2017
Beginning Teachers’ Learning Journeys
Longitudinal Study
Year 1 Report
Contact: Christine Frank [email protected]
Phone: 705-835-3921
Contributors: 545 beginning teachers! Christine Frank Rochelle Zorzi Geetha Van den Daele Lynn Dare Megan McGinnis-Dunphy Ann-Sylvia Brooker
BTLJ Longitudinal Study: Year 1 Report, April 2017 i
Christine Frank & Associates/Cathexis Consulting Inc.
Contents 1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Context .............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Previous Study Findings .................................................................................................................... 1
2 Study Methods and Sample ..................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Method ............................................................................................................................................. 2
2.2 Sample ............................................................................................................................................... 2
2.3 Survey Subgroups .............................................................................................................................. 3
2.4 Focus Group Participants .................................................................................................................. 4
3 Study Findings: How beginning teachers develop in their first five years of practice ............................. 5
3.1 What supports do beginning teachers access? ................................................................................. 5
3.2 What supports are most helpful? ..................................................................................................... 6
3.3 What other supports do beginning teachers feel they need? .......................................................... 7
3.4 How does mentorship support beginning teachers? ........................................................................ 9
3.4.1 How do beginning teachers engage with mentors? .................................................................. 9
3.4.2 What do mentors do that really makes a difference? ............................................................. 11
3.5 What do principals do that is most helpful? ................................................................................... 12
3.6 What are the barriers to accessing supports? ................................................................................ 15
3.7 What growth has happened in the core NTIP goals? ..................................................................... 18
3.8 How are beginning teachers’ learning journeys related to their teaching assignments/career
pathways? ............................................................................................................................................. 21
3.9 What has been key to teachers’ growth so far? ............................................................................. 22
4 Promising Practices ................................................................................................................................ 23
5 Conclusions and Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 24
Appendix A: Survey Sample Characteristics.............................................................................................. 25
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Figures
Figure 1: Supports that have been particularly helpful .............................................................................. 6
Figure 2: Supports that participants need now .......................................................................................... 7
Figure 3: Survey participants receiving mentorship from colleagues and formal mentors ....................... 9
Figure 4: How Survey Participants Connected with Informal Mentors .................................................... 10
Figure 5: Factors that Contribute to Powerful Mentoring Experiences.................................................... 11
Figure 6: How Principals Support Beginning Teachers ............................................................................. 13
Figure 7: Analysis of gaps and barriers in access to most-needed supports ............................................ 15
Figure 8: Overall Growth in Core NTIP Areas ............................................................................................ 19
Tables
Table 1: Longitudinal Study Design ............................................................................................................. 2
Table 2: BTLJ Survey Groups ....................................................................................................................... 3
Table 3: BTLJ Focus Group Participants ...................................................................................................... 4
Table 4: Supports accessed, by subgroup ................................................................................................... 5
Table 5: Scale items: Self-efficacy and commitment to continuous learning ........................................... 18
Table 6: Scale Items: Instructional Practice .............................................................................................. 18
Table 7: Changes in Core NTIP Goals by Subgroup ................................................................................... 20
BTLJ Longitudinal Study: Year 1 Report, April 2017 1
Christine Frank & Associates/Cathexis Consulting Inc.
1 Introduction to the Study
1.1 Purpose This longitudinal study, Beginning Teachers Learning Journeys (BTLJ or Learning Journeys), is designed
to deepen the understanding of beginning teachers’ learning in their first five years along the
continuum to permanent employment. This study aims to evaluate the impact of mentorship supports,
both formal and informal, and identify support gaps that exist for all beginning teachers. The study
includes the following two groups:
1. Beginning teachers currently participating in the New Teacher Induction Program, aka NTIP, (newly hired Long Term Occasional (LTO) with assignments of 97 days or longer and permanent contract teachers)
2. Beginning teachers NOT currently receiving NTIP supports (new occasional teachers hired within the past 5 years and not currently eligible for NTIP supports. This group would include:
Daily and Short Term Occasional Teachers (less than 97 day assignments)
Long Term Occasional Teachers no longer eligible for NTIP The length of this study is five years (2016 - 2021). Learning from this study will inform the evolution of
teacher development initiatives (e.g., Initial Teacher Education, New Teacher Induction Program,
Annual Learning Plan, and Teacher Performance Appraisal).
1.2 Context Since the introduction of NTIP, changes in the education sector have affected the entry to practice for
beginning teachers. Among these changes, Blended Entry (e.g., multiple years of Occasional and LTO
teaching) has led to the following effects:
The path to permanent teaching positions has become longer – over five years of daily and long
term occasional teaching is the norm provincially prior to obtaining a permanent position.
Additionally, school and board surplus results in multiple assignment changes for many
beginning teachers in their first five 5 years.
1.3 Previous Study Findings In a previous 3 year longitudinal study, Reflections (2012-2015), Christine Frank and Associates
examined the journeys of beginning teachers who were supported by NTIP. In keeping with the goals of
the program, we examined NTIP supported teachers’ growth in four key areas:
Confidence
Efficacy
Instructional practice
Commitment to continuous learning
Our study found that beginning teachers experienced sustained professional growth in all four areas
targeted by NITP. Each year, most teachers said that NTIP had helped them become a better teacher.
The four most important factors contributing to growth were:
Quality of mentorship
Differentiated learning
opportunities
Principal encouragement
A positive and collaborative school culture
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2 Study Methods and Sample
2.1 Method Participants were recruited through their school board NTIP representatives, who forwarded an
invitation email from the study team. Participants opted in to the study using an online form that
described the purpose of the study and what would be asked of them.
The study is following three cohorts of teachers for three to five years each, starting in 2017 and ending
in 2021 (see Table 1). A survey is being administered annually to each cohort. Each year, focus groups
are also being conducted with a sample of participants in their first and second year of the study. In
2019, interviews will be held with a sample of individuals in their third year of the study. Qualitative
data collection for 2020 and 2021 will be determined based on information needs at that time.
Table 1: Longitudinal Study Design
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Cohort 1 Survey A
Focus groups
Survey B
Focus groups
Survey C
Interviews
Voluntary
mini-survey
Voluntary
mini-survey
Cohort 2 Survey A
Focus groups
Survey B
Focus groups
Survey C
Qual TBD
Voluntary
mini-survey
Cohort 3 Survey A
Focus groups
Survey B
Qual TBD
Survey C
Qual TBD
2.2 Sample In the first year of the study (2016-2017), 677 beginning teachers signed on to the Learning Journeys
study, and 545 (81%) completed Survey A. Teachers from all regions of Ontario signed on and had
varied backgrounds and teaching assignments, including:
Teaching assignment variation
Teaching Elementary (72%) and Secondary (27%) panels, or both (1%);
Number of teaching assignments – one (73%), more than one (12%), and none (15%);
Full time (80%) and part time (20%) assignments; and
Teaching in English (93%) and French (7%) language boards.
Range in years of teaching experience
Between 0 and 25 years’ teaching experience (median 4 years)
Teachers with and without NTIP experience
Currently receiving NTIP support (38%);
Previously received NTIP support (13%); and,
Never received NTIP support (49%).
Eighty-two percent of the participants are female and 17% are male.
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2.3 Survey Subgroups The survey was completed by teachers with a wide range of characteristics and teaching assignments,
including teachers who have had positive experiences as well as teachers who have had negative
experiences. The survey results reflect a wide range of perspectives. As the Learning Journeys
participants opted into the study, there is nonetheless a chance that those who joined could have
different characteristics than those who chose not to take part (e.g., they could, as a group, be more
committed to continuous learning than teachers who chose not to sign up). We have broken the survey
sample out into four subgroups for analysis, as described in Table 2. Additional details about the
characteristics of teachers in these four groups can be found in Appendix A.
Table 2: BTLJ Survey Groups
Subgroup1 # in
Cohort 1 # in
Cohort 2 # in
Cohort 3 Description
1. Permanent 145 -- --
Teachers with at least one permanent teaching
assignment. Some teachers in this group may also
have an LTO or Daily Occasional assignments
2. LTO with NTIP 122 -- -- Teachers with an LTO assignment who have been involved in NTIP. Some teachers in this group may also have Daily Occasional assignments.
3. LTO without NTIP 120 -- -- Teachers with an LTO assignment who have never been involved in NTIP. Some teachers in this group may also have Daily Occasional assignments.
4. Daily Occasional 152 -- -- Teachers who indicated they had a Daily Occasional assignment, or no current teaching assignment
1 A subgroup could not be determined for 6 of the participants.
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2.4 Focus Group Participants Among participants in the Learning Journeys study, approximately two-thirds (65%, n=482) offered to
take part in teleconference focus groups. A total of 64 early career teachers were invited to participate
in focus groups. The sample included teachers currently receiving NTIP support as well as teachers who
never received NTIP support. Additional selection characteristics included: region, elementary /
secondary panel, number of years teaching experience, and gender.
Four focus groups were held in March 2017, three in English and one in French. Those who were unable
to join the discussions on the scheduled day were invited to submit written responses to the discussion
questions (see Table 3). Through the focus groups, we asked teachers about their journey from the first
day of teaching until now, including the influence of mentors, principals, and other factors that affected
them. The focus group format gave participants the opportunity to share their stories in their own
words, yielding a rich picture of beginning teachers’ experiences. Our thematic analysis of the focus
group data reinforced and expanded on the quantitative findings. Findings from the qualitative data are
presented throughout the report, alongside corresponding quantitative survey findings. Direct quotes
from participants are shown in italics.
Table 3: BTLJ Focus Group Participants
Beginning Teachers Focus Groups
# of
teachers in
focus group
#
written responses
received
Total
Teachers currently receiving NTIP 4 2 6
Teachers with 0-2 years teaching experience and no
NTIP experience 4 3 7
Teachers with 3-5 years teaching experience and no
NTIP experience 4 2 6
French (mixed experiences) 2 3 5
Total 14 10 24
There was very strong alignment between the findings from the focus groups and the survey, which
strengthens our confidence in the findings.
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3 Study Findings: How beginning teachers develop in their first five years of practice
3.1 What supports do beginning teachers access? When asked about what type of supports participants had since they
started teaching, most participants noted having relevant learning
opportunities (82%) and colleagues or other educators that have provided
mentorship/support (81%) (see Table 4). Approximately one-third of
participants had an opportunity to connect with other new teachers or
receive feedback about their teaching from their principal. Relatively few
had opportunities to take part in Community of Practice (whether in-
person or online), had a chance to observe a colleague or be observed, or
had a choice of learning opportunities).
Teachers with permanent contracts had the most access to these supports, followed by teachers with
LTO assignments who were involved in NTIP. Daily Occasional teachers had much less access, as did
teachers with LTO assignments who were not involved in NTIP (see Table 4).
Table 4: Supports accessed, by subgroup
Support Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional Overall
Relevant learning opportunities (e.g. workshops, courses, seminars, school-based learning opportunities)
94% 83% 77% 74% 82%
Colleagues or other educators that have provided mentorship/support in your teaching
91% 85% 84% 66% 81%
An opportunity to connect with other new teachers
81% 68% 43% 57% 63%
Feedback about your teaching from your principal
84% 60% 67% 41% 63%
A formal mentor 87% 78% 6% 9% 46%
A choice of learning opportunities 57% 33% 34% 32% 40%
An opportunity to watch a colleague teach, followed by discussion
57% 35% 25% 34% 38%
An opportunity to have a colleague observe you teach, followed by discussion
34% 25% 18% 26% 26%
An opportunity to take part in an in-person Community of Practice
19% 13% 11% 8% 13%
An opportunity to take part in an Online Community of Practice
14% 10% 6% 13% 11%
# of different types of supports accessed 6.3 5.0 3.9 3.7
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3.2 What supports are most helpful? In the survey, mentorship and/or support from colleagues or other educators, and relevant learning
opportunities, were identified as helpful by most participants (75% and 66% respectively, see Figure 1).
Other supports that were identified less often included opportunities to connect with other new
teachers, having a formal mentor, receiving feedback about their teaching from their principal, having a
choice of learning opportunities, and having an opportunity to watch a colleague teach, followed by
discussion. The lower number of supports identified was in part because fewer participants had
accessed these supports.
Figure 1: Supports that have been particularly helpful
There were a couple of supports that were particularly helpful to only about 1/3 of the participants
who accessed them:
Taking part in an online community of practice, and
Having a colleague observe them teach, followed by discussion (participants with 3 to 5 years of teaching experience were more likely to identify this as particularly helpful).
It may be worthwhile to consider how these types of supports could be made impactful for a greater proportion of beginning teachers who access them. Through the focus group discussions, we learned about most helpful supports for beginning teachers.
NTIP-supported teachers most often mentioned help from mentors, especially mentors situated in the
same school and teaching the same subject: “Having a mentor in the same subject area, we work a lot
together, co-planning and co-teaching, she helps me go further in my planning and teaching. I feel very
lucky.” Still, mentors outside of the school can also be very helpful: “While she’s not in the same
building as me, she just happens to be a real lifeline in the sense of being available for communicating
with me, willingly sharing ideas, and feedback, and resources with me.”
Colleagues or other educators that have provided
mentorship/support in your teaching
Relevant learning opportunities (e.g. workshops,
courses, seminars, school-based learning)
An opportunity to connect with other new teachers
A formal mentor
Feedback about your teaching from your principal
A choice of learning opportunities
An opportunity to watch a colleague teach, followed by
discussion
An opportunity to have a colleague observe you teach,
followed by discussion
An opportunity to take part in an in-person Community
of Practice
An opportunity to take part in an Online Community of
Practice
81%
82%
63%
46%
63%
40%
38%
26%
13%
11%
75%
66%
34%
29%
28%
22%
21%
10%
6%
4%
% who accessed the
support
% who found support
particularly helpful
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Teachers without NTIP support varied more than NTIP-supported teachers in identifying most helpful
supports. Help from other teachers was mentioned most often but this help sometimes had to be
asked for. Non NTIP teachers appreciate collaboration and training sessions with other new teachers:
“When I had a PD day to focus on my teaching skills, it was better to have time to plan something with
other teachers.” Constructive informal feedback offered by principals and ease of access to
professional development (PD) also came up in the “most helpful” choices.
3.3 What other supports do beginning teachers feel they need? Survey participants differed in the supports that they still needed. Most participants indicated they
needed 2 or 3 types of supports. The most common supports needed were relevant learning
opportunities (53%), an opportunity to watch a colleague teach followed by discussion (38%) and
support from colleagues (35%). Supports that survey participants indicated they need are shown in
Figure 2.
Patterns of responses were similar for the four survey subgroups, with the exception that teachers not
in NTIP were much more likely to indicate that they needed a formal mentor than those in NTIP.
Figure 2: Supports that participants need now
In the focus group discussions, the topic of help specifically for Daily Occasional teachers was
emphasized. This help includes regular meetings with other Daily Occasional teachers: “[We need] a
once a week or even once a month meeting for occasional teachers, put on by either the school board
and/or union.” Tailored workshops are also wanted: [We need] “workshops dedicated to the
practicalities of being an occasional teacher, how to address the specific challenges of the role.” Topics
of interest included:
“Classroom management”
“Navigation of the board website and portal”
“Employment Insurance”
“Email systems”
“Areas we don’t get practice in as OTs: best practice for pedagogy. differentiation, lesson planning, building a unit, assessment and evaluation.”
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Support for classroom management would be especially helpful for Daily Occasional teachers: “I would
love to see …a behaviour management program set up for OTs or maybe in each school there is a
teacher or two who will check in on the OTs during the day, and say ‘How are you doing…. Do you need
any advice for behavioral things?’ because that is definitely our most troublesome thing that I think we
deal with.”
