Clinging to the Edge of Chaos: The Emergence of Practice in the First Year of Teaching

Abstract

Background/Context New teachers must cope with various instructional, personal and organizational challenges, an experience that often leads to difficulties enacting innovative, student-centered instructional practices learned in their preservice programs and contributes to high rates of teacher attrition. Purpose Drawing on complexity theory, this review of empirical research takes an organizational or “systems” perspective on the experiences of first-year teachers as they transition from preservice education to the teaching profession. In so doing, we aim to shift away from constructions of the teacher as an autonomous actor and instead build a more complex, nuanced, and layered understanding of the multidimensional influences that work together to shape the practices of novice teachers. Research Design We conducted a metasynthesis of 46 studies that met the following criteria: (a) were focused on first-year teachers, (b) offered sufficient description of participants’ professional practices, (c) featured participants who attended a university-based preparation program, and (d) were conducted since 1990. We first recorded each study's methods, findings, and descriptions of first-year teacher practices. As a second level of analysis, we used a complexity lens to identify the systems comprising first-year teacher practices, noting how those systems and their component or elements interacted to shape first-year teaching. Findings/Results We found that common patterns of interactions between and among systems of first-year teaching—including the teacher herself, the classroom, the school, and the larger district, state, and federal environments—tend to reinforce traditional, teacher-centered practices. Yet, in some studies, conditions surfaced that enabled participants’ to enact student-centered and equity-minded teaching practices learned in their preservice programs. Conclusions/Recommendations Authors suggest that taking a complex systems view of beginning teaching, rather than singularly focusing on the teacher's actions out of context, can reveal opportunities for fostering more supportive, enabling conditions for new teachers to enact innovative practices that many preservice programs promote and experience a smoother transition into teaching.

Using systems perspectives in evidence synthesis: A methodological mapping review

“…For example, Hong et al 35 used the ecological systems theory to examine how the individual characteristics, micro‐, meso−/exo‐, macro‐, and chrono‐systems level factors can influence or inhibit substance use among Asian American youth. Other synthesis methods were also mentioned such as content analysis ( n = 4), 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 realist synthesis ( n = 3), 40 , 41 , 42 framework synthesis ( n = 2), 43 , 44 meta‐synthesis ( n = 2), 45 , 46 thematic synthesis ( n = 2), 47 , 48 and meta‐analysis ( n = 1). 49 For example, McLain et al 41 conducted a realist synthesis on fisheries' property regimes in which the socioecological framework was used as a theory for change framework to inform the context‐mechanism‐outcome (C‐M‐O) analysis.…”

A systems approach to understanding novice teachers' experiences and professional learning

“…There are many studies that show that novice teachers feel unprepared for their first years of teaching and the consequent reality shock of being in schools is well documented around the world (Avalos, 2016;Caspersen & Raaen, 2014;Strom et al, 2018). Some of the findings from studies show that novice teachers find the administration and marking tasks overwhelming, they underestimate the varied and incessant demands on their time, they find it difficult or impossible to apply the teaching strategies learned at university, they find classroom management difficult, and they experience the power relationships and micropolitics of the school as challenging.…”

“…The purpose is to move beyond a dominant linear explanation that tends to blame ITE for poorly preparing students to face the rigours of school life. I draw on work by Hoadley (2002) and by Strom et al (2018) on the regulation of teachers' work and on Strom & Viesca (2021) on complexity theory to create a conceptual framework from which to analyse the data. Strom et al (2018) drew on the work of complexity theorists to consider first year teaching practices as part of a complex set of systems that include, but go beyond, the nature of the ITE programme and of the teacher as autonomous actor.…”

Empezar con buen pie Experiencias de programas de inducción y acompañamiento a docentes de nuevo ingreso

“…Para analizar las entrevistas dirigidas a los profesores principiantes, diseñamos un sistema de categorías basándonos en estudios previos que los autores han realizado en relación con los problemas de profesores principiantes (autor, año). Las dimensiones que contemplamos en este estudio son las que han sido sintetizadas en la reciente revisión realizada por Strom et al (2018). Estos autores revisan la investigación sobre los docentes principiantes y agrupan los temas de investigación en las cuatro dimensiones o sistemas que pueden verse en la figura 1.…”