Sustain Neophytes in Teaching Profession Research Paper

Introduction

Issue: teachers leaving the profession

Teaching has ever been regarded as the noblest of all the professions. Through the inspiring teaching models of the great educators several people once joined this great profession. However, the situation is much changed today and the education field encounters various impulsive challenges today. One of the most significant challenges occurs in the field of teacher retention and research evidences suggest that there is large number of teachers, especially novice teachers, leaving this noble profession internationally. There is a remarkable factor underlying this reality which contributes to the gravity of the problem. According to the policy briefing of Global Campaign for Education, more than 100 million children in the world are deprived of, in the modern educational background, the right to a primary level education. There is a serious demand for the large number of teachers being trained and facilitated with in order to meet challenges of this kind. “Between 14 and 22.5 million teachers need to be recruited, trained and provided with the right incentives in the next ten years if we are to give these children the quality public education they deserve by 2015 – the target date of the international community’s Education For All and Millennium Development Goals.” (Global Campaign for Education policy briefing. P.1). If these new teachers are available for the profession students get a better opportunity to be taught where the classes will include no more than 40 pupils per teacher. The untrained and de-motivated teachers also raise serious setbacks for the education programs. However, an issue of the foremost consideration will be that of the large number of renouncing of the teaching profession at the starting years of the career. Several conditions go into the making of such an issue. “Novice teachers often struggle during the transition from being students of teaching to teachers of students. Consequently, high attrition rates characterize the first 3 years of teaching, underscoring a need to provide better support for beginning teachers.” (Fry, 2007, P. 216). The specific situation remarkably suggests the inadequacy and poor quality of induction programs and the lack of effective guidance and valuable assistance. Significantly, there have been research evidences which indicate that many novice teachers are not provided with the type of induction programs that reflects their needs. “In addition, poor induction has a large impact on the perceptions beginning teachers have of their own teaching skills and standards, how they feel about their profession and their relationships with school administrators and students.” (Sharp, 2006). The induction programs have a greater impact on the quality of education as well as such programs can contribute to the teachers’ ability and skills in dealing with the several teaching aspects. “The quality of education is essential if the students are to complete primary education with literacy, numeracy and essential life skills; and the teacher’s qualification is the most important factor for the students’ learning achievements. The teaching profession has to be an attractive choice in order to attract and retain qualified primary teachers and the teachers need to be involved in the process to develop education’s quality.” (Nilsson, 2003, P. 10). The significance of induction program is always emphasised and even more significant aspect of the topic is the selection of the most relevant program that is effective in dealing with the issues of the novice teachers. This paper, therefore, examines induction programs for new teachers and attempts to explore and assess its influence on the professional development of new teachers.

Scope: Effective Induction Programs

It is most important that in the modern environment of teaching provides little effective induction programs and the result of all these insufficient programs is that there is large scale of elusion of the profession by the novice teachers. The research evidences suggest that there is great validity for the induction programs that are central in dealing with the several problems as encountered by the novice teachers, though there are cases of induction programs having less effect on the novice teachers. Therefore, the induction programs need to be designed in a way as to support the novice teachers in the most effective manner. Here, it is important that there is no exclusive induction program that suggests an effect on the teachers. Rather, it needs to be comprehended that every one of these programs must correspond to the needs of each school and group of new teachers. It is relevant that not all solutions to the problems encountered by teachers are feasible. What is pertinent in this context is further and more extensive analyses and researches of the several induction programs as they disclose which formats work satisfactorily and which aspects of induction programs should be replaced with more effective methods. The scope of the research analysis undertaken in this paper is in finding these elements. The significance of such a study is that this will improve the quality of teaching as well as provide greater number of teachers for the profession. It is more significant ini poor countries such as Maldives. “Trained and motivated teachers are by far the most crucial ingredient in the provision of quality education for all. Other inputs, such as investments in school buildings, school feeding programmes or ICT (information and communications technology), are doomed to fail if there are not enough teachers in a school for them to be able to teach effectively, or if teachers have received little or no training. A major push on all fronts is needed to secure a professionally trained, well supported and highly motivated teacher workforce.” (Global Campaign for Education policy briefing, P.5). Therefore, the study undertaken has a great relevance.

Proposal

One of the most important aspects of the current threats to the profession of teaching has been recognised as the novice teachers quitting the profession due to the tremendous challenges they face in the initial years of their career. The case of the poor nations such as the Maldives is especially remarkable though there are slow progresses in the efforts to improve the situation. “Currently, Maldives is experiencing a shortage of trained teachers, influencing the quality of education being provided, 40 percent of teachers are untrained and the education system relies heavily on expatriate teachers… Most of who left soon after the Tsunami and never returned back. However, concerted efforts are being made to improve the quantity and quality of local teachers.” (Adam, 2006, P.5). In this background, one of the most relevant questions that relate the problem has been the implementation of the programs that can very well deal with the issue. It is found that the novice teachers who receive effective induction programs do not lose their spirits and abilities which results in departing the profession. This factor results in the sustainable development of the profession and the teachers remain in the profession for longer periods. The research proposed here explores the effects of receiving induction programs on the likelihood that beginning teachers remain or depart their jobs. The results of the proposed study, therefore, will be effective in formulating successful induction programs that will enhance sustenance of teachers. Thus, the study proposed in this paper has a great scope in the current environment.

Background of the study

Teaching profession has been undergoing serious threat in the modern world and the most notable issue arises from the fact that novice teachers prefer leaving the profession. Therefore, teacher retention is a serious problem faced a number of countries in the world. According to Ingersoll and Smith (2004) and Sharp (2006), in America and Australia 50 percent of the beginning teachers depart from the profession. In England, 40 percent of the teachers exit the job within the first five years (Kunc^b & Kyriacou^a, 2006). This is, of course, a universal issue with regard to the profession of teaching. However, not only the Western countries which have a rich background of teaching activity are faced with this problem, but, more significantly, the small state countries like Maldives do experience similar problems. The issue as faced by such nations is even severe than that of the Western nations. “Maldives is experiencing a shortage of trained teachers, influencing the quality of education being provided, 40 percent of teachers are untrained and the education system relies heavily on expatriate teachers (73 percent of 2000 – 6th National Development Plan 2001-2005). Most of whom left soon after the Tsunami and never returned back.” (Adam, Aishath Shehenaz. (2006)Thus, Statistics of Ministry of Planning and National Development and Ministry of Education’s has revealed that about 18 percent of the teachers leave the teaching field (Maldives Statistical Yearbook 2007, 2007 & Education Statistics). Though the percentage is smaller than the developed countries, the number of teachers departing is twice the number of graduate teachers completing teaching in the country. The teacher student ratio also suggests that there are serious issues in the teaching profession. “The student teacher ratio of 21:1 (at the primary level in the year 2000) in other context would be considered extremely favourable. In the context of Maldives this ratio barely meets the need, as due to the nature of the population distribution, resources have to be provided to each island, in spite of the small numbers residing on most islands. There are presently 2221 teachers teaching Grades 1-5 and 914 teaching Grades 6-7. A little over 11 per cent of permanent teachers at both the respective levels are untrained. Most local primary teachers currently in service in the atolls have obtained one year teaching certificate after having reached Grade 7.” (Adam, Aishath Shehenaz. (2006).

A study conducted by UNESCO (1990), revealed that in many countries teachers do not get any professional induction training which hinder the quality teaching. To overcome this tragedy, countries have started organised systematic induction programs for beginning teachers. However, Maldivian schools do not conduct any formal induction programs. In fact, teachers receive advice from supervisors and colleagues. In addition, the weekly staff meeting do provide useful information for novice teachers (UNESCO, 1990).

In contrast, Global Campaign for Education (2006) reported that teachers do not get required support from the school management team. Thus, 40 percent of the teachers in the educational system are untrained teachers; these teachers need adequate support from everyone in the system (Adam, 2006). According to the report, due to the administrative work that supervisors have handle, they do not have enough time to provide help for novice and untrained teachers. Furthermore, as supervisors do not receive any professional development programs, this makes it difficult to furnish recent information. Failing to provide adequate support to teachers, makes them de-motivated for the job (Sharp, 2006, Global Campaign for Education, 2006).

Statement of problem

One pertinent problem that has been in prevalence in the area of teaching is the quitting of the profession by novice teachers and several challenges they meet in their beginning years of their profession go into the making of this issue. An effective strategy to deal with the problem has been the induction programs which can help the novice teachers in their issues. The major aim of all induction programs for new teachers has been to facilitate the process of transformation of a new student teacher graduate into a competent professional teacher. If the novice teachers receive effective induction, they do not lose their spirits in facing the challenges raised by the profession and they will be motivated to remain in the profession. However, the selection of the most effective induction program has been a serious problem that needs to be dealt with.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of receiving induction programs on the likelihood that beginning teachers remain or depart their jobs. Thus the results of this study could be used in formulating effective induction programs which enhance sustenance of teachers.

Research Questions

Two main questions are focused in this research. First, this study will look upon the components integrated in the induction program and its effectiveness. Secondly, the impact of imposed induction programs to teachers’ attrition rates will also be addressed. The research questions are given below with the rationale.

What components of induction programs are most dominant and how does it help in the teaching profession?

The selection of the most effective induction program is necessary. This selection of the effective program involves an analysis of the various components of induction programs that are most dominant as well as the effectiveness of the program on how it helps in the teaching profession. This research question, therefore, points to the most relevant aspects of the research findings.

What is the relationship between an induction program and teachers’ departure from the profession?

Another pertinent research question focuses on the relationship between an induction program and teachers’ departure from the profession. This has been relevant question as it indicates the effectiveness of the induction program which is a major concern of the research undertaken.

Hypotheses of the study

Based on the statement problem, objectives and research questions, the following hypotheses are formulated.

1. No induction program is conducted in school.
2. Teachers do not get adequate support from the departments or administration.
3. Teachers who are not exposed to effective induction programs, have negative effect on their profession.
4. Teachers with inadequate induction program departs the profession.

Limitation of the study

The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago of approximately 1,190 coral islands located south-west of the Indian sub-continent. The islands form twenty-six natural atolls, which are grouped into twenty atolls for administrative purposes. The total population of Maldives is around 250,000. The population is dispersed among 200 inhabited islands, with 90% of them having a population of less than 1,000. Around 25% of the population is concentrated in the capital, Malé (Muhsin & Azra, 1995). There are four preschools, six primary schools, three secondary schools and one higher secondary school. For this research, teachers serving for two or less years will be selected from the secondary schools.

Methodology

In analysing the effectiveness of the induction programs which reduce the difficulties faced by the novice teachers in the profession and support in the several aspects of the profession the study undertaken recommends for the most effective methodology. The research focuses on the effectiveness of the specific programs in dealing with the problems faced by the novice teachers. Therefore, the most significant research method that will be effective in acquiring the desirable result seems to be a qualitative research. The study, as a result takes up the method of qualitative research and the most pertinent means of acquiring the needed research samples will be collected through the use of questionnaire and interview which are found effective in probing the relevant research questions. The qualitative research method has been found central to the pertinent research findings of various studies and this paper also aims at acquiring the research results using a qualitative research method.

Another relevant aspect of the methodology undertaken has been the use of critical sampling method in which the amount of data used in the study remains the same in the transformed domain. This has been found effective in the research findings and therefore the study makes use of a method of critical sampling. The data collected through the research reviews, questionnaire, and interviews will be analysed using “layering themes” method which is found effective in arriving at the pertinent research findings. In this context, it is also important to comprehend that the sample size of the research investigation has been most efficiently selected. Sample size, therefore, includes the novice teachers which mean the teachers with less than 3 years of professional experience from three secondary schools in the capital.