OT and LTO teachers would like information on how to deal with Employment Insurance questions: “I
just applied for EI for the first time after the period after Christmas and second semester because it was
dead for me. And I had so many questions, and I couldn’t get through to EI, couldn’t get through to
anyone, including the union.”
The idea of a help hotline was mentioned by both Daily Occasional and LTO teachers:
“If I could have a perfect world I would want a hotline: an email line or an online chat,
where I can talk to someone who has kind of been through the process.” The hotline
may answer urgent practical questions: “Sometimes I find as an OT, when you are in a
school and trying to track someone down to answer a question, you can’t even find
anyone. So just to have something available where you can actually post or call or
whatever.”
Several teachers said moral support was crucially important to them. An NTIP supported LTO teacher
summarized the suggestions made in her group: “I think that’s what we’re hearing, is we’re going
through things, we think that we’re alone, we think we’re up against the wall, it’s only us, but when you
go and talk to a seasoned teacher, she tells you, I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and this is how I’ve
dealt with it. When you hear those stories, you are feeling a lot better than you were, when you were
alone.”
Opportunities to observe and be observed came up in suggestions. An NTIP supported teacher said:
“We should be required to go in and observe other teachers in their classrooms and more experienced
teachers should come in and observe us.”
NTIP supported teachers who did not easily find a mentor proposed that more incentive be given to
act as a mentor: “I know that my mentor is trying to be a principal, and I know that her being a mentor
to me through the NTIP program will just enhance her application. So that may be something that,
moving forward, could be a requirement for administrators.”
Other suggestions included:
Conduct teacher evaluations: “I have no feedback on how I am doing as a teacher.” Daily
Occasional teacher
Make PD more accessible in Northern regions: “Make a more even playing field.” Daily
Occasional teacher
Encourage NTIP supported PD: “It doesn’t even come out of the school budget, but sometimes
you’re made to feel you’re taking a day off, or something like that.” NTIP supported teacher
Create a Daily Occasional binder: “Management should set up a binder, other than the staff
guide, with information that is essential for new teachers re things like photocopier, washroom,
hierarchy…, who is responsible for what in the school” NTIP supported teacher
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3.4 How does mentorship support beginning teachers?
3.4.1 How do beginning teachers engage with mentors? Our survey findings show that most beginning teachers engage in informal mentorship and/or receive
support from colleagues or other educators (see Figure 3). Daily Occasional teachers are less likely to
access informal mentors (67%) than teachers with LTO (85%) and permanent contracts (91%). Daily
Occasional teachers who were very new to teaching (0 to 2 years of experience) have the least access
to informal mentorship (57%). Most teachers who have participated in NTIP have a formal mentor.
Without having been in NTIP, very few teachers have access to a formal mentor.
Figure 3: Survey participants receiving mentorship from colleagues and formal mentors
In the focus groups, we heard more about informal and formal mentoring. For teachers without NTIP
support, good mentoring was often available informally:
… there was no formal support, but I got a lot of great support from the other
teachers... and the admin was very supportive at that specific school which was very
nice start.
I had a great department head; I was in the science department at the time, and she
was wonderful. She was also the tech coach, so she was wonderful about not just
teaching ideas but how to deal with difficult behaviours and how the school system
worked.
Some beginning teachers receive valuable informal mentoring through volunteering in schools prior
to gaining full-time employment.
For the most part, participants met their informal mentors within their school, or had met them at
another school (see Figure 4). They were also introduced to mentors by their colleagues, principal or
vice principal. Few participants were introduced to informal mentors by their formal mentor.
“Most of the support that I feel that I receive is informal in nature. That is, it is only through having
developed something of a network that I've been fortunate enough to find support and guidance from
other teachers. Having been a [daily] OT for most of my teaching career, it took a long time to establish
a network sufficiently strong and comfortable enough for me to feel supported and ask for support.”
91%85% 84%
67%
87%78%
6% 9%
Permanent LTO with NTIP LTO without NTIP Daily Occasional
Support from colleagues Support from formal mentors
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Figure 4: How Survey Participants Connected with Informal Mentors
Daily Occasional teachers who were very new to teaching (0 to 2 years of experience) had relatively few
avenues for meeting informal mentors:
Only 69% had met informal mentors within the school where they were teaching.
Only 4% had been introduced to an informal mentor by their principal/vice principal.
More experienced Daily Occasional teachers tend to have met mentors at others schools (over
45% with 3 or more years of experience had such mentors), but less experienced Daily
Occasional teachers haven’t had as much opportunity to build up these relationships (only 31%
with 2 or fewer years of experience had met informal mentors this way).
Among the 81% of participants who have formal or informal mentors, over half (54%) receive support
from colleagues or educators at least once per week. However, there is a minority (13%) who receive
support less than once per month. LTO teachers, with or without NTIP support, received the most
frequent support from colleagues or mentors. Daily occasional teachers received the least frequent
support. Teachers with less than 3 years of teaching experience tended to receive support from
colleagues or mentors more frequently than their more experienced colleagues.
NTIP teachers emphasized the helpfulness of formal mentoring they had received: “I sent her an email
and said, ’could we talk, I’m feeling overwhelmed’, and she called me right away and helped me put
things into perspective; it didn’t feel so big after I talked with her.” This NTIP teacher is only still
teaching because of her mentor’s crucial help: “My teacher mentor since last year, if it had not been for
her, I would have quit teaching. She had confidence in me when I did not have any…. She is THE REASON
for which I am still teaching.”
