Becoming a Teacher

Experiences of initial teacher training,
induction and early professional development.

Becoming a Teacher - Project Overview

Project Summary

This six-year longitudinal research project focuses on teachers' experiences during their initial teacher training (ITT), induction and early professional development (EPD). It is tracking teachers who entered the profession via a range of different routes, including BEd, BA(QTS), BSc(QTS), PGCE, SCITT, GRTP and Flexible PGCE Route training, over a period of 5 academic years.

Research Aims

The main aims of the research are to:

• Explore and compare the relationship between trainees' experience of training and teachers' subsequent development during the first four years of teaching
• Explore the relationship between teachers' experience of ITT, induction and EPD, and retention and early career paths
• Identify reasons for dropping out of ITT and the profession (in the first four years of teaching)
• Identify reasons for the non-take up of teaching posts on completion of training.

Research Design

Methods of data collection include:

• A longitudinal questionnaire survey based on an initial target sample of approximately 5,000 trainee teachers
• In-depth interviews with a sub-sample of approximately 85 'case study' trainees/teachers
• Interviews with case-study participants' ITT course leaders, tutors and mentors
• Interviews with case-study participants' induction tutors/mentors
• Professional development e-journals, involving e-mail exchanges between case study teachers and their link researcher.

Research Objectives

Research findings are informing policy development in England relating to ITT, induction and EPD. In particular, the study aims to support teacher retention by investigating the differential impact of ITT, induction and EPD experiences on teachers' attitudes to, and choices about, their teaching career.

Becoming a Teacher, School of Education, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK
T: +44 (0)115 951 4416
F: +44 (0)115 846 6188
E: becoming-a-teacher@nottingham.ac.uk

Useful Links:

If you are interested in a career in teaching please visit the TDA's Use Your Head - Teach! Website

 

Research Team:

The School of Education, University of Nottingham

The School of Education, University of Leeds

 

Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute