Change advocacy as coping strategy: how beginning teachers cope with emotionally challenging situations

Abstract

Beginning to teach after teacher education is commonly depicted as an emotionally challenging period. Beginning teachers deploy strategies to cope with the emotionally challenging transition from teacher education and starting a position as a teacher. One way of coping is trying change the origin of the challenges. The aim of the study was to investigate how teachers in their last year as student teachers and their first year as teachers make meaning of a change advocacy strategy to cope with challenging situations as teachers. A qualitative interview study was performed. Twenty-five participants were interviewed while studying in their last year of teacher education, and 20 were interviewed again after having worked as a teacher for a year. In between, 68 self-reports were collected. The material was analysed using constructivist grounded theory tools. The findings show that as student teachers the participants identified two prerequisites to be able to use the change advocacy strategy as beginning teachers: (1) establishing teacher ambiguity and (2) challenging the perceived negative mindset. When utilising a change advocacy strategy as beginning teachers, the participants tried to reform teaching practices and attain a position of competence.

How do students use their ethical compasses during internship? An empirical study among students of universities of applied sciences

“…However, little empirical research addresses the responses of students to ethical dilemmas they experienced in their internships. Only recently have the ethical dilemmas that student teachers (also called pre-service teachers) encounter during professional practice (Davies and Heyward 2019;Deng et al 2018;Lilach 2020;Lindqvist et al 2020a), and the ways in which they cope with emotionally challenging situations (Lindqvist et al 2017(Lindqvist et al , 2019Lindqvist et al 2021) been investigated. However, not in terms of the ethical compass.…”

A Challenging Transition: Factors Influencing the Effort-Reward Imbalance and Coping Strategies of Beginning Teachers in China

“… 44 , 45 Recent research has found that beginning teachers, as newcomers to the workplace, need to possess the two prerequisites of establishing teacher ambiguity and challenging perceived negative mindsets when using change advocacy strategy. 43 Based on the participants’ reports of its effectiveness, we encourage future beginning teachers to choose problem-focused coping strategies to confront challenges. We also suggest that school leaders pay more attention to beginning teachers’ feedback and support them in bringing change to their campuses.…”

Strategi Sokongan Perubahan Untuk Mengatasi Tekanan Emosi Guru Novis di Sekolah

“…Inovasi mungkin terhasil daripada amalan praktik di mana pengamal mencari jawapan kepada permasalahan yang timbul bukan dengan penyelidikan semata-mata. Maka kertas konsep ini mengguna pakai strategi sokongan perubahan (Lindqvist et al, 2021) untuk mengatasi masalah tekanan emosi guru novis di sekolah. Ini adalah kerana kajian dan literatur lepas menyatakan terdapat tekanan emosi berlaku di kalangan guru novis sehingga membolehkan kertas konsep ini terhasil.…”

“…Kertas konsep ini mencadangkan guru-guru novis di sekolah untuk menggunakan strategi sokongan perubahan untuk mengatasi tekanan emosi yang mereka hadapi. Strategi sokongan perubahan terdiri daripada empat langkah iaitu mengukuhkan keraguan, mencabar pemikiran negatif, memperbaharui amalan dan mencapai kompetensi (Lindqvist et al, 2021).…”