A Seychelles Case of Beginning Teachers' Perspectives of Support
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A Seychelles case of beginning teachers‘ perspectives of support and challenges in their pursuit of effective teaching practices By Steve Paul Confait A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education Victoria University of Wellington 2014 Abstract Supporting teachers at the start of their career can help them to develop their pedagogical practice, and to understand the educational, political, and school systems within which they teach. Similarly, effective support can enhance the professional development and learning of beginning teachers, and contribute towards their overall path towards greater effectiveness, ensuring quality teaching. Recent education reforms in the Seychelles have placed an expressed focus on improving quality teaching. This study explores the support for and challenges faced by beginning teachers in the Seychelles in their efforts to implement effective teaching practices. In order to understand the phenomenon of beginning teacher support, a mixed methodology within an ethnographic, sociocultural framework with an emphasis on qualitative data was used. Research was conducted in two sequential phases within the Seychelles: in-depth, site-based qualitative cases studies of three beginning teachers and their school-based contexts, followed by a national quantitative survey completed by 56 beginning teachers. The qualitative phase generated data through interviews (with beginning teachers, deputy heads, and heads of department), document analysis and classroom observations in three schools across the main island, Mahe. The findings of this research identified that both the policy context and the more localised practical factors such as resource allocation, confidence in working with student diversity, and collegial relationships, combined to contribute to how beginning teachers experienced their induction period. The research revealed that whilst the central policy advocates for a school-based mechanism that would support and evaluate beginning teachers, schools‘ policies and practices around induction were for the main part, inadequately supporting beginning teachers. These results highlighted that the developmental and learning needs of beginning teachers were not clearly understood, either by school leaders or by beginning teachers. This limited understanding combined with a general conservative approach towards teaching within the schools impacted on how beginning teachers were supported and how they learnt from their pedagogical practices. The findings showed how participating beginning teachers endeavoured to align themselves with their schools‘ expectation for effective teaching, challenging their own beliefs about effective practice. In order to comply with routine expectations, they embraced predominantly teacher-centred practices, rather than a student-centred approach to their teaching. In view of the ongoing effort to augment the quality of education in the Seychelles, supporting beginning teachers could be recognised as part of this endeavour. For effective ongoing support, the research findings identified the need for contexts where open dialogue around teaching is culturally encouraged, and that embrace effective support policies, professional learning, and development for all teachers. It is in such contexts that beginning teachers are more likely to work alongside colleagues, address their professional issues, and join in the collective endeavour to improve their own and their students‘ learning and achievements. i Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Roseanna Bourke for her instrumental role in this journey, for her effort and detail with which she read and provided feedback to my many drafts, and insightful guidance that helped me stay focussed and clarified my thinking on this thesis. I also wish to extend my profound gratitude to Dr. Louise Starkey, my second supervisor, for her prompt feedback and encouraging comments, and thought provoking commentaries on my drafts. I would like to thank the New Zealand Government for sponsoring my whole study through the commonwealth scholarship. It would have been impossible for me to pursue this course without its financial support. My sincere gratitude goes to all my respondents for agreeing to participate, and be part of this study. To all of them, I say thank you, and your contributions and support were valuable. ii Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ..................................................................................... x Chapter 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 Background to the Research Context ....................................................................................... 4 Brief History and Reforms in Education in the Seychelles ....................................................... 4 Secondary Education ............................................................................................................... 6 Quality Education and Teaching: An Overview of the Seychelles Context ............................... 7 Teacher Education ................................................................................................................... 8 Pathway to Qualified Teacher‘s Status ..................................................................................... 9 Empirical Studies on Induction and Mentoring in the Seychelles ........................................... 10 The Purpose and Overview of this Thesis .............................................................................. 12 Thesis Structure ..................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................ 15 Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 15 Methodology for the Literature Review ................................................................................. 15 Locating the Beginning Teacher ............................................................................................ 16 Workplace Expectations, Challenges, and Experiences of Beginning Teachers ...................... 17 Beginning Teachers‘ Effectiveness ........................................................................................ 23 Supporting Beginning Teachers ............................................................................................. 31 Rationale for the Study .......................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................................ 51 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 51 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 51 iii Theoretical Influences ........................................................................................................... 51 The Mixed-Method Approach ............................................................................................... 57 The Case Study Schools ........................................................................................................ 62 Case Study Instruments ......................................................................................................... 63 Accessing the Research Sites ................................................................................................. 69 Piloting of Instruments .......................................................................................................... 69 Validity, Reliability, and Triangulation .................................................................................. 70 Data Analysis, Organisation, and Interpretation ..................................................................... 71 Ethical Issues......................................................................................................................... 75 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 77 Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................................ 79 Description of the Data .......................................................................................................... 79 Case Study A ......................................................................................................................... 80 The Beginning