Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first y... more Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first years of practice. This chapter reports about Flemish research focusing on the role of collegial support networks in keeping ECTs in the profession, using mixed-methods social network analysis. Links to Communities of Practice—as the central theme of this book—are made, and recommendations towards ECTs, their colleagues, mentors, school leaders, policy makers, teacher education colleges and pedagogical advisory services are formulated.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2018
Teacher attrition is a global concern that is particularly prevalent among beginning teachers. Te... more Teacher attrition is a global concern that is particularly prevalent among beginning teachers. Teachers’ intrinsic motivation to teach, affective organisational commitment and job satisfaction are considered job attitudes that stop them from dropping out of the profession. This study explores the interplay between factors at the school level (i.e. transformational leadership of the principal, professional collegial support) and the teacher level (i.e. self-efficacy) influencing these job attitudes. A sample of 292 first-year primary-school teachers participated. The results of the path analysis demonstrated that transformational leadership of the principal is directly related to teachers’ job attitudes in a positive way. Moreover, transformational leadership of the principal is also indirectly related to these attitudes, via both professional collegial support and teachers’ self-efficacy. Implications for the supportive role of the principal in the teachers’ first year in the profes...
Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 2014
The implementation process of teacher evaluation policy is often problematic. In this regard, it ... more The implementation process of teacher evaluation policy is often problematic. In this regard, it is crucial to understand principals’ sensemaking of teacher evaluation policy since their understandings influence the implementation process. While a growing body of research shows that principals strongly shape teachers’ policy understanding, little is known about the way principals’ sensemaking is influenced by teacher expectations about new policy. This qualitative study, drawn from interviews with principals and teachers in 13 secondary schools, indicates that the new teacher evaluation policy in Flanders (Belgium) is implemented by principals and supported by teachers in various ways. The findings of this study show this was the result of the process of discrepancy reduction between the initial standards principal set and the expectations that teachers had for the implementation of the policy. These findings underscore the complexity of teacher evaluation and help policy makers to understand that “the best” implementation of the teacher evaluation policy probably does not exists. Moreover, this offers important insights for principals in how they best lead the implementation of teacher evaluation.
Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first y... more Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first years of practice. This chapter reports about Flemish research focusing on the role of collegial support networks in keeping ECTs in the profession, using mixed-methods social network analysis. Links to Communities of Practice—as the central theme of this book—are made, and recommendations towards ECTs, their colleagues, mentors, school leaders, policy makers, teacher education colleges and pedagogical advisory services are formulated.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2018
Teacher attrition is a global concern that is particularly prevalent among beginning teachers. Te... more Teacher attrition is a global concern that is particularly prevalent among beginning teachers. Teachers’ intrinsic motivation to teach, affective organisational commitment and job satisfaction are considered job attitudes that stop them from dropping out of the profession. This study explores the interplay between factors at the school level (i.e. transformational leadership of the principal, professional collegial support) and the teacher level (i.e. self-efficacy) influencing these job attitudes. A sample of 292 first-year primary-school teachers participated. The results of the path analysis demonstrated that transformational leadership of the principal is directly related to teachers’ job attitudes in a positive way. Moreover, transformational leadership of the principal is also indirectly related to these attitudes, via both professional collegial support and teachers’ self-efficacy. Implications for the supportive role of the principal in the teachers’ first year in the profes...
Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 2014
The implementation process of teacher evaluation policy is often problematic. In this regard, it ... more The implementation process of teacher evaluation policy is often problematic. In this regard, it is crucial to understand principals’ sensemaking of teacher evaluation policy since their understandings influence the implementation process. While a growing body of research shows that principals strongly shape teachers’ policy understanding, little is known about the way principals’ sensemaking is influenced by teacher expectations about new policy. This qualitative study, drawn from interviews with principals and teachers in 13 secondary schools, indicates that the new teacher evaluation policy in Flanders (Belgium) is implemented by principals and supported by teachers in various ways. The findings of this study show this was the result of the process of discrepancy reduction between the initial standards principal set and the expectations that teachers had for the implementation of the policy. These findings underscore the complexity of teacher evaluation and help policy makers to understand that “the best” implementation of the teacher evaluation policy probably does not exists. Moreover, this offers important insights for principals in how they best lead the implementation of teacher evaluation.
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