A very professional culture

Issue 28

Photo of Ian Matheson

Ian Matheson, Educational and Planning Officer, GTCS

Recently published research explores the impact that new teachers are having on the wider fraternity and the culture of the classroom.

New research suggests that early career teachers are having a positive impact on school culture and on learning and teaching.

Classroom

Researchers at the University of Glasgow found that new approaches to initial teacher education and the support provided through the acclaimed Teacher Induction Scheme, offered new recruits an excellent preparation to become classroom teachers.

Colleagues commented on the energy, confidence, enthusiasm and commitment of the new teachers

 

The research, carried out for GTCS and the Scottish Government, recognised that the process of becoming a teacher has changed significantly since the 2001 National Agreement "A Teaching profession for the 21st Century". It set out to discover what teachers thought about the results of these changes.

The report's lead author, Moira Hulme of the University's Faculty of Education, said that recent entrants to the profession are skilled at reflection and self-evaluation as well as being very aware of the value of continuing professional development (CPD) and are very open to the use of peer observation as a developmental tool.

She said: "Experienced colleagues commented on the energy, confidence, enthusiasm and commitment of the new teachers with whom they work. Both colleagues and head teachers believe that new teachers bring a new and refreshing vitality to schools, often through a willingness to participate fully in school corporate life."

The researchers also found evidence that early career teachers are having an impact on learning and teaching at departmental and whole school level, often through involvement in working groups including learning and teaching committees and curriculum review groups. Some teachers described them as standard bearers for change in areas such as Assessment is for Learning and Curriculum for Excellence.

Moira said: "There was evidence that some entrants to the profession are adopting leadership roles quite early in their careers, sometimes being involved in school-wide or local authority CPD activities."

The report also explored perceptions of the profession among teachers with a wide range of experience, with most expressing confidence in their ability to exercise professional judgement at classroom level and to shape the curriculum to meet pupil needs. Teachers at all levels showed high levels of commitment to CPD and supported active teacher involvement in research.

Challenges

Though the researchers found many positive messages, they also identified some key challenges for national government, for local government and for schools.

For government

Moira observed that the very success of the Teacher Induction Scheme has led to some issues once teachers gain full registration.

She said: "The difficulty in gaining permanent posts in some areas means that some teachers who have benefited from the enhanced support in the induction year cannot continue to develop professionally. Even those who do gain permanent posts would benefit if they could continue to have some form of mentoring support, whether formal or informal."

She also noted that teachers following the Alternative Route in probationary service often do not have the same level of support received by those in the Teacher Induction Scheme.

For local government

In managing the Teacher Induction Scheme at local levels, the report suggests that in some local authorities the practice of repeated probationer placements in individual departments or in small schools can have damaging effects on staff morale and on pupil learning. As Moira explained: "Teachers can feel that they are asked, year after year, to support probationers without the school then gaining the benefits of the longer-term contribution of the successful and often enthusiastic new teachers, having instead to return to the support role for yet another probationer."

Local authorities also face a challenge in making the best use of the expertise of those more experienced teachers who have become Chartered Teachers. Moira said: "There is a need for greater awareness of the contribution, actual and potential, of Chartered Teachers. Many people are still uncertain of the role of Chartered Teachers in the professional development of their colleagues."

More generally, greater recognition that the Standard for Full Registration applies to all teachers, not only the recently qualified, could promote more effective self-evaluation and reflective practice.

For schools

Teachers' responses to some of the questions indicated that, while they were involved in school decision making processes, the real influence and control continue to be exercised by senior managers. Moira said: "Our findings show that school leaders need to provide more opportunities for teachers across the school to participate in devolved decision making processes and, importantly, to see the impact of their participation."

The report reflected a common view among teachers that CPD and collaborative working are valuable and important, but that opportunities for these are often limited. Moira emphasised that for these approaches to be successful, they need to be supported with adequate resources and a flexible approach to timetabling."Teachers and school managers need to work creatively to promote opportunities for joint work within the constraints of the school day," she added.

This joint approach should also extend to the process of Professional Review and Development, which relatively few class teachers believed is helpful in their career and development planning. Moira said: "The challenge here is to develop a shared understanding and sense of purpose, which can help to identify CPD needs that meet the needs of both the teacher and the school."

You can download the full report at www.gtcs.org.uk/professionalculture

Your opportunity:
Find out how the Teacher Researcher Programme run by GTCS may be able to help you with your own research at www.gtcs.org.uk/research

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