This project dealt with the professional development experiences, requirements, and preferences of newly inducted teachers. The problem statement, research methodology, and project delimitation are presented in this chapter.
In many schools and educational jurisdictions in the United States, newly inducted teachers have traditionally been required to fend for themselves in adjusting to their new responsibilities and tasks, and in seeking further professional development (Howley, 1985). Two results of this approach to professional development for new teachers are (1) a high turn over among newly inducted teachers (Clayton, & Wilson, 1984), and (2) a deteriorating quality of delivered education (Huling Austin, Barnes, & Smith, 1985).
This project examined the professional development experi ences, requirements, and preferences of newly inducted teachers. The three fold purpose of the project was to (1) assess the types and modes of professional development experi ences of newly inducted teachers within the contexts of
preferences and requirements, (2) assess the adequacy of pro cesses in place to accomodate the professional development pre ferences and requirements of newly indicted teachers, and (3) assess the implications for improvements in the in place pro cesses for the professional development of newly inducted teachers.
The data required for this study were obtained through the administration of a survey questionnaire to a sample of active classroom teachers. The sample was drawn from the teacher pop ulations of the Sacremento (California) Unified School Dis trict, and the Salt Lake City (Utah) Unified School District. Random procedures were employed in the selection of teachers to be included in the research sample. Usable survey question naires were received from a total of 44 teachers, of whom 19 were under contract with the Sacremento Unified School Dis trict, and 25 were under contract with the Salt Lake Ci...