Addressing second-career teachers' earlier experiences

Abstract

Alternative certification programmes (ACPs) for second-career teachers are seen as a solution to teacher shortages because they offer a way to expand a pool of qualified teachers by attracting individuals who might otherwise not have become teachers. The principal virtue of ACPs is that they are labour-market sensitive and can be tailored to address specific shortages However, some studies show that the efficiency of ACPs is moderate. Also in the Netherlands, the efficiency appears to be modest. Since the development of ACPs in 2000, the expectations about the number of career changers who could and would be educated in Dutch ACPs have been high. However, research shows that the real number of ACP participants is disappointing. One possible explanation may be that ACPS are insufficiently responsive to the specific learning needs of second-career teachers. In the present dissertation, second-career teachers’ earlier experiences are explored from a pedagogical point of view. Two small scale studies (Chapter 3) show that first- and second-career teachers differ seriously in several aspects that are directly related to earlier experiences (for example motives, skills, practical knowledge, and autonomy in learning). In addition, Chapter 4, a review study, shows that second-career teachers face specific challenges that are related to their earlier experiences, notably the challenge of the transferability of skills, the challenge of linking practical expertise to the classroom and the challenge of strong beliefs and change. These challenges may affect their well-being, their learning and eventually their professional success as teachers. Concerning the challenge of strong beliefs and change, the last study in this dissertation (Chapter 5), exploring second-career teachers’ initial conceptions, shows that second-career teachers (N=207) hold a wide variety of views on teaching and learning, which can be captured in a small number of conceptions. Over a third of the ACP participants studied hold initial conceptions of teaching and learning in which building upon earlier experiences is seen as a process of transformation supported by a mentor seen as a counsellor. Concerning the development of participants’ conceptions (N=70), three patterns of development are distinguished: growth, consolidation and regression. Half of the participants showed growth, which implies that half of the participants showed either stagnation or even regression in conceptions. This finding may be interpreted through the lens of existing research on teacher socialisation, in which it was found that the immersion in practice brings teachers to revert to more traditional views of good teaching As a whole, the pedagogical implications of the present dissertation can be summarised as “addressing second-career teachers’ earlier experiences”, pointing in the direction of (1) flexible orientation and (2) targeted preparation in advance of workplace learning and (3) developing a pedagogy of educating second-career teachers. Chapter 2 of the present dissertation shows that the some approaches of the realistic pedagogy may contribute to the further development of ACPs.