This document reports on the nature of Australian beginning teachers' entry into the teaching profession and examines, among other questions: (1) procedures adopted to ease teachers into employment; (2) sources of information concerning their new teaching situations; (3) planned induction activities and their value; (4) matters of teacher concern;…

Procedures used in six Australian primary schools for the induction of beginning teachers to their profession are summarily described. Induction into the schools was in each case a cooperative process which was much more than an orientation period and normally involved one person being most closely associated with the new teacher, but in which the…

In keeping with repeated calls to investigate high early career turnover within the teaching profession, the present study investigated the hypothesis that a significant positive association between burnout and turnover intention would be observed in teachers at the beginning of their careers. A sample of 112 Australian teachers working in their…

In this paper, we describe part of an Australian national research project that aimed to find out how well prepared beginning teachers are to teach literacy. A majority of beginning teachers participating in a series of national surveys and focus group meetings were confident about their personal literacy skills, their conceptual understandings of…

In this article, we report findings from a study in which the daily lives of novice and experienced secondary mathematics teachers in Victoria were tracked. Two novice and two experienced teachers were also interviewed. Data collection focused on the activities the teachers undertook in and out of working hours, and their reactions to them. The…

Australia wide, all school systems are in the process of providing teachers with computers and there is an expectation that new teachers will possess the expertise to use them in their teaching. In addition to using computers for basic word processing and data manipulation, early-career science teachers need to be able to use a range of…

Explores the perceptions of 24 inexperienced teachers appointed to isolated rural schools in western Queensland. Focuses on the effects of isolation on the teachers' attitudes, behavior, involvement with the community, and teaching performance. Finds that, contrary to popular belief, many young teachers viewed their experience positively. (SV)

Reports on a pilot investigation into the perceptions of graduate teachers (n=9) of their science teaching during their first 18 months as educators. Emergent themes relate to the teachers' perceived self-confidence in teaching science, and to school influences such as collegial support, resources, and the perceived importance of science in the…

New teachers who enter Australian educational systems must acquire suitable knowledge that enables them to function effectively as a teacher in this country. For immigrant professionals new to the system mere transfer of knowledge does not suffice and does not satisfy their professional perception of self. Teachers who are born and trained…

This is the first part of a report of a large-scale national study of the induction of beginning teachers in Australia. The present research program was undertaken in the belief that this growing interest would be well-served by a better understanding of the nature of a person's transition from student in a teachers' college or university to…

This report presents national standards and guidelines for initial teacher education in Australia. The report is the outcome of wide-ranging discussions conducted across Australia in 1996 as part of a collaborative project to develop standards and guidelines for initial teacher education. In 1997, the Advisory Committee completed a draft exposure…

Primary school teachers are the group who must alter their pedagogy to improve the literacy performance of Australian children. Statistics suggest that 70% of Australian primary school teachers are female and that 41% are 45 or older and therefore likely to retire within the next decade. This paper seeks to document histories of women primary…

This study examined the enculturation process experienced by two beginning teachers during their first year of teaching in Queensland (Australia) secondary schools, focusing on teacher socialization and teacher development. Data were gathered using participant observation, verbalized thinking, and in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed by…

This paper describes the experiences of four beginning secondary school teachers in Australia during their first two years of teaching, looks at policy and literature on existing teacher orientation programs and needs, and makes recommendations for further research and program development. Significant contradictions of policy and practice are…

Presents material from two first-year teachers' case writings and discussions about teaching writing which resulted in a "linguistic event," an opportunity to construct new knowledge about teaching. Claims the teachers were able to reflect on concerns in depth, validate each other's practice, and explore the value of talking and writing…