairs the Centre for Innovation and the Development of Teacher and School. His current research areas include teacher development and work lives (with a focus on the social and emotional dimension), micropolitics in school and implementation practices of innovations. Postal address: Dekenstraat, 2, 3000, Leuven; Telephone number: [phone]; Email address: [email protected]

Ruben Vanderlinde

Ruben Vanderlinde is an associate professor at the Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Belgium. His current research areas include teacher training and professionalisation, educational innovation and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education. Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan, 2, 9000 Ghent; Telephone number: [phone]; Email address: [email protected]