8%
4%
7%
17%
18%
19%
35%
89%
Other
We met through a COP or other collaborative project
We were introduced by my formal mentor
We were introduced by my principal/vice-principal
We met through a workshop or other learningopportunity
We were introduced by another teacher/colleague
I already knew them from another school
I met them within my school
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3.4.2 What do mentors do that really makes a difference? Survey participants were asked to reflect on a mentoring experience that was particularly powerful in
improving their confidence. Most participants (85%) were able to identify at least one such experience
(though only 68% of teachers with Daily Occasional assignments were able to identify one).
Powerful mentoring experiences typically (in 71% of cases) involved a mentor or colleague sharing
information, advice and/or resources that were really helpful. Other important elements of the
mentoring experience were working collaboratively (to co-create ideas for classroom activities or to
come up with a solution to a challenge), support and encouragement, and safety to make mistakes. The
full list of elements is shown in Figure 5 (patterns of responses were similar for all four survey
subgroups).
Figure 5: Factors that Contribute to Powerful Mentoring Experiences
In the focus group discussions, teachers said that of the types of mentoring received, the chances to
observe and be observed were highly valued. A non- NTIP teacher said: “Well, in the classroom she
would allow me to teach lessons, talk about it after, talk about how she taught a lesson, watch her
classroom management skills.”
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NTIP teachers also greatly valued observation opportunities: “I’ve had wonderful experiences on NTIP,
where I’ve been able to be observed, and then to go out and observe someone in their school.” Co-
planning paired with observation was appreciated. Some new teachers emphasized the benefits of co-
planning with other teachers: “Whenever we put our ideas together, I felt like the projects were much
better. I understood where we were coming from, and it wasn’t just me blindly following him.”
Informal mentors sometimes help with job search strategies: “She helped me go to principals for
reference letters, and start to apply for things, and get that confidence.” Introducing teachers into
extra-curricular activity can be helpful: “She supported me by getting me into track and field, like the
extra-curricular side of school, something that you don’t really experience at teacher’s college.” One
teacher advocated that mentors are best when they “teach how to fish rather than give a fish” where
“giving” is just handing over course materials without “moral support.” A long term occasional teacher
(LTO) strongly appreciated help from another LTO in the form of written notes about students’ needs:
“I had seven different classes and [another LTO] had kept notes on every student, how they work, any
issues such as this person needs one-to-one, which was just SO helpful.”
3.5 What do principals do that is most helpful?
Principals support the development of beginning teachers by
taking a personal interest in their growth, encouraging
mentorship, and providing useful feedback through
performance appraisals. For the most part, participants with
permanent contracts felt that their principals were providing
strong support in all three of these areas (see Figure 6).
Participants with LTO assignments likewise felt that their
principal(s) supported mentorship and took an interest, but
28% to 30% had not yet had a performance appraisal (the
threshold for evaluation is 4 months for a teacher’s first LTO
position, although some boards have different protocols).
Many participants with Daily Occasional assignments did not
spend enough time in any one school that they could
comment on principal support, as indicated by the high
number of ‘not applicable’ responses.
“I had a principal who would regularly give
me feedback about my teaching and my
participation in the school as a whole. This
ongoing feedback was helpful for my
confidence and learning.”
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9%
10%
27%
30%
12%
23%
32%
34%
26%
38%
30%
23%
9%
18%
8%
6%
6%
5%
2%
4%
38%
5%
3%
1%
Daily occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
Figure 6: How Principals Support Beginning Teachers
14%
29%
35%
40%
25%
20%
30%
36%
22%
32%
20%
16%
8%
17%
11%
6%
6%
3%
4%
2%
26%Daily occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
8%
21%
20%
28%
20%
19%
20%
34%
16%
20%
19%
17%
3%
8%
8%
6%
3%
2%
6%
3%
49%
30%
28%
12%
Daily occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
My principal is interested in my growth as a teacher
My performance appraisals have been useful in helping improve my teaching
My principal(s) encourage mentorship among teachers
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Through the focus groups, teachers shared personal stories about what
principals do that really makes a difference. Teachers in general value
principals who approach them rather than waiting to be approached:
“He said to me right away, I taught [your particular grade], I used to
teach grade five for years and years, so if you need anything, come to me.
I have never felt nervous to talk to him.” There is considerable gratitude
for principals who continue to check in and ask about beginning teachers’
needs: “The school I am in right now for my LTO, the principal … checks in
with me every few days to make sure I have everything I need to be
planning the lessons and continue going forward.”
On the other hand, both NTIP supported and non-NTIP supported teachers often commented on
differences between helpful and unhelpful principals. Helpful principals are available, approachable
and supportive. An NTIP supported permanent teacher said: “I’ve been at some schools where admin
is, sort of, remote and not really accessible, and feeling that you are interrupting if you have a question,
that they are just too busy. But my current principal is very supportive.” A Daily Occasional teacher for
three years said: “I find that in my board there is a very big difference from school to school. I feel like
sometimes I can go in to the same school five or six times and never once meet the principal…. Then
there are other schools that I go to and they are the first person that greets you in the morning.”
Beginning teachers appreciate strong assistance from principals in classroom management issues, and
especially in communicating with challenging parents “I had a lot of classroom management issues and
without the parents’ support, I really did feel I was backed up in a corner. During that time, the principal
was just amazing. She really supported me the whole way through it. She told me, ‘Don’t worry, I will
talk with the parents, directly, with you’ … she was very professional about the way she spoke about it,
and the way she handled the situation.”
