Mario Moya:Induction Candidates and Support Providers in an Induction Consortium Serving Diverse Urban Schools
Chair: Albert Jones and Sharon Ulanoff
Committee: M. Castaneda
ABD:August 29, 2011
Final Dissertation: November 14, 2014
(208 pages)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) induction program was implemented at an induction consortium in Southern California. The objectives to this study were to: (a) determine how induction candidates experienced induction in a BTSA consortium serving urban schools, and (b) examine how induction support providers influenced induction candidates and their instructional practices.
Induction programs in California provide novice teachers with the training and preparation to transition from student teaching to full-time classroom teaching as credentialed teachers. California teacher credentialing policy requires all teachers with a preliminary teaching credential to complete a state approved induction program to clear their teaching credential. The participants in this study that were referred to as support providers were certified veteran teachers in the induction program that facilitatedprogram coursework with the induction candidates. The induction candidates were the teachers enrolled in the induction program that were completing their state credential requirements. They were referred to as induction candidates because some of the participants were not novices to the teaching profession and had work experience.
This investigation was conducted using a case study research design. The induction program constituted the case in this study. The consortium was comprised of ten small districts and the program had an enrollment of 104 induction candidates and 90 support providers. This study used a purposive sample to study the consortium’s induction program in order to get maximum representation among the inductioncandidates and support providers. Sixteen induction candidates and 11 support providers participated in the study. The 27 participants were interviewed individually during the fall and spring of the 2012-2013 school year. Primary sources of information for this study were field notes, transcripts from interviews, observations, and the consortium’s induction program text/documents/artifacts.
Four central themes emerged from this study: (a) program goals and vision, (b) reflective practice, (c) support provider as a resource, and (d) technical support. These findings showed that goals of the consortium’s induction program were aligned with state induction policy of supporting novice teachers as they transitioned to the classroom. Support providers believed they had two roles in the induction process. Their primary role was to help induction candidates develop their teaching practice as outlined by teaching and induction standards. Their secondary role was to assist the induction candidates with accessing district and school resources and helping them implement classroom management procedures. There was wide consensus among the induction candidates that the consortium’s induction program met their expectations and addressed their areas of need.