The Induction of Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers in Queensland [microform] : The Views of Beginning Teachers

This report presents the results of a survey questionnaire of beginning teachers who started duty in Queensland preschools or kindergartens in 1987. A brief summary is given of the literature on induction and beginning teachers, and a description provided of the organization of early childhood education in Queensland. At the beginning of the year, the areas in which the largest proportion of first-year teachers expressed confidence were interacting with children, communicating with parents, and program planning. However, they wanted help in programming as well as administration and strategies for interacting with particular children. A need was felt for assurance and moral support, especially at the start of their teaching careers. As the year progressed, teachers tended to become more concerned with task-oriented and child-oriented issues and less concerned for their personal security. The study indicated that the needs of a majority of beginning teachers were being met. The most frequent sources of help were advisory teachers, the director or teacher-in-charge of the center, and aides or assistants. Recommendations are made for improving the induction of beginning preschool teachers. (JD)