Some principals support beginning teachers by encouraging professional development: “They will
check in and encourage me to take part in in-services that are held at the board office.” In addition,
regular communication from administrators is helpful: “We know if [administrators] are out of school,
or where they are. We always know when we can join them. The weekly email communication gives us
the week’s plan ...what is planned for the outings with the students, when the library is booked, when
the school has an assembly for performances.”
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3.6 What are the barriers to accessing supports? The survey revealed that access to needed supports varied among subgroups. Gaps in access, as well as
the main barriers, are summarized in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Analysis of gaps and barriers in access to most-needed supports
GAPS IN ACCESS BARRIERS TO ACCESS
FOR RELEVANT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Permanent: Not enough release time, no access to formal learning opportunities or formal opportunities are not relevant
LTO (whether in NTIP or not): Not enough release time, no access to formal learning opportunities or formal opportunities are not relevant
Daily Occasional: No access to any formal
training/learning opportunities
FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO OBSERVE AND DISCUSS
Permanent: Not enough release time, no access to formal learning opportunities or formal opportunities are not relevant
LTO (whether in NTIP or not): Not enough release time, no access to formal learning opportunities or formal opportunities are not relevant
Daily Occasional: No access to any formal
training/learning opportunities
26%
18%
18%
17%
22%
32%
37%
43%
Daily Occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
28%
27%
23%
25%
5%
12%
16%
18%
Daily Occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
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28%
27%
23%
25%
5%
12%
16%
18%
Daily Occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
28%
27%
23%
25%
5%
12%
16%
18%
Daily Occasional
LTO without NTIP
LTO with NTIP
Permanent
Figure 7 continued: Analysis of gaps and barrier in access to most-needed supports
GAPS IN ACCESS TO… BARRIERS TO ACESSS…
FOR INFORMAL MENTORS…
Permanent: --
LTO with NTIP: --
LTO without NTIP: Not enough release time / don't spend enough time in any one school
Daily Occasional: Not enough release time /
don't spend enough time in any one school
FOR FORMAL MENTORS…
Permanent: --
LTO with NTIP: --
LTO without NTIP: Not enough release time / don't spend enough time in any one school
Daily Occasional: Not enough release time /
don't spend enough time in any one school
Across all focus groups, the theme of little or no access to
appropriate professional development arose often. When
workshops are offered, they are often filled immediately. An NTIP
supported LTO said: Unless I’m checking my email every 6 minutes, I
get these emails, and there are a number of them, the last
announced 3 PD session for the same topic on three different days,
and as soon as I logged in, and I tried to do it after school, it was
full, on the same day that the email went out.” Even when
workshops are available, OTs have a hard decision to make: “If you
are an OT… you have to take the day off so you are losing the
money again and the day of teaching, so that often changed my
mind on whether I am going to attend that PD or not.”
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Workshop content may seem not relevant to Daily Occasional and LTO teachers if it only addresses
permanent teacher circumstances: “A lot of the workshops are based on the premise that you have a
classroom and how then how are you going to improve a certain curriculum for that certain grade. So,
these are great, it is great information, but it is not relevant for what we are doing right now in our
career.” An LTO teacher said that permanent teachers have priority in accessing limited workshop
spaces: “A limited number of people can register and priority is given to those who are permanent.”
Another common theme was not receiving information about supports. An LTO
teacher said: “I have emailed NTIP, yeah, you missed it. Because no one told me that
I was even eligible for it, and I have been on the email list for five months and I have
not even heard a word.” An NTIP supported teacher said about her earlier years: “I
would say the number one issue I had to accessing supports, along the lines of these
PD days, or anything like that, was having it communicated to me.”
Participants noted that the size of schools affects their feeling of being supported: “And I found
switching high schools to some of the bigger high schools, entering in as an LTO, you’re often given a bit
of a dog’s breakfast of courses to teach. The feeling was often, left to sink or swim.” This teacher
recognized that support may be easier to offer in smaller schools: “There’s a lot less going on in terms
of school sports and extracurriculars, just because you don’t have the manpower to run as many
extracurriculars. And so you have a community feeling in a smaller school.”
As mentioned above, constant change of schools and teaching subjects limits
support for Daily Occasional teachers: “We are not in the same place every day, so it
is just hard to create a relationship with somebody to ask those specific questions.”
Beginning teachers’ growth can be limited by constant movement: “Assessing
students learning and helping families to support their children’s learning, I don’t
really have an opportunity to do these things.”
A couple of LTO teachers mentioned that they were affected by insufficient Daily Occasional teachers
to cover out-of-class time: “Our meetings were canceled because there is a lack of supply teachers this
year." LTOs may also lack help with administrative tasks: “I completely agree with what the other ladies
were saying about very little support, not just teaching, but also with paperwork and all that kind of
stuff.”
A teacher of French as a second language had a particular challenge in finding a mentor: “I didn’t
actually have a mentor, and I asked my own children’s French teacher. She wasn’t in a place to help me
with that. I then went to see my principal [who] had come to our school from a very large school with
several core French teachers. [Then] I contacted those names and those teachers thought they didn’t
have the time, but one of them referred me to my current mentor.”
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3.7 What growth has happened in the core NTIP goals? While many of the teachers in the study were not supported by NTIP, we found it valuable to use the
measures developed in the previous study for the program’s core measures of growth.
