INSITE executive mentoring and coaching program: supporting mid-career preservice and early career teachers to successfully transition into the profession

Description

The teaching profession is facing chronic staffing shortages across Australian. Current political discussion is focussed on finding solutions to this urgent problem and attracting mid-career professionals into a teaching degree is one of several responses. However, once in, how do we retain mid-career professionals in their degree given the often-complex demands on their time and resources?

Our research is investigating the effect of targeted job resources on mid-career transitioners shift into teaching and retention in the profession five years post degree completion. Our conceptual frame is informed by Hobfoll and Shirom’s (2001) Conservation of Resources (COR) theory that argues failure to gain sufficient resources following significant resource investment is stress inducing. Hence, to reduce stressors, we are guided by the Jobs Demand-Resources (JD-R) model that identifies the provision of job resources as positively influencing worker’s assimilation into an organisation (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).

This research is investigating (i) What do mid-career ITE students perceive as the enablers and constrainers to successful transition to the teaching profession? (ii) What are the mid-career ITE students’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach? and, (iii) What are the mid-career ITE student and ECT short and long term teaching career intentions?

Key insights reported from Year 1 and 2 of the program indicate the value of job resources for professionals transitioning into teaching mid-career. Moderator variables have been identified and findings indicate the need for further investigation into profession connected coursework activities, fiscal supports, and the nature of paid in-school work for pre-service teachers.

Period	28 Nov 2023
Held at	Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE), Australia
Degree of Recognition	National