MEDIOS DE DIFUSIÓN

In order to explore the changes in science teaching efficacy beliefs as preservice teachers become inservice teachers, it is important to contemplate some of the wider factors that may impact on these beliefs. In the context of early childhood settings and primary schools, science is only one of the learning areas that early career teachers need to consider. However, the transition into the first years of employment for any teacher may be challenging for numerous reasons including workload, meeting expectations and time management. Challenging behaviour was reported as the biggest concern for early career teachers in research conducted by Hudson (2012), in addition to the difficulty of creating a work-life balance. Of significant concern, international research indicates that approximately 25-45% of teachers resign or burn out within their first 5 years of teaching (Burke, Schuck, Aubusson, Buchanan, Louviere & Prescott, 2013). However, research in the Australian context is limited and no one study conclusively points to the actual attrition rates of primary teachers in Australia (AITSL, 2016).

When exploring the challenges of early career teachers when teaching science, it is important to understand the wider picture of simply entering the teaching profession (Mulholland & Wallace, 2000). As they are generalist teachers in early childhood and primary settings, they often have conflicting issues such as timetabling all of the learning areas, school expectations or commitments, as well as the demand to meet the learner diversity in their class. Managing student behaviour and implementing collaborative learning when teaching science, which is often promoted in science methods units at university, can also be difficult for early career teachers to demonstrate, leading them to use more teacher directed styles in the science classroom (Mulholland & Wallace, 2001; Onafowora, 2004). Dreon and McDonald (2012) investigated whether two novice science secondary teachers with high levels of science content knowledge utilised inquiry approaches to teaching science. Their findings demonstrated that these students experienced anxiety when teaching with an inquiry approach, which led them to change their teaching approach to a more traditional approach.

Certain characteristics are considered vital to prevent early career teachers reaching the critical point of resignation or burn out. Keogh, Garvis, Pendergast and Diamond (2012) maintain “the intensity of initial teaching experiences may be moderated by using agency, efficacy and resilience (AER), providing the novice with protective layers” (p. 47). Resilience can be defined as how an individual responds to challenging situations and relates to the interaction between individuals and their environment over time (Mansfield, Beltman, Price & McConney, 2012). Resilience in novice teachers has been identified as a factor that fosters teacher retention and, due to its nature being a process of time, it is something that needs to be a focus of teacher education courses (Doney, 2013). According to Mansfield et al. (2012) resilience has four dimensions: the emotional dimension, which refers to how an individual cares for his or her own wellbeing, bounces back and copes with the demands of their job; the motivational dimension, which refers to an individual’s ability to persist, remain optimistic and maintain his or her confidence and self- belief; the social dimension, which refers to an individual’s ability to seek help, take advice and solve problems; and the profession-related dimension, which is the ability to be flexible, reflective, organised and possessing effective teaching skills (Mansfield et al., 2012). Research by Mansfield, Beltman and Price (2014) highlighted the importance of the school context, specifically school organisation, relationships, student diversity and behaviour management, on the developing resilience of early career teachers. Self-efficacy is considered to be a protective factor for resiliency in early career teachers (Day, 2008). However, self-efficacy may also be enhanced by a teacher demonstrating resilience and overcoming challenges that they face (Beltman, Mansfield & Price, 2011). There have been mixed results from studies exploring the personal teaching efficacy of new teachers. One study contrasted the teaching self-efficacy of novice and experienced teachers, and perhaps as expected, novice teachers in general had a lower mean self-efficacy (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2007). Early career teachers with lower teaching efficacy beliefs tend to superficially engage in inquiry practice and exhibit negative professional attitudes and lower levels of resiliency than the novice teachers who had higher levels of teaching efficacy (Fry, 2009). Another research study identified that verbal persuasion was considered quite important by early career teachers, noticeable in the form of support by colleagues and parents, although mastery experiences still tended to be more significant (Tschannen-Moran &

Woolfolk Hoy, 2007). Yost (2006) argued that for novice teachers, higher levels of teaching efficacy, developed due to successful student teaching experiences and the ability to reflect and problem solve, outweighed the role of a supportive school environment in teaching success. Early career teachers who exhibited sufficiently high general personal teaching efficacy, personally reported that they were using skills learnt within their teacher training, particularly in relation to classroom management and instructional strategies (Ozder, 2011).

Providing support for early career teachers has been identified as significant in several studies. Capa Adyin and Woolfolk Hoy (2005) maintained that it is important to continually support teachers in their first year of teaching, as research suggests that personal efficacy beliefs drop in the first year of employment. Indeed, research by Smith and Jang (2011) highlighted that support must also be provided for early career teachers who have stronger teaching efficacy beliefs as well as those with lower levels of teaching efficacy in order to further their development.

One key way that support can be provided to early career teachers is through mentoring programs. Early career teachers in science have expressed their need for mentoring to help them bridge the gap between their preservice preparation and their responsibilities as inservice teachers (Australian Science Teachers’ Association & Office of the Chief Scientist, 2014). The research of Bullough, Young and Draper (2004) highlighted that a purposeful mentoring system can enhance beginning teacher development and assist these teachers in developing resilience, which is supported by Bradbury (2010). Further, beginning teachers need experienced staff members to provide support and guidance, and who are willing to collaborate with them (Hudson, 2012).

However, mentor teachers must be carefully selected in order for the novice teacher to develop skills in best practice in relation to science. Unfortunately, for early childhood educators who graduate and work in childcare centres, there are often a limited number of qualified teachers who can provide collegial support (Onnismaa, Tahkokallio, & Kalliala, 2015). In one study, the support of more experienced teachers actually led novice teachers to adopt more traditional approaches to science teaching, primarily due to the borrowing of resources and ideas from more experienced teachers (Park, Hewson, Lemberger & Marion, 2010).

Research has been conducted to analyse other ways of supporting early career teachers. In their review of current educational research in relation to the challenges that new teachers face, Davis, Petish and Smithey (2006) emphasised the positive impact of supportive induction and the opportunity for undergoing professional development to assist novice teachers with strategies and content for science teaching. Research as part of the Australian Research Council Grant Renewing the teaching profession in regional areas through community partnerships, identified that systematic induction into a school had numerous benefits including new teachers feeling a sense of relief and being welcomed into the school community, and teachers quickly recognising and demonstrating their responsibilities as a teacher (Carter, 2012). Informal science experiences, such as co-teaching afterschool science sessions have also been found to increase confidence of novice teachers (Katz, McGinnis, Riedinger, Marbach-Ad & Dai, 2013). One study examined the positive impact that using a group email site had on teaching efficacy by providing an opportunity to share concerns, problem solve and offer support (Keogh et al., 2012).

Partnerships between universities and schools continue to be important beyond the graduation of preservice teachers. Smith and Jang (2011) argued that it is important for early career teachers, mentor teachers and university personnel to work together to discuss assumptions and expectations about the roles and responsibilities of all partners, in order to improve student progress. In one study, developing structured professional learning communities within a school supported by universities designed for teachers to investigate and restructure science ideas, led to direct mastery and vicarious experiences for early career teachers, leading to higher levels of science teaching efficacy beliefs (Mintzes, Marcum, Messerschmidt-Yates & Mark, 2013). Support may also occur through the use of curriculum resources. The use of Primary Connections curriculum resources has positively impacted on teacher pedagogical knowledge and confidence in teaching science in Australian primary schools (Skamp, 2012). However, teachers require continual support in using curriculum materials to maximise student learning in order to prevent these resources being used in the wrong way (Bismack, Arias, Davis & Palincsar, 2014).