Conference Agenda

The initial years of teaching are a critical period for professional development and career pathways (Vos et al., 2017). For a considerable time, there has been a focus on studying the challenges faced by teachers when they first encounter the realities of the profession (Veenman, 1984; Almeida et al., 2018). This early stage of professional practice is characterized by a combination of survival and discovery (Huberman, 1989). Beginning a teaching career can bring about various positive experiences, opportunities for professional growth, and positive emotions, such as the development of classroom management skills (Voss et al., 2017), enjoyment (Aspfors & Bondas, 2013), positive relationships with students, and inspiring learning and teaching situations (Aspfors & Bondas, 2013).

The induction of new teachers is not only conceptualized as a phase of learning to teach but also as a process of socialization, where beginners acquire an understanding of the organization's norms, values, and objectives (Flores, 1999). It is during this process that they establish relationships through which they can access resources and receive support. Besides the interactions between formal mentors and new teachers, emerging evidence suggests that the social context in which teachers are situated, particularly within their schools, can significantly impact their induction into the profession (Nechsler et al., 2010). Mentoring programs play a crucial role in the development of novice teachers, as they are designed to assist them in navigating challenges within the classroom and the school environment (Roff, 2012). Through mentoring, beginning teachers benefit from support, collaboration, and the development of knowledge and skills, which ultimately leads to the improvement of their teaching strategies.

Teaching induction and mentoring are terms that have often been used interchangeably in research. Teacher induction encompasses a range of professional development activities, involving support from various personnel, participation in study groups, and receiving strong administrative support. On the other hand, the mentoring process offers a nurturing and supportive environment for a minimum duration of one year, particularly for those who require it the most. Previous research by Brannon et al. (2009) has highlighted that mentoring programs address crucial survival skills for new teachers, such as familiarizing them with school procedures, enhancing behavior management techniques, facilitating parent communication, and providing a foundation in basic curriculum. Through mentoring, novice teachers can adapt to their roles, cultivate a sense of belonging, and ultimately remain in the teaching profession.

Several countries have implemented induction programs with different approaches, including variations in mandatory versus optional participation, socialization versus professional development focus, informality versus formality, and emphasis on training versus evaluation The success of these programs seems to be influenced by factors such as institutional support, the quality of mentors, training focused on professional activity, self-training ability, collaborative work with peers, and school climate.

In Portugal, the support for new teachers lacks structure, and there are no regulations regarding the induction period. This results in a lack of structured support and guidance for novice teachers. Typically, school administrations assign teachers with more years of experience to support colleagues with less than five years of service who join the school. Additionally, research studies in this field are limited in the Portuguese context.

This study aims to understand the conceptions that experienced teachers have regarding their role in initiating novice educators into the profession. The research questions include: i) the goals of experienced teachers, ii) the strategies implemented to ensure successful induction of novice teachers, and iii) the challenges encountered along the way. The study will provide valuable insights into the induction process and contribute to the existing knowledge on this topic.

Regardless of the level of education, it is widely known that early career (EC) teachers are faced with challenges during their transition from their university education and training to their everyday teaching practice. When prospective and early career teachers are placed in real classrooms, they get “shocked”, which in turn forces them to try to “survive” in the new reality. They discover new things on a daily basis and act as if the information and knowledge they have gained during their university education and/or preservice training has “disappeared.” This is known as the “washing-out” phenomenon (Korthagen, 1988; Zeichner & Core, 1990).

Aiming at strengthening the transition from education to practice, in this study we investigated the current transition practices of teachers within the educational system in Cyprus, specifically seeking to investigate the need for supporting teachers to face the diverse and inclusive learning environment they face. Towards this, we investigated the challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of EC teachers in Cyprus during the transition from the academic environment to the real–classroom environment. Following a case study approach, we have adopted a multi-perspective approach, including prospective teachers with internship experiences, EC teachers, and teacher educators.

The teacher profession is a profession in that “the full pedagogical and legal responsibility is given as soon as the teacher enters the school with a formal qualification” (Tynjala & Heikkinen, 2011, p.12). Because of that, the main challenge teachers face is that they need to be proficient in a variety of teacher knowledge fields and skills from the first day of their career (Kealy, 2010). Having in mind these particularities of the profession, one would expect that the teacher education systems worldwide would have developed strategies to support EC teachers deal with these challenges. While some countries use e.g., mentoring systems, study groups, or extensive induction programs for EC teachers (Bickmore & Bickmore, 2010; Devos, 2010), there exist countries that do not acknowledge EC teacher's challenges, adding more burden to EC teachers by asking them to teach more hours and have more responsibilities on their first years of practice (Howe, 2006).

As a result, there is a strong debate between the scientific and educational communities about redesigning teacher education programs in order to support this transition. The main concern is the weight that theory and practice have on the university curriculum and the connection between the two (Roussakis & Botsoglou, 2003). On the one hand, one approach places more emphasis on pre-service teachers spending time in real classrooms with in-school trainings, whereas on the other hand, another approach expands professional in-service training to better prepare teachers for the “reality” of teaching (Wideen et al., 1998). Darling-Hammond (2000) suggests that the extent and quality of teacher education play an important role in teachers’ effectiveness.

The OECD states that teachers are central to the quality of the work done in schools, but to achieve this, it is important to ensure that motivated and competent individuals aspire to become teachers. To attract the best candidates to the profession, the same document is clear in stating that decent salaries alone are not sufficient (OECD, 2014). According to the document, salaries demonstrate society's respect and value for teachers, but it is also necessary to provide teachers with the conditions to become autonomous and competent professionals in building a quality school for all students. Consequently, the initial training of young teachers is crucial, but it is unthinkable to consider that this period is sufficient, given the diversity of contexts and students that a teacher encounters in their professional life.

The literature recognizes that it is essential to retain early-career teachers in the profession (Frederiksen, 2020). In fact, the first five years in a school pose multiple challenges for teachers starting out in the profession, and it is during this period that some opt for another profession, exacerbating the teacher shortage experienced in many countries. Accompanying younger teachers at school by an experienced colleague is a strategy that many school boards have adopted to overcome this real difficulty: retaining teachers in the education system.

However, it turns out that this is not the best solution because young teachers perceive it as dispersed and dependent on the teacher selected by the school management to accompany them (Flores, 2021). Induction programs are therefore a potential solution for providing support to novice teachers, but also for allowing teachers with more years of service to reflect on their practice, creating a learning community with positive consequences for the retention of new teachers in the school.

The first aim of this paper is to analyze a structured program for mentor teachers developed as part of a European project. A second objective is to assess changes in the perceptions of mentor teachers when they undergo this program. The research question is how the training of mentors according to a structured induction program translates into changes in the perceptions of mentor teachers about their role with young teachers.