First-year teachers' perceptions of the helpfulness of their teacher mentoring experiences during their induction into the profession were investigated in this study. It was found that most novice teachers perceived their mentoring experiences to be helpful; however, they rated other professionals in their school districts as being more helpful in…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether or not selected academic ability indices and personal characteristics of 117 teachers were associated with changes in their attitude toward their teaching as a career measured upon the commencement of training, the end of student teaching, and completion of their fifth year of…

This study was conducted to compare a 1990 sample of beginning teachers with a 1985 sample of beginning teachers who had graduated from the same university. The study was designed to test the hypothesis that the 1990 sample, which had experienced greater emphasis on field experiences and structured beginning teacher induction programs, would…

A longitudinal sample of 242 predominantly white teacher candidates was studied to identify possible relationships between the candidates' academic abilities, the degree of their success in making the transition from student to teacher, and their development of concerns about teaching during teacher preparation as hypothesized by Fuller's model of…

The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent that 24 working conditions impacted upon the reality shock of four groups (N=211) of beginning teachers (elementary, secondary, specialized, and special education) who were teaching in three types of schools (rural, urban, and suburban). For only two working conditions were the…

This study sought to determine the relationships between various indices of job performance and job satisfaction of the first-year teacher. It also examined the possibility that job satisfaction of beginning teachers might vary among elementary, secondary, specialized and special education teaching fields. Subjects were 154 graduates of the…

This volume presents a summary of the responses of 62 first-year teachers to a seven-page instrument entitled, "An Appraisal of My Preparation as a Teacher at Bowling Green State University." A copy of the instrument is presented. Selected narrative summary comments are made, and following these comments are summary tabular data related…

This study was designed to assess, over a seven-year period from the commencement of teacher preparation through five years of teaching, the development of teachers' self, impact, and task concerns as formulated by Fuller for a longitudinal sample of teachers (N=60) and to determine what, if any, personal and academic attributes of teachers might…

Analysis of the extent to which 24 working conditions influenced the self-perceived reality shock of 211 beginning teachers revealed that the subjects' reality ratings were more positive than their expectation ratings in only two areas: help from other teachers and administrator observations. Teachers generally reported different sources of…

A longitudinal sample of 241 teacher candidates was studied to identify possible relationships between the extent of their success in making the transition from student to teacher and development of their confidence, anxiety, and attitudes about teaching during teacher preparation. Statistical analysis of data collected prior to and near the end…

The sources for this comprehensive study of the performance of first year teachers from Bowling Green State University (BGSU) were: (1) 62 first-year teachers who completed self-evaluation forms; (2) 24 BGSU faculty members who observed and interviewed the teachers; (3) 62 principals who rated the performance of the teachers; (4) 62 peer teachers;…

A longitudinal study compared the characteristics of teacher candidates who persisted and did not persist through the early years of teaching. Gender, major, initial assurance about teaching, and time of the decision to teach were related to persistence for the 29% of 551 candidates studied who persisted. (SLD)

This study was designed to investigate relationships between selected teacher characteristics and changes in attitudes and concerns toward teaching during preservice training and the first five years of inservice teaching. Six groups of subjects (N=1,193) were used in the study; three groups of prospective teachers at various stages of preservice…

This study investigated whether or not selected academic ability indices and personal characteristics of 65 teachers (all were Bowling Green State University teacher candidates who began their teacher training in 1985 and who by June 30, 1989 had completed their first year of full-time classroom teaching) were associated with longitudinal changes…

A longitudinal study of 117 teachers from the beginning of their preservice education through their fifth year of teaching found that attitude toward teaching as a career remained constant during teacher preparation but was less positive after five years of teaching. This attitude was related to 6 of 15 academic and personal characteristics…