Abstract
This chapter introduces the book’s theme: the experiences of beginning teachers and how these can be read and understood. It situates the book in related literature and research, describing major issues reported recently. The chapter provides a rationale for studying and explaining beginning teachers’ experiences. While retention rates in many areas are improving for beginning teachers, the first year journeys are often problematic and challenging. It would appear, then, that understanding beginning teachers’ challenges and experiences will help teacher educators and school leaders to better support these teachers. The chapter indicates how the data in this book derive from the authors’ research in beginning teaching, and describes the underpinning research projects. It asserts the need to provide an outlet for beginning teachers’ compelling stories. A discussion then follows about presenting beginning teacher research findings as a sequence of synthesised narratives. These narratives constitute fictionalised research accounts. Our reasons for presenting the data thus are discussed; the chapter describes the process and methods used to derive these stories and implications. We argue for the evocative power of story to engage readers in beginning teachers’ trials and successes.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Abdallah, J. (2010). Lowering teacher attrition rates through collegiality. Academic Leadership, 7(1). http://www.academicleadership.org/article/lowering-teacher-attrition-rates-through-collegiality. Accessed 7 Aug 2011.
Apple, M. (1996). Education, identity and cheap French fries. In M. Apple (Ed.), Cultural politics and education. Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press.
Aubusson, P., & Griffin, J. (2010). The professional learning preferences of primary school teachers of science and technology. Research report prepared for New South Wales Department of Education and Training. Sydney, Australia.
Aubusson, P., Relich, J., & Wotherspoon, D. (1991). Professional development and perceived needs of science teachers. Research in Science Education, 21, 10–19.
Aubusson, P., Watson, K., Vozzo, L., & Steele, F. (2005). Retrained teachers and school culture: Complex interactions. Teacher Development, 9(1), 59–78.
Australian Education Union. (2006). AEU National Beginning Teacher Survey results 2006. Australia. http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/Btsurvey06.html. Accessed 5 Nov 2010.
Buchanan, J. (2006). What they should have told me: Six beginning teachers’ reflections on their preservice education in the light of their early career experiences. Curriculum Perspectives, 26(1), 38–47.
Buchanan, J. (2009a). Where are they now? Ex-teachers tell their life-work stories. Issues in Educational Research, 19(1), 1–13. http://www.iier.org.au/iier19/buchanan.html. Accessed 7 June 2011.
Buchanan, J. (2009b). Use of teachers’ expertise in subsequent careers: Brain drain, skill spill? Education and Society, 27(1), 35–50.
Buchanan, J. (2010). May I be excused? Why teachers leave the profession. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 30(2), 199–211.
Buchanan, J. (2011). Teacher dis/appointments: Transitions into and out of teaching. Curriculum Perspectives, 31(1), 12–24.
Campbell, A. (2000). Fictionalising research data as a way of increasing teachers’ access to school-focused research. Research in Education, 63, 81–88.
Campbell, A., & McNamara, O. (2007). Ways of telling: The use of practitioners’ stories. In A. Campbell & S. Groundwater-Smith (Eds.), An ethical approach to practitioner research: Dealing with issues and dilemmas in action research (pp. 99–112). London: Routledge.
Clandinin, D., & Connelly, F. (1996). Teachers’ professional knowledge landscapes: Teacher stories—Stories of teachers—School stories—Stories of schools. Educational Researcher, 25(3), 24–30.
Clough, P. (2002). Narratives and fictions in educational research. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. (2007). Everything’s ethics: Practitioner inquiry and university culture. In A. Campbell & S. Groundwater-Smith (Eds.), An ethical approach to practitioner research: Dealing with issues and dilemmas in action research (pp. 24–41). London: Routledge.
Connelly, F. M., & Clandinin, D. J. (1999). Shaping a professional identity: Stories of educational practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
Elliott, J. (2005). Using narrative in social research. London: Sage.
Featherstone, D., Munby, H., & Russell, T. (Eds.). (1997). Finding a voice while learning to teach. London: Falmer Press.
Fielding, M. (2001). Students as radical agents of change. Journal of Educational Change, 2, 123–141.
Flutter, J. (2006). This place could help you learn: Student participation in creating a better school environment. Educational Review, 58(2), 183–193.