How Growth Was Assessed
To assess growth in the core goal areas, the surveys asked participants to reflect on a set of statements and
indicate how true each statement was for them a) in the past month, and b) when they first started teaching in
Ontario. This “retrospective baseline” approach is an appropriate way to measure changes in perceived
knowledge, attitudes or behaviours, particularly when participants might “not know what they don’t know” at
the outset 2.
Efficacy and commitment to continuous learning were assessed using multi-item scales. The items making up
each scale are shown in Table 5. Scale scores reflect the average of all the items.
Table 5: Scale items: Self-efficacy and commitment to continuous learning Core NTIP
Goals
Items
1 - Not at all true for me, 7 - Very true for me
Efficacy When I encounter students who are really struggling to learn I know I can find a way to help them
(Reverse scored) Some students are going to do poorly no matter what I do
With effort I can engage even the most unmotivated students
I can make a difference in the lives of every single one of my students
Commitment
to continuous
learning
I reflect on my teaching every day to figure out what’s working well and what I need to do differently
I talk with my colleagues about challenges that I’m facing in my teaching
I use a wide variety of effective instructional strategies
Confidence (a third core area of development) was assessed with a single item: “I have the supports I need to
be a successful teacher”, using the same response scale as the efficacy items.
To assess growth in instructional practice (the fourth core area of development), we asked participants to rate
the strength of their repertoire of teaching strategies a) now, and b) when they first started teaching in Ontario.
The scale items are shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Scale Items: Instructional Practice
2 Gouldthorpe & Israel 2003; Klatt and Taylor-Powell 2005; Pratt, McGuigan, and Katzev 2000.
Core NTIP
Goals
Items
1 - Not adequate, 4 -Very strong
Instructional
practice
... maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning
... building students’ confidence
... getting students motivated / excited to learn
... helping students master new concepts/skills
... responding to students’ diverse learning needs
... assessing students’ learning
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Comparing themselves with when they started teaching, participants reported improvements in all four
of the core goal areas (see Figure 8).
Patterns of ratings in confidence, efficacy, commitment to continuous learning, and changes in
instructional practice were similar for teachers with permanent and LTO assignments (whether or not
they received NTIP support), but past-month ratings tended to be lower for teachers with Daily
Occasional assignments (see Table 7). Confidence (I have the supports I need to be a successful
teacher) was the area with the most noticeable difference among the groups.
Figure 8: Overall Growth in Core NTIP Areas
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Table 7: Changes in Core NTIP Goals by Subgroup
Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional
Confidence (1 item; scale of 1 to 7)
In the past month 5.2 5.1 5.0 4.5
When I started teaching in Ontario 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.9
Change +1.1 +1.2 +1.1 +0.6
Efficacy (4 items; scale of 1 to 7)
In the past month 5.2 5.3 5.2 5.0
When I started teaching in Ontario 4.8 4.8 4.7 4.8
Change +0.4 +0.4 +0.4 +0.3
Commitment to Continuous Learning (3 items; scale of 1 to 7)
In the past month 5.9 5.9 5.8 5.6
When I started teaching in Ontario 5.2 5.1 5.1 5.2
Change +0.7 +0.8 +0.7 +0.5
Instructional practice (7 items; scale of 1 to 4)
In the past month 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.8
When I started teaching in Ontario 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3
Change +0.5 +0.6 +0.6 +0.4
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3.8 How are beginning teachers’ learning journeys related to their teaching assignments/career pathways?
As mentioned, teaching assignments make a big difference in the supports available to – and accessed
by – beginning teachers. Teachers with permanent contracts, most of whom have been involved in
NTIP, are accessing a wide variety of supports right from the outset.
Supports accessed by more than 50% of teachers with permanent Contacts:
Teachers with LTO assignments who are in NTIP also have access to a range of supports, though they
tend to gain access later in their career, and may not have as much choice in the learning opportunities
available to them.
Supports accessed by more than 50% of teachers with LTO assignments who are receiving NTIP
support:
LTO teachers who have not been in NTIP tend to access a very limited range of supports.
Unexpectedly, they seem to begin receiving feedback from principals earlier than LTO teachers who are
in NTIP.
Supports accessed by more than 50% of teachers with LTO assignments who are not receiving NITP
support:
Teachers with Daily Occasional assignments also tend to access a very limited range of supports.
Supports accessed by more than 50% of teachers with Daily Occasional assignments:
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3.9 What has been key to teachers’ growth so far?
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4 Promising Practices
Beginning teachers need assistance from and interaction with other teachers both experienced and
new like themselves. Mentorship/support from colleagues came first to the survey question about
most helpful supports. It was also the most common helpful support in focus groups for both teachers
supported by NTIP and those not supported by NTIP. Relevant learning opportunities such as
workshops, courses, seminars, and school-based opportunities came fairly close to the top in the
survey. Opportunities to connect with other new teachers came third in the survey, and teachers not
supported by NTIP particularly noted such opportunities in the focus groups.
Both formal and informal mentors help greatly, and can make the difference to stay in teaching by
building beginning teachers’ confidence when things are very challenging. In addition, mentors are
helpful when they give opportunities to observe, be observed, and debrief.
