Teacher induction in Australia: Historical context and current challenges

Sean Kearney
The University of Notre Dame Australia, Australia

In Australia, the recognition of the importance of induction for beginning teachers has been present for over three decades. In 2016, the first set of guidelines was introduced to implement beginning teacher induction: Graduate to proficient: Australian Guidelines for teacher induction into the profession. However, reports of variations and inconsistencies in beginning teacher induction were widespread before the release of the guidelines. This article examines the historical context that led to the release of national guidelines and looks at recent research regarding beginning teacher induction to ascertain whether there have been any significant changes in the conduct of induction in the five years since the release of the guidelines, 2016-2020. Through a case study of beginning teacher induction, this article illustrates the extent to which the guidelines are being implemented, the experiences of the teachers undergoing beginning teacher induction in schools, and the ensuing policy implications. The findings indicate that a lack of policy-driven, mandatory guidelines and oversight by regulators and school systems has led to little change in the implementation of induction, specifically in New South Wales (NSW) schools.
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Author: Sean Kearney is a Professor in the School of Education, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney Campus. Sean is also the founding and international director of the Dayamani Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that has built a residential school for underprivileged children in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6910-3372 Email: sean.kearney@nd.edu.au Please cite as: Kearney, S. (2023). Teacher induction in Australia: Historical context and current challenges. Issues in Educational Research, 33(1), 118-136. http://www.iier.org.au/iier33/kearney.pdf