The pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to new teachers (Pic: Getty Creative)
Teachers who started their careers at the height of pandemic restrictions could end up being more effective as a result of their experiences, according to a new report.
While new teachers suffered from isolation and self-doubt, they also demonstrated a level of resilience that could make them better teachers, researchers found.
Fewer opportunities to meet parents and take part in extra-curricular activities limited their pastoral involvement, but they also benefited from a greater use of technology to support teaching and learning, and an increased sense of professional community.
“Despite the challenges, those teachers who trained during the pandemic demonstrated incredible resilience,” according to research associate Sarah Steadman, one of the report’s authors.
“Their unique experience and skills need to be fully utilised as they have so much to offer.”
The Covid-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to the teachers who trained between 2019 and 2021, as school closures limited opportunities to gain classroom experience and curtailed opportunities to get to know students outside the classroom.
Induction programs were also too generic to be able to adapt to the new circumstances of remote teaching and lack of face-to-face support.
“The pandemic affected each new teacher in different ways and so the current generic approach fell short of what was needed,” said Dr Simon Gibbons, director of teacher education at King’s College London and lead author of the report.
“It is crucial we provide more bespoke training that reflects the unique challenges and opportunities they faced, so we can support them to stay in teaching.”
But it also had a positive impact on early career teachers, according to the study by researchers at King’s College London, based on interviews with trainees, early career teachers, teacher trainers and school-based mentors.
The flexibility and resilience required to adapt to the new situation, reflected in the willingness to embrace the unprecedented circumstances of nationwide lockdowns, may benefit teachers and make it more likely that they stay in the profession, researchers said.
New teachers were able to showcase and develop their IT and remote working skills, as well as provide support to placement schools in implementing online teaching and learning strategies, helping boost trainees’ self-confidence.
The circumstances of the pandemic also helped foster a stronger sense of professional community within schools, as well as helping break down traditional hierarchies to create a shared sense of purpose.
But the study’s authors said their findings also pointed to the need to develop more personalized training and induction, and offer more pastoral opportunities, mental health training, structured support for interactions with parents and encouragement to play a fuller role in the school.
“Those who have become teachers during the pandemic period have made an important contribution to the learning and lives of young people in their school communities,” said Dr Elizabeth Rushton, co-author of the report and now at the Institute of Education at University College London.
“However, in order for this group of teachers to flourish they need continued support, especially with the pastoral elements of teaching so that they can develop their skills and expertise alongside more experienced colleagues.”
