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Journal of Educational Change

, Volume 15, Issue 4, pp 467–489 | Cite as

Collegial support and novice teachers’ perceptions of working conditions

  • Ben Pogodzinski
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Using survey data gathered from novice teachers at the elementary and middle school level across 11 districts, this study examined variation in perceptions of working conditions related to workload and access to resources and further identified the association between these perceptions and the quality of support the novices received from their formal mentors and other colleagues. The findings from this study indicate that the quality of mentor support is positively associated with novice teachers’ ability to manage their assigned workload, while the quality of support from other colleagues is positively associated with novices’ ability to meet the requirements of their administrative tasks. Novices’ perceptions of the administrative climate varied little over the course of one school year, and there were only slight variations in novices’ perceptions based on years of experience and level taught. Novices did vary significantly from their veteran colleagues in their perceptions of working conditions. The findings from this study have implications for understanding the role that formal and informal teacher support has in mediating the expectations and demands of novice teachers’ work, which can then help guide improvements in novice teacher induction and working conditions.

Keywords

Empirical paper Organizational context Novice teachers Socialization Working conditions 
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© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Administrative and Organizational Studies, 377 College of EducationWayne State UniversityDetroitUSA

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