Work

Early career teachers’ sense of professional agency in the classroom: associations with turnover intentions and perceived inadequacy in teacher–student interaction

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Teachers’ capacity to learn intentionally and responsively in the classroom is particularly vulnerable during the first years in the profession. This study investigated the interrelations between early career teachers’ turnover intentions, perceived inadequacy in teacher–student interaction, and sense of professional agency in the classroom. The survey data were collected from 284 in-service teachers with not more than 5 years of experience and analysed by structural equation modelling (SEM). The results showed that the negative relation between turnover intentions and early career teachers’ sense of professional agency was completely mediated by perceived inadequacy in teacher–student interaction. The results indicate that experiences of insufficient abilities to solve pedagogically and socially challenging student situations have a crucial effect on early career teacher’s capacity for adaptive reflection and active transformation of instruction.

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education

DOI: 10.1080/1359866x.2016.1169505

Authors: Lauri Heikonen, Janne Pietarinen, Kirsi Pyhältö, Auli Toom, Tiina Soini

Institutions: University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland, University of Oulu, University of Tampere

Language: English

Topic: Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: green

Funders: Academy of Finland, Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia