Induction programme for new teachers in Estonia:
overview of the implementation system and current challenges,
future perspectives Eve Eisenschmidt
professor of educational leadership
12 March 2021 Tallinn
Welcome to Tallinn!
This presentation focuses on the following:
2. Continuum of teacher education – induction as a bridge
1. Context and understandig of teacher education
3. Challenges and future perspectives
Requirements for Teacher Education in Estonia (policy)
- Teacher education is provided at the universities BA (kindergarten, vocational teacher) and MA level (Tallinn University, University of Tartu)
- The components of teacher initial education:1)general studies (cultural, communicative and social competence); 2) subject studies; 3) general studies in educational science, psychological and didactic studies (at least 60 ECTS) and internship (at least 15 ECTS);
- 1-year induction programme for beginning teachers since 2004
- Continuing education – responsibility of school leaders to create conditions for teachers’ professional development
Leadership and organisational development
• Estonian school is highly autonomous, one of the most autonomous in Europe
• Every school is responsible for compiling and adopting development plan with mission, values and goals agreed among all staff members, parents, community members etc
• Internal self-evaluation (quality assurance) system is implemented
Teachers related decisions at school level
• Appointing teachers • School based appraisal system – creating and
adapting teachers’ salary and motivational system, • Creating conditions for organisational learning • Planning finances and possibilities for teachers’
professional development/ in-service training (allocated by ministry of education 1-3% from salary budget)
Mentoring is part of the school culture
Important to keep in mind – thorough teaching practice during initial education
Observation, assisting teaching
Teaching single units/lessons
Peer-teaching
Teaching longer term (up to 3 month)
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Induction - The induction is the phase starting after graduating from teacher education and covers the first steps of a teacher’s teaching career. This phase lasts one to three years.
- An induction programme is the support that is given to newly qualified teachers in the first steps of their teaching career.
Handbook on Induction: Developing Coherent and System-wide Induction Programmes for
Beginning Teachers - a handbook for policymakers
European Commission paper
Main steps of teachers’ professional development (2004)
Initial education
Linking theory and
practice
Induction year
Socialization and
cooperation
Continuing education
Self-reflection and analysis
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Schools and universities together
Aims of the induction year • Supporting the professional
development of a novice teachers;
• Supporting sozialisation into school as an organization;
• To increase the collaboration between teachers and form professional learning communities;
• To have a brigde between initial education and continuing professional development.
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Theoretical background
Sotsiaalne dimensioon
Organisation as a context for workplace learning and professional development
Developing teaching competences
Socialisation in organisation/ in profession
Developing professional identity
Professional knowledge and skills dimension
Personal dimension
Social dimension
Professional development of
teacher
Eisenschmidt, 2006
Different parties in induction year
Head of school –
is responsible for the induction year at school
Mentor – supports novice teacher’s learning
Novice teacher – graduate of teacher training, who works as a first-year full-time teacher
University induction center (Tallinn University, University of Tartu) – • peer group mentoring sessions 4 times per year to support novice teachers’ professional development and self-analysis (8 days total); • mentor training
At School
Double mentoring system Mentoring at school level – one to one mentoring. Mentor sessions according to the needs of mentee; usually once a week. Mentor is visiting the lessons of mentee and vice versa (depending of the school, once a week or atleast 2 times per semester).
Peer group mentoring in the university Induction Centre during school holidays (4 times a year)- approx 12 NQT-s from different schools/kindergartens in one group which is leaded by an experienced teacher-educator
Contents of sessions are depending of NQT-s needs and questions. Learning from each other experiences is important in the group sessions.
Mentor education - Basic training lasts 8 days, spread over one year (160 h –
6 ECTS) - Funded by Estonian Ministry of Education and Research - Learning methods - discussions, case studies, role plays, self analysis, video training
Content: ● The purpose of induction programme ● Mentoring and mentor’s role ● Beginning teacher as adult learner ● Beginning teacher’s needs and concerns ● Communication skills, active listening ● Classroom observation and feedback ● Reflection, self analysis and development of
professional goals
But according to our experience ... Mentoring is working well only in schools which have the characteristics of a learning organisation, because these schools are oriented towards the idea of teachers’ professional learning.
Conclude – Developments and success stories
- Systematic development of the national programme based on monitoring system
- Two doctoral dissertations (2006, 2008) as well research articles were published based on data collected during the implementation of the induction programme
- In The European Commission handbook for policymakers (2010), the Estonian induction year model was emphasized as one of the good example to support newly qualified teachers
(Handbook on Induction: Developing Coherent and System-wide Induction Programmes for Beginning
Teachers - a handbook for policymakers)
2004-
2010
Struggles – context has been changed
• the universities have been important stakeholders and developers of the programme
• lacking the sense of the ownership and responsibility of the schools to develop mentoring
• ways to become a teacher has been changed
2012-
…
Future perspectives
How to make schools better place for all:
• re-considering teachers’ work, profession • in-service course for school leaders how to
create collaborative learning environment and support mentoring in school
• coaching and self-evaluation tools for schools
• other initatives, e.g. NGO The School for New Teachers – community of mentor’s from where schools can hire mentors
School culture in the key factor! Changes in learning
approach and content
Changes in arrangement of learning process
Students’ learning and development
Changes in school leadership
Changes in teachers’ work
Changes in learning
environment
Eisenschmidt, 2016
Collaboration at school • Time for teachers
discussions • Time for
collaborative development of teaching materials
• Time for individual student support
• co-teaching
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