School management teams' experiences on the induction process of novice teachers in primary schools

Abstract

In any workplace it is a norm that newly appointed staff members should be welcomed and inducted. How the induction process is implemented differs from one organisation to another. This study focused on the school management teams’ experiences in the induction of novice teachers in primary schools. School management teams (SMTs) are confronted by various challenges when implementing the induction process of novice teachers. As there is limited knowledge on the topic, this study intended to analyse, describe, interpret and record the practices of SMT members regarding the challenges they encounter and possible solutions during the induction process of novice teachers. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the school management teams’ experiences concerning their roles in the induction process of novice teachers. The assumptions informing this study were that if novice teachers are expected to perform their duties similar to experienced teachers, there should be support structures in place to enhance the quality of their lesson delivery. SMT members are expected to induct novice teachers successfully, therefore, they should also be guided on the “how” of the implementation of the induction process. Purposive sampling technique was used to select suitable participants. The target group were principals, deputy principals and heads of department in selected primary schools in Johannesburg Central district. The data collection method applied was semi-structured interviews where all responses were recorded and analysed according to emerging themes that answered the research questions. Results revealed that induction of novice teachers is still not realised as significant in most schools (Hudson, 2012). It is not a prerequisite for a completion of the novice teacher’s probation to a permanent appointment. SMT members supported the need for induction guided by a school policy, but they required realistic workloads to devote time to provide the much-needed support of novice teachers. The study recommended that the Department of Basic Education formalise the implementation of induction processes in all schools by providing policy guidelines to SMT members to enhance the induction process in schools. Furthermore, the study recommends the development of SMT members on how to induct novice teachers as a continuous and shared responsibility of all stakeholders.