Flutter, J., & Rudduck, J. (2004). Consulting pupils: What’s in it for schools. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Gambhir, M., Broad, K., Evans, M., & Gaskell, J. (2008). Characterizing initial teacher education in Canada: Themes and issues. Report to the International Alliance of Leading Educational Institutes. Toronto, ON, Canada: University of Toronto/OISE.
Groundwater-Smith, S. (2007). Student voice: Essential testimony for intelligent schools. In A. Campbell & S. Groundwater-Smith (Eds.), An ethical approach to practitioner research (pp. 113–128). London: Routledge.
Harrington, I. (2010). IT support for the learning of beginning teachers in NSW, Australia. Educational Research and Reviews, 5(6), 273–281.
Johnson, B., Down, B., Le Cornu, R., Peters, J., Sullivan, A. M., Pearce, J., & Hunter, J. (2010, July). Conditions that support early-career teacher resilience. Paper presented at the meeting of the Australian Teacher Education Association, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Mariani, L. (1997). Teacher support and teacher challenge in promoting learner autonomy. Perspectives, 23(2). http://www.learningpaths.org/papers/papersupport.htm. Accessed 2 September 2011.
McCormack, A., & Thomas, K. (2005). The reality of uncertainty: The plight of casual beginning teachers. Change: Transformations in Education, 8(1), 17–31.
Nelson, C. D. (2008). Shifting teacher identities through inquiry into ‘stories to live by’. Reflective Practice, 9(2), 207–217.
Owen, S., Kos, J., & McKenzie, P. (2008). Staff in schools: Teacher workforce data and planning processes in Australia. Canberra, Australia: DEEWR.
Polkinghorne, D. (1988). Narrative knowing and the human sciences. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Rudduck, J., & McIntyre, D. (2007). Improving learning through consulting pupils. London: Routledge.
Santoro, N., & Allard, A. (2008). Scenarios as springboards for reflection on practice: Stimulating discussion. Reflective Practice, 9(2), 167–176.
Schuck, S. (2009). How did we do? Beginning teachers teaching mathematics in primary schools. Studying Teacher Education, 5(2), 113–123.
Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., Prescott, A., Louviere J., & Burke, P. (2011). Retaining effective early career teacher teachers in NSW schools. Unpublished report. Sydney, Australia: University of Technology, Sydney.
Schuck, S., Brady, L., & Griffin, J. (2005). Initiation and rites of passage: Learning the school culture. Change: Transformations in Education, 8(1), 44–55.
Schuck, S., & Segal, G. (1998). The constraints and challenges that beginning teachers meet in teaching mathematics and science in the primary school (Research Project). Sydney, Australia: University of Technology, Sydney.
Schuck, S., Segal, G., Anderson, T., & Balding, P. (2000). Mentoring beginning teachers: A seamless process of induction. In S. Schuck & G. Segal (Eds.), Change and choice in the new century: Is education Y2K compliant? Sydney, Australia: CERG, University of Technology.
Steele, F., Watson, K., Vozzo, L., & Aubusson, P. (2004). Retraining teachers to teach science: Is it a good idea? Teaching Science, 50(2), 28–32.
Stevens, C., Parker, P., & Burroughs, D. (2007). Dealing with beginning teachers’ retention: Research paper. Thirroul, NSW, Australia: Communicorp. creativemastery.com.au/…/DealingWithBeginningTeachersRetention.doc. Accessed 30 May 2011.
Vozzo, L., Aubusson, P., Steele, F., & Watson, K. (2004). Mentoring retrained teachers: Extending the Web. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 12(3), 335–352.
Watson, K., Aubusson, P., Vozzo, L., & Steele, F. (2007). Changing the subject: Retraining teachers to teach science. Research in Science Education, 37(1), 141–154.
Williams, C. (2002, December). Telling tales: Stories from new teachers in NSW country schools. Paper presented at the meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, Australia.
Witherell, C., & Noddings, N. (1991). Prologue: An invitation to our readers. In C. Witherell & N. Noddings (Eds.), Stories lives tell: Narrative and dialogue in education (pp. 1–12). New York: Teachers College Press.
Yates, L. (2004). What does good education research look like? Situating a field and its practices. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Anne Campbell for her input regarding fictionalising stories of practice.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., Russell, T. (2012). Telling Tales Out of School: Sharing the Stories of Beginning Teachers. In: Beginning Teaching. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3901-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3901-7_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-3900-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-3901-7
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)