Examining an Inquiry-based Approach for New Teacher Training

Many new teachers do not feel adequately prepared to face the challenges ahead of them in the classroom. As a result, formal induction programs have emerged as the primary response to the needs and concerns of beginning teachers. However, while there are components of induction that have shown to be successful, questions remain as to the actual models for implementation that are not only effective, but also accessible by schools nation-wide. In addition, research on induction has produced varied results. To address the challenge of teacher development, substantial professional development literature has concluded that basic teaching skills are developed and strengthened as a result of participation in instructional inquiry. Studies show that through collaborative instructional inquiry it may be possible for teacher attributions to shift from external causes toward specific, teacher-implemented instructional actions and planning as explanations for student achievement gains. Through inquiry, teachers are able to work on shared problems long enough to develop solutions to see cause-effect connections between their instruction and student outcomes. This research project contrasted the experiences of two groups of new teachers at a high school in Southern California. One group participated in a conventional induction program. A second group received additional training as part of their role as a Learning Teams Facilitator at the school site. The principle purpose of this study was to gather teachers' feedback on their experience in teacher induction at the school site. The project also sought to discover the mechanisms that best prepared the teachers to understand and sustain their own professional growth. Using action research and teacher interviews, the researcher documented the reflections of ten new teachers as they described the training they received during their transition to the teaching profession. The researcher also utilized the Teacher Concern Questionnaire to track the levels of concern that the teachers had throughout their first years of teaching. The investigation revealed several notable findings that could be connected to the specific training the teachers received at the school site. A focus on student needs over teacher needs emerged as important for the teachers. In addition, training that is grounded in classroom learning and based on evidence was an important element for the teachers' development. How the teachers defined their growth also impacted how they described their success in the classroom. Collaborating with colleagues on shared problems of practice was also critical to the teachers in this study.