Newly qualified teachers’ experiences of support in a micro-political perspective

Abstract

The induction period is a frequently discussed element in a teacher’s career. While there is a recognised need for support during induction, the access to support is not available to all newly qualified teachers (NQTs). However, little is known about the micro-political processes of NQTs’ access to support in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to investigate experiences of support during NQTs’ first year in teaching, using concepts from micro-political theory. The findings show that NQTs experience reactive support, a lack of formal support, and self-initiated informal peer support. The findings are based on a thematic analysis of written accounts collected from 15 NQTs in Norwegian secondary schools every month during their first year, as well as individual interviews at the end of the year. The study concludes that the use of power in interactions among members of the school organisation impact NQTs’ access to induction-support.