Looking at responses to the survey questions representing segments of the research question, and comparing them according to years of teaching experience, provides a view of the transition from tradesperson to trades teacher. While this is not a longitudinal study, and the responses were provided by different teachers at different stages of their career, the pattern of responses according to years of experience does create pictures of the average or typical trades teacher within the population surveyed at these stages. These pictures include the following generalizations for these groups.
5.1.8.1 Novice. The Novice, with less than three years teaching experience, is younger on average than the respondents in the other experience categories, and is more likely than other teachers to have less than five years of trades experience as a journeyperson before entering teaching. The majority in this group have no prior training for teaching before entering this second career. The motivation for a career changes is similar across the years: teaching offers an opportunity to share trades knowledge and to balance work and family life. Pedagogical
knowledge competencies, particularly understanding students and their learning styles and how to assess student learning, were seen by Novices as lacking at the beginning. This group was confident, however, of its skills in the use of technology. Current teaching skills and knowledge are rated more highly than in initial ratings and confidence has risen, although understanding learning styles, assessment, and curriculum development still lag behind the self-ratings of more experienced teachers.
Discussions with other instructors and formal or informal mentoring were the most common, and most highly rated, methods of learning more about teaching. Formal training is not being used, and is seen as the least effective way to learn. The Novice teacher self-identifies as a trades teacher, but also is strongly attached to the identity of being a tradesperson. Nearly half the Novices say they are highly satisfied with teaching, with helping students and working with
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colleagues being the top contributors to that level of satisfaction. There is a strong sense of being valued by their supervisors. The factor of Unclear expectations was the top contributor to
dissatisfaction, followed by lack of resources. As in all the experience groups, having more support for developing teaching skills is the top suggestion to improve satisfaction.
5.1.8.2 Junior. The Junior teacher, with four to seven years of teaching experience, is the most likely to have no formal training in education prior to employment as a teacher. The Junior is likely 46 years or older, with 11-15 years of trades experience. In considering motivating factors for changing to teaching, this group is most likely to reject the idea of teaching as a means to higher pay.
In retrospective self-ratings of competencies, this group has the lowest agreement level regarding understanding students and their learning styles, and how to adapt learning processes to student needs, but felt confident regarding use of technology. In self-ratings of current
competencies, they were slightly lower than average on self-reflection. This group had the lowest confidence level overall on retrospective ratings, but the highest current level.
In learning how to teach, discussions with other teachers were the highest-rated choice; workshops were rated lowest. Juniors showed the strongest agreement with the identity of being a teacher of trades, with the lowest rating among the experience groups for identifying with
teacher or tradesperson.
Satisfaction levels had the greatest change in this group, dividing into higher or lower. Satisfaction with teaching is lower in this group as compared to the Novice or the Intermediate group. Working with students is seen as slightly less satisfying by this group than for the Novice teachers; working with other instructors and feeling valued by supervisors are rated lower by this group than others as contributing to satisfaction. Dissatisfaction for Junior teachers comes
primarily from lack of time to do the work required. There is a rising sense of lack of support from supervisors and from the institution.
5.1.8.3 Intermediate. The Intermediate teacher, with 8-11 years of teaching experience, is likely to be 46 years or older. The motivation to enter teaching is substantially the same as the other experience groups’ members, but teachers within this group are unlikely to see teaching as the path to higher pay, second only to the Junior group. Recalling their level of competence as a beginning teacher, respondents in this group rated themselves significantly lower on ability to use technology and slightly lower on their skills in communicating and knowledge of curriculum
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development. The lowest-rated competencies for this group were understanding students and their learning styles, and delivering a lesson. In rating their current competencies, however, curriculum development showed the largest change from retrospective ratings. All current competencies were agreed to by 93% or more of respondents in this group. The current
confidence level of the Intermediate group was higher than the Novice group, but slightly lower than the Juniors. The most common method of learning to teach used by this group was self- study, followed by discussions with colleagues, and trial and error. Self-study was rated most effective.
The vocational identity of this group is firmly tied to being a trades teacher, rather than a tradesperson or a teacher. Their overall level of satisfaction with teaching is the highest of all groups. Satisfaction is tied to helping students and staying in touch with industry. The sense of being valued by a supervisor and enjoying working with other teachers, is lower for this group than for the other groups, although the sense that the institution and the public value the work is higher.
5.1.8.4 Senior. The Senior group has 12-17 years of teaching experience, following 11- 15 years of trades experience. The members of this group are more than 46 years old, with half of them 56 years or older. Their motivation to move to teaching is most often better hours and more time for family; their agreement with the idea of teaching as something they always wanted to do was the lowest of any group.
In the process of learning to teach, Seniors showed the lowest retrospective rating on subject matter knowledge and on how to teach. They had the lowest retrospective confidence level of all groups, but showed the greatest change to current levels. They were least likely to have used formal mentoring as a method to learn to teach.
This group had the greatest identification with being a tradesperson, although balanced with the other options. They also indicated the greatest dissatisfaction, with the level of
satisfaction tending to either rise or fall within this group. Lack of time, unco-operative students, and lack of support from colleagues rated stronger agreement in this group as dissatisfaction factors. Unclear expectations, however, was at the lowest level for Senior teachers.
5.1.8.5 Veteran. The Veteran teacher, with 18 years or more of experience, is the most likely to have some prior training in teaching, and less time in trades practice (6-10 years) than those in other experience groups. The most common age range for this group is 56 years or older.
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While this group’s motivation to change careers is very similar to the other groups, they were more likely to say teaching was something they felt called to do. Their retrospective rating of competencies was the highest among the groups, particularly on knowing how to teach and how to use technology; the current confidence level was also the highest among this group, and showed the least change from initial confidence levels. Enthusiasm for the subject and teaching, and sense of humour was lower among this group as compared to others. In gaining the
knowledge to support this confidence, the Veterans were significantly more likely to have used formal training.
The vocational identity of the respondents in this group shows a balance between tradesperson and teacher; trades teacher is the top choice although with slightly less agreement than for other experience groups. The level of satisfaction with teaching as a career is slightly lower than among other groups, but higher than in the Senior group. The factors supporting satisfaction include helping students succeed and making a difference in students’ lives, both of which received 100 % agreement. The sense of being valued by the institution is slightly higher than in the Senior group. Among factors leading to dissatisfaction, not enough time was agreed to most often, followed by lack of support from the institution, and lack of resources.