Exeter School Direct Distance Secondary PGCE

Sustaining a career in teaching: a guide for those supporting new teachers

Posted by pgcesddsec

8 December 2022

Research by Dr Alison Pearson at the University of Exeter has investigated the factors that support teachers to stay in the profession long term.

Below are key headlines, but if you want to know more about each one, please take a look at this guide for schools, where there are examples of how each recommendation might work in practice, as well as explanations of how they were generated from the research.

Summary of Recommendations
1. Identify how to reduce workload for new teachers
2. Focus on student relationships
3. Help teachers to focus on today
4. Recognise and value new teachers for their qualities, skills and achievements
5. Help teachers to take a pragmatic approach to wellbeing
6. Help new teachers to understand the contextual nature of teaching
7. To help new teachers understand that everyone is motivated and challenged by a combination of different things
8. Help teachers to understand how to make the environment work for them
9. Help teachers to recognise there is a balance between acceptance and agency
10. Help teachers to find opportunities for growth and challenge
11. Help teachers to understand that there may be ups and downs throughout their careers.

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