General description

During the next ten years in Europe there will be a need for two millions new teachers. The turnover of teachers is massive mainly because of rich retirement. At the same time the popularity of teaching profession appears to decline in many European countries. Teachers are moving into other professions. This phenomenon is common both in Europe and America. For example, in Northern America about half of the teachers leave the field of education within five years of graduation. (Bess 2007; Improving the Quality of Teacher Education 2007; Key topics in education in Europe 2004; Palmer 2007).

It has been found that the concept of mobility comprises mobility inside the teaching profession, mobility inside the education sector, mobility from the teaching profession to other sector of labor and mobility from other sector of labor to the teaching profession. Mobility can be horizontal or vertical.

Reasons for mobility are among others experiences of weakened working conditions and competition between schools. This has reduced teachers’ autonomy. Especially newly qualified teachers encounter challenges like finding a job, dealing with inadequate knowledge, skills and decreased self-efficacy, stress, finding their role in a work community, workplace learning and developing the profession (Tynjälä & Heikkinen 2011).

Internationally the support of new teachers during the induction phase has been a good way to prevent teachers from leaving their profession. All teachers should have an opportunity to take part in programmes of induction during their first years in the profession and have access to structured guidance and mentoring by experienced teachers or other relevant professionals throughout their career (European Commission, 2007).

The aim of the induction phase is to help new teachers to construct their professional identity. The goal is to ensure the personal and professional well-being of NQTs and to introduce them to the working culture of school community (Jokinen & Välijärvi 2003). Instead of short orientation periods many new teachers need long-lasting and continuous support (Jokinen, Heikkinen & Morberg 2012). Induction can consist of practices such as mentoring, workshops and development projects (Jokinen & Välijärvi 2006; Heikkinen, Jokinen & Tynjälä 2008).

The presentation is based on the project Mobility of Pedagogical Expertise in Finland. The main aim of the project is to examine the reasons for young people applying for teacher education and for qualified teachers moving elsewhere inside the educational field or completely changing profession. Additionally, it has investigated the possibilities to prevent the mobility out of teaching profession, and qualified teachers’ experiences of teachers’ induction phase.

One of the essential questions of the project is how to consolidate the competent teachers’ attachment and commitment to their profession. This presentation concentrates of the following research questions:

1)      What are the main reasons for teachers to consider leaving the profession?

2)      What kind of process is it to change a profession?

3)      What kind of experiences do teachers have from their induction phase?

4)      How should induction promote teachers’ first years of their career as a teacher?

References (300/234) Bess, K. 2007. Gone after five years? Think again. Education Week 26 (41), 26-30. European Commission, 2007. Improving the Quality of Teacher Education 2007. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities. Heikkinen, H.L.T., Jokinen, H., & Tynjälä, P. 2008. Reconceptualising mentoring as a dialogue. In G. Fransson & C. Gustafsson (Eds.), Newly Qualified Teachers in Northern Europe. Comparative perspectives on promoting professional development. (pp.107-124). Teacher Education: Research Publications no 4. Gävle: Gävle University Press. Heikkinen, H., Jokinen, H. & Tynjälä, P. (Eds.) 2012. Peer-group mentoring for teacher development. London: Routledge. Jokinen, H,, Heikkinen, H.L.T. & Morberg, Å. 2012. The Induction Phase as a Critical Transition for Newly Qualified Teachers. In P. Tynjälä, M-L Stenström & M. Saarnivaara (Eds.) Transitions and Transformations in Learning and Education. Springer. Jokinen, H. & Välijärvi J. 2006. Making Mentoring a Tool for Supporting Teachers’ Professional development. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.) Research-based Teacher Education in Research in Educational Sciences. Turku. 89-101. Key topics in education in Europe. Vol. 3 (2004). The teaching profession in Europe: Profile, trends and concerns. Report IV: Keeping teaching attractive for the 21st century. General lower secondary education. Brussels: Eurydice, European Unit. Palmer, K. 2007. Why teachers quit? Teacher Magazine 18 (6), 45. Tynjälä, P. & Heikkinen, H.L.T. (2011) Beginning Teachers' Transition from Pre-Service Education to Working Life. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 14,1, 11-33.