Professional development of newly arrived teachers in Sweden

Abstract

In 2016, the government-funded Fast Track for Newly Arrived Teachers and Preschool Teachers programme was introduced in Sweden. The initiative stemmed from a shortage of teachers and preschool teachers alongside a relatively large number of educated and experienced teachers among newly arrived immigrants. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative data to present the participants’ perspectives of the professional development offered by the Fast Track programme. The experiences of participants reveal challenges encountered in a new social and cultural field. This study uses the framework of human capital and social capital theory. The results show that the vast majority of participants perceive that they gain professional development through the Fast Track programme with the help of bonding and bridging social capital. However, Swedish administrative processes, cultural barriers, such as language proficiency, and slow adaptation to the new educational context seem to hinder professional development and integration.