Background/Purpose – Beginning teachers are challenged with a difficult transition from student to teacher upon entering schools. Induction assistance programs have been developed to support them during their first years in making this transition. The purpose of this study was to determine if induction assistance offered at Langston School Corporation (LSC) met the needs of Janet, a beginning physical educator.
Method – A case study design was used with a focus on understanding Janet's experiences as a beginning teacher. Data were collected through interviews with Janet and her superintendent, principal, and assigned mentor and analysis of documents related to the induction program. Trustworthiness was enhanced using triangulation, member checks, and peer debriefing.
Analysis/Results – Analysis was conducted via inductive analysis and constant comparison using qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 8). At LSC, Janet was assigned a mentor, attended monthly seminars, received administrator evaluations, created a teaching portfolio, and received informal mentoring. Results revealed that, while LSC's program reflected recommendations from the literature, Janet found it largely ineffective. She perceived it as too general in content and it failed to focus on her needs as a physical educator. In contrast, the community of learning developed through informal support from her PE colleagues was very impactful.
Conclusions – Induction assistance should focus on the needs of beginning teachers – those specific to the culture of teaching and in one's own subject area. Additionally, new teachers who begin their careers at schools that support and value them may have an easier transition into the profession.