Nyutdannede læreres opplevelse av læreryrket

Abstract

Beginning teachers’ job perceptions\nOver the last decade, the lack of qualified teachers in schools has been the subject of both research and political debate in many countries. In this study, we have investigated the factors that predict beginning teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction, stress, and thoughts about quitting the job. The sample consisted of a total of 597 beginning teachers (65% women) from Norway. The results show that women experience higher job satisfaction and more stress at work than men do. The beginning teachers who said teaching was their first choice of career reported higher satisfaction with the profession and had fewer thoughts about quitting. Furthermore, the results show that beginning teachers are more satisfied than their more experienced colleagues with the profession and their school, a trend that was also reported by TALIS 2013. When it comes to beginning teachers’ own competence, the results show that self-efficacy in classroom management is significantly related to both higher satisfaction with their school and less stress. Regarding organizational factors, the findings show that commitment to and support from the school organisation are significantly related to higher satisfaction with the workplace. The study has several implications for school leaders and decision makers.