Overview of Literature

An analysis of the induction program as it prevails in the current situation focusing on the need for better provision of the program will definitely require a thorough review of the literature which can contribute heavily to the seriousness of the issue. The literature review undertaken in this paper focuses on a specific understanding of the issue of novice teacher quitting of the profession. Such a literature review is identified central to the greater awareness of the issue. In the evaluation of the pertinent literature it will be noticed that the number of new teachers exiting the profession has been on the increase and that the number of teachers who quit their profession in the first few years has increased to 50 percent. It is also evident that 80 percent of teachers joining the profession, according to the remarks by Ingersoll and Smith et al., are exposed to induction programs. And the significance of this awareness is the fact that in spite of such a good rate of teachers attaining the advantage of induction programs, the number of novice teachers leaving the profession continues to grow at an alarming rate. Thus, the literature review addresses the more significant question whether these teachers receive sufficient inductions and how these inductions can be more effective in checking the large number of cases of novice teachers leaving the profession.

The most significant articles for the study conducted in the paper which examines induction programs for new teachers and investigates and evaluates its influence on the professional development of new teachers are the following: ‘Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter?’ (2004) by Richard M. Ingersoll and Thomas M. Smith from the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University; ‘First-Year Teachers and Induction Support: Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens’ (2007) by Sara Winstead Fry from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; and ‘Examining the Consequences of Inadequate Induction for Beginning Teachers’ (2006) by Heather Sharp, the University of Southern Queensland. Based on the article by Ingersoll and Smith the concept of induction program is comprehended as programs designed for the teachers who have already completed basic training. Accordingly, numerous programs such as classes, workshops, orientations, seminars, and most significantly, mentoring include the induction programs. As suggested by Fry (2007) there is a period of difficult adjustment in every novice teacher which continues for at least the first three years of teaching and influences the whole teaching career and this increases the value of induction programs. Following the exact understanding of the concept of the quality of the current induction programs is analyzed in detail.

Therefore, the literature review focuses on finding research evidence to the effective impact of better indention programs in dealing with the problem of novice teachers’ quitting of profession. Thus, the literatures find important evidence for the effectiveness of deeply designed indention programs can help the novice teachers in several ways. The study conducted by Ingersoll and Smith (2004), for example, discloses that novice teachers who are provided with various kinds of support are less likely to change their place of employment and less likely to leave the teaching occupation altogether after the first year of work, though certain forms of assistance and support programs seem to be ineffective. A further explanation of the effectiveness of induction and mentorship programs is provided by the article of which analyzes and investigates how the novice teachers are supported during induction and how they respond to this support. The research findings indicate that such teachers had several support needs and they acquired support in various forms as a result. The study also suggested that the number of components teachers receive in the induction does not necessary show positive effects for teachers. In another significant study, Sharp (2006) found out the effects of inadequate inductions upon teachers as the lack of confidence in their abilities, negative feelings towards management and colleagues, de-motivation, stress, and increased pressure (Sharp, 2006). The review of the literature comes to the conclusion that there is no unique induction program and that every one of them must correspond to the needs of each school and group of new teachers. It also recongises that not all solutions to the problems encountered by teachers are feasible. Therefore, the review calls for further and more extensive analysis and research of induction programs in order to reveal which formats work satisfactorily, and which aspects of induction programs should be replaced with more effective methods.

Bibliography

Teacher Education in Asia Pacific Region, (1990) volume 1.

Adam. A.S, Closing Ceremony of the Sri Lanka and Maldives Workshop on Planning for the EFA Mid-Decade Assessment, 2006.

Teachers For All: what governments and donors should do, Global Campaign for Education, 2006.

Maldives Statistical Yearbook 2007. (2007). Ministry of Planning and National Development Republic of Maldives. 2007. Web.

Education Statistics. 2007. Web.

Global Campaign for Education policy briefing. P. 1. 2007. Web.

Fry, Sara Winstead. (2007). First-Year Teachers and Induction Support: Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens. The Qualitative Report. P. 216. Web.

Sharp, Heather. (2006). Examining the consequences of inadequate induction for beginning teachers. University of Southern Queensland. Web.

Nilsson, Paula. (2003). Education for All: Teacher Demand and Supply in South Asia. Education International Working Papers no 13. P. 10. 2007. Web.

Adam, Aishath Shehenaz. (2006). Closing Ceremony of the Sri Lanka and Maldives Workshop on Planning for the EFA Mid-Decade Assessment. 2007. Web.