Moving beyond induction and mentoring: The influence of networks on novice teacher experiences |
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| Authors: | Lynn M Sikma |
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| Institution: | Watson College of Education, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special Education, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA |
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| Abstract: | In this research, I investigated the social support networks of four novice elementary teachers. Data were obtained through one-on-one interviews, egocentric social network map creation, and observations. Though the four teachers had varying levels of satisfaction, at the completion of their second year of teaching, all four expressed intent to remain in their positions and the profession. Examination of the four teachers’ social support networks and work contexts suggests that these novice teachers need and value the following supports: emotional, contextual, relational, academic, and social. The types of supports each of the four teachers accessed were functions of the type and locations of the relationships they formed but also reveal the priority the teachers placed on the various supports. |
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| Keywords: | social networks novice teachers informal mentoring |
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