Expectations of teacher leadership for school improvement have gained increasing currency in recent years. While extensive research on teacher leadership and practicing teachers exists, comparatively little research exists at pre-service level and there is little empirical data regarding leadership experiences and practices of novice teachers…

Framed within the burgeoning policy and research literature on teacher induction internationally, this paper focuses on the mentoring and probationary-related experiences of nine newly qualified primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland, during the course of their initial year of workplace practice, post-graduation. Gleaning newly qualified…

Located in the Republic of Ireland, and drawing on "figured worlds theory" (Holland et al. 1998), the focus of this paper relates to the shaping of positional identities among a cohort of novice elementary teachers, during their initial year of workplace practice, post-graduation. The concept of "figured worlds" helps make…

This study investigates the sources of mentors' knowledge about teaching. A mixed-method research design combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used to examine this area. The findings of the study suggest that: mentors' knowledge about teaching is practice orientated and emerges from their professional experiences,…

This article discusses the findings of a large scale mixed-methods study (2006-2010) conducted on a variety of early professional experiences of beginning primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland.