Beginning teachers’ responses to education reform agendas

Abstract

National education reform agendas are increasingly prevalent in school systems around the world. Whilst we have a substantial body of research exploring the ways in which schools manage change agendas, there is less discussion of the impacts these agendas may have on beginning teachers and their retention in the profession. Here I report on a study of 14 beginning teachers at a time when two major reforms were being introduced - national standardised literacy teaching and the public reporting of those results. I describe the ways in which these reforms were experienced by the teachers and discuss the implications for school leaders seeking to support beginning teachers in their schools.