Learning to lead: an investigation into the preparation, induction, roles and practices of beginning principals: a Canadian study

The growing complexity regarding a principal's role and associated leadership tasks, combined with changing societal realms and educational reform pose serious challenges to even the most experienced educational leaders. For new school leaders, taking on the principalship within a given organizational context is predicated on the notion that learning the role is a continual process of "being and becoming." This research inquires into the nature of early-phase leadership and strives to understand the phenomenon of the beginning principalship by examining roles, agency and practices of new leaders as influenced by their preparation and induction support. Given that school leaders impact the performance of organizational members and that new principals are required to perform the same job as their experienced counterparts, in order to identify ways to meet the needs of individuals transitioning into the position, it is important to understand new principals' experiences. This qualitative phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews to investigate perceptions and experiences of sixteen newly appointed and one-year experienced principals from two separate school boards in the following areas: preparation and induction experiences, developing relationships and building trust with colleagues, as well as how newcomers enacted their roles, utilized their agency and exercised their emerging leadership practice. Evidence substantiates that beginning principals experienced role-identity transition in adjusting to the nature and demands of new leadership, including administrative overload, and challenges associated with organizational dynamics and external influences. New leaders developed compensatory strategies and immediately acted to acquire organizational information and improve conditions for teaching and learning. The investigation found that beginning principals employed engagement processes and attended to "three dimensional" trust criteria to develop relationships and build trust. In addition, although new principals valued the use of cohorts, real-time training and mentoring, they missed receiving formal support during the transition time frame referred to as the "crossover gap.

Self-Efficacy and Teacher Retention: Perception of Novice Teachers on Job Preparation, Job Support, and Job Satisfaction

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of novice teachers in 1 school district regarding their professional experiences. Novice teacher was defined as someone with 5 years or fewer in the teaching profession. The study was of an emergent design using phenomenological qualitative methods that included face-to-face interviews, triangulation of information, and analyzation with specific adherence given to understanding the social phenomena of the lived experience from the participants’ perspectives. Specifically, the study addressed possible relationships between novice teachers’ experiences and perceptions of success and self-efficacy that contribute to their choice of continuing in the profession of teaching. Participants in this study ranged from 23-55 years of age, represented male and female gender, encompassed all levels of grade configuration within the school district (elementary, middle, high school), and covered experiences within each of the 5 years of defined novice work. Information was collected through individual one-on-one interviews covering preparatory programs, individual school sites, district induction programs, and the relationships developed within each spiraled experience. This study identified reasons for retention in the population of novice teachers and possible obstacles that might cause a novice teacher to leave the profession during or at the end of the 5 year apprenticeship. Information collected revealed that age, timing of entrance into a teaching career and preparatory programs had an effect on novice efficacy and job success. In addition data suggested that job support, job fulfillment, as well as future career choice were influenced by experiences a novice lived through within a school culture including type of administrative support, peer mentoring, collegial socialization, district expectations, and induction involvement

Diploma in Education? Rethinking the Curriculum.

For well over half a century the traditional end-on diploma year has been under fire from university departments, students, and the teaching profession. How is it possible in one year for students to reach adequate levels of knowledge and understanding in a large number of subjects, epistemologicalIy diverse and frequently outside their undergraduate experience? The answer of course, is that it is not possible to believe otherwise is to labour under gross delusion. A university department of education, acting with the best of intentions, cannot give more than cursory attention to even the most essential elements of a preservice programme within an abbreviated academic year

A qualitative study investigating the similarities and differences of diploma and undergraduate nursing (adult) students

The aims of this study were to explore the preconceptions of pre-registration undergraduate and Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing (Dip.H.E.) (Adult) students have in relation to their programme and the nursing profession, and students' perceptions as their programmes progress. In addition the study aimed to explore how pre-registration undergraduate and Dip.H.E. (Adult) students perceive their preparation for the qualified role, and compare pre-registration undergraduate and diploma nursing students' actual performance in the clinical area near to qualification. The study used grounded theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss 1967). Undergraduate (n=20) and Dip.H.E. (n=22) nursing (Adult) students from two institutions in Scotland were used. Findings from the focus groups indicated that both groups were apprehensive about their first clinical placement, especially in relation to their own self-confidence and the uncertainty about their role within those placements. All students wanted to have the qualities of a 'good nurse' and expected to learn these qualities from clinical staff. Diploma level education was perceived as giving students better practical skills, while degree level education was perceived as giving students better theoretical skills. At the mid-point of the programmes, diploma participants were more confident in their practical ability, while undergraduate participants were more confident in their theoretical ability. The clinical learning environment had a major effect, both positive and negative, on both sets of students' practical abilities. Students had experienced good and bad mentors, which had affected the integration of theory and practice, had 'shaped' their learning experience, and had resulted in different degrees of supervision and feedback. Overall, both groups of participants expressed their anxiety about their lack of practical skills, and their opportunities to link theory to practice

The readiness of primary trained graduate teachers to effectively manage classrooms in Kimberley schools in Western Australia

This study is unique in that it investigates the nature of the relationship between classroom management strategies, neophyte teachers and Indigenous students, in remote area classrooms. Given that the student population and teaching conditions in remote schools is usually significantly different from the demography of the students encountered in pre-service practica, the purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of course-specific classroom management strategies with Indigenous students located in a specific remote region of Western Australia. This study was undertaken in both Department of Education and Catholic Education Office schools within the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This region was selected as over 65% of the total primary-aged student population identifies as being Indigenous and just over 33% of all teachers placed in this remote region are graduate teachers. Both the Department of Education (WA) and Catholic Education Office (WA) spend significant resources providing support and training for beginning teachers in the areas of Indigenous education programs and classroom management strategies each year. This research is a qualitatively-based interpretive study that uses the ethnographic tools of semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and a functional behaviour analysis to collect the data. Data was collected in-situ on two separate occasions and grounded theory methodology was used to code and compare the data, enabling the emergence of a new theory termed ‘cultural frame-switching’. Cultural frame-switching involves demonstrating an understanding of and insight into the lives of the students and the cultural mores of the remote community. Research findings suggest that cultural frame-switching is the foundation upon which the effectiveness of classroom management strategies rests. The study found that the utilisation of classroom management strategies per se was not as significant in engendering compliance as was cultural frame-switching. That is to say, the mastering of otherwise laudable strategies was insufficient to induce compliance. The findings of this study have the potential to assist in targeting the cultural training of both pre-service and beginning teachers thus potentially reducing attrition rates in remote locations. Recommendations are made regarding the preparation of pre-service teachers to better equip them for remote teaching upon graduation. Such recommendations are aimed at assisting teachers to learn about the local Indigenous culture prior to establishing any classroom management protocols