The strongest factors in making mentorship powerful were the following:
A mentor or colleague sharing information/advice/resources that
were really helpful
Co-creating new ideas for classroom activities
Receiving support and encouragement
Feeling safe to ask questions/make mistakes
Working collaboratively to come up with a solution to a challenge
Principals are also very important to the growth of beginning teachers. Feedback from principals came
in well to the survey question about most helpful supports. Principals can support the development of
beginning teachers by taking a personal interest in their growth, encouraging mentorship, and
providing useful feedback through performance appraisals. Focus group discussions told us that
principals who approach teachers rather than waiting to be approached and then communicate
regularly are doing the right thing. Principals’ assistance with classroom management issues is highly
valued, along with encouragement of professional development.
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5 Conclusions and Recommendations
NTIP teachers rely on support from formal mentors and other teachers.
Informal mentoring is often available for teachers
without NTIP and is highly valued.
Professional development opportunities, especially with
good choice, are important for all teachers, but little or
no access to appropriate professional development
arose often. Access was especially limited for Daily
Occasional teachers and LTO teachers who are not in
NTIP.
Principals offer essential help and are much appreciated
but are not always accessible.
A common barrier to needed support is not enough
release/shared release time.
Occasional teachers need support specifically related to the constant unpredictable change in
their assignments. They need help especially with maintaining their confidence, behaviour
management, the basic daily functioning of the schools where they teach, and accessing
Employment Insurance. They greatly value the help of other teachers and principals although it
is often not easily available.
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Appendix A: Survey Sample Characteristics In the first year of the study, 677 beginning teachers signed on to the Learning Journeys study, and 545
(81%) completed Survey A.
As the Learning Journeys participants opted into the study, there is a chance that those who joined
have different characteristics than those who chose not to take part (e.g., they could, as a group, be
more committed to continuous learning than teachers who chose not to sign up).
Teaching assignment
The number of current teaching assignments ranged from 0 (15% of respondents – all presumed to be
teaching on a Daily Occasional basis) to 53. Most participants (73%) had only one teaching assignment.
Table A1 and Table A2 show details of participants’ teaching assignments, by survey subgroup.
Teaching assignment Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional
% with no current teaching assignment 53%
% with one teaching assignment 79% 88% 90% 41%
% with more than one teaching assignment 21% 12% 10% 6%
100% 100% 100% 100%
Among participants with Permanent or LTO assignments, a substantial minority of participants had
more than one teaching assignment and/or were teaching in more than one school. Specifically:
20% indicated their assignment(s) were part time hours,
15% they had more than one current teaching assignment,
8% indicated they were teaching in more than one school, and
1% indicated they were teaching in more than one board.
Table A2: Additional teaching assignment details, by survey subgroup
Teaching assignment details Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional
% teaching in more than one school 11% 7% 5% N/A
% teaching in more than one board 1% 3% 0% N/A
% with a full time assignment 75% 81% 84% N/A
% with a Secondary panel assignment 24% 22% 38% 11%
Note: the categories in this table are not mutually exclusive; numbers do not add to 100%
3 Three outliers were removed.
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Exposure to NTIP
Just over half of the participants (51%) have participated in NTIP at some point, and 38% of participants
are still in NTIP (see Table A3 and Figure A1).
Table A3: Exposure to NTIP, by survey subgroup
Exposure to NTIP Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional Total
Never in NTIP 1% 100% 92% 49%
Previously in NTIP 17% 29% 8% 13%
Currently in NTIP - first year 52% 57% 27%
Currently in NTIP - 2nd+ year 29% 14% 11%
100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Figure A1: Exposure to NTIP, by survey subgroup
Teaching experience
Teachers in the study had varied levels of teaching experience, with some having just started teaching
this year, and others having up to 25 years of experience. The median length of teaching experience
was approximately 4 years.
Teachers with Permanent positions had more experience than teachers in LTO or Daily Occasional
positions (see Table A4 for a breakdown of the four study subgroups).
Table A4: Teaching experience, by survey subgroup
Teaching experience Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional Total
Median years of experience 5 4 3.5 3 4
% with 0 to 2 years of experience 18% 21% 21% 35% 24%
% with 3 to 5 years of experience 40% 47% 49% 41% 44%
% with >5 years of experience 42% 33% 30% 24% 32%
100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
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Figure A2: Teaching experience, by survey subgroup
Board characteristics
Just under half of the participants were from Toronto-region boards, and one quarter were from
London-region boards (see Table A5). Seven percent of participants were from French language boards.
Table A5: Region, by survey subgroup
Region Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional Total
Barrie 7% 6% 10% 9% 8%
London 25% 26% 14% 33% 25% North Bay / Sudbury 9% 4% 3% 3% 5% Ottawa 20% 10% 5% 12% 12% Thunder Bay 3% 2% 3% 4% 3% Toronto 35% 52% 66% 39% 47%
Provincial schools 1% <1%
100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Participant characteristics
Table A6 shows participant information about age and gender for the survey subgroups. Participants
were between the ages of 24 and 63. The average age of participants was 35, and the median age was
324.
The majority of the participants were women (82%). Male teachers were disproportionately
represented among the subgroup of LTO teachers who had never participated in NTIP.
Table A6: Participant characteristics, by survey subgroup
Participant characteristics Permanent LTO with
NTIP LTO without
NTIP Daily
Occasional Total
Median age 34 31 33 31.5 32
% Male 13% 18% 26% 15% 17%
4 This reflects the age of respondents when they registered for the study.