The NYC Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) program, as the nation’s largest alternative certification program, aims to provide high-needs NYC public schools with highly qualified teachers in such hard-to-staff areas as math, science, and special education. Reports of NYCTF teacher retention are mixed; The New Teacher Project (TNTP) claims high retention rates, but other research indicates that fellow recruits have lower retention rates than other teachers in similar NYC schools – only Teach for America (TFA) exhibits higher attrition (Boyd et al., 2006). After scrutinizing these contrary claims, this paper examines the retention of a recent cohort of approximately 300 Mathematics Teaching Fellows (MTFs) in the NYCTF program, examining MTF’s early attrition, movements from school to school in the NYC system, and professional plans for the future. We also include findings on teacher induction, school leadership, and school context that affect MTF retention.

Depuis les années 1990, la formation des enseignants français et québécois a évolué au rythme des réformes et du mouvement de professionnalisation de l’enseignement (Malet, 2010). La France et le Québec n’ont pas opté pour les mêmes configurations de leurs programmes de formation. La formation à l’enseignement est plus longue au Québec qu’en France et correspond à un diplôme de premier cycle universitaire. Cependant, dans un pays comme dans l’autre, l’insertion professionnelle fait naître chez les nouveaux enseignants un sentiment de manque de préparation au métier (Broccolichi et al., 2018 ; Borges et al., 2021). Cette thèse s’intéresse à cette période particulière de la carrière enseignante qu’est l’insertion professionnelle et, plus particulièrement, aux apprentissages propres aux relations avec les élèves qui s’effectuent à cette période. La maîtrise de ces relations est aujourd’hui une condition indispensable pour pouvoir « faire la classe » (Barrère, 2002). À partir d’une analyse sous le prisme de la sociologie du travail enseignant, de la sociologie de l’expérience mais aussi de concepts plus proches des sciences de l’éducation tels que les « savoirs pour enseigner », le « développement professionnel » ou encore « l’apprentissage par l’expérience », cette recherche permet d’articuler des objets qui jusque-là ont plutôt été analysés séparément : la formation initiale, l’entrée dans le métier, la formation continue et les difficultés du travail enseignant. Ce travail repose sur l’analyse d’entretiens semi-directifs menés auprès d’enseignants québécois et d’enseignants français. Les résultats mettent en avant les épreuves relationnelles que les enseignants rencontrent lorsqu’ils débutent dans le métier ainsi que les stratégies qu’ils mobilisent afin de leur faire face. Ils montrent que les enseignants débutants s’appuient sur des ressources telles que la formation, la division du travail éducatif, les collègues ou encore les parents d’élèves. Enfin, ces enseignants sont présentés comme étant détenteurs de connaissances relationnelles constituées à la fois de connaissances sur les élèves et de connaissances sur eux-mêmes en situation d’interaction en classe. Cette thèse ouvre trois axes de réflexion. Premièrement, le manque de formalisation de l’interaction avec autrui est ce qui fait frein à la professionnalisation des métiers de la relation (Demailly, 2008). La réflexion autour de l’objection d’un « savoir relationnel » détenu par les enseignants chevronnés et transmis de génération en génération a donc été amorcée. Deuxièmement, l’approche comparée a permis de mettre en avant le poids de l’organisation scolaire et des choix politiques en matière de formation sur l’apprentissage de la dimension relationnelle du métier. Une réflexion sur les contenus des formations à l’enseignement mais aussi sur leur organisation a donc été proposée. Troisièmement, cette recherche propose une réflexion théorique et pratique sur les relations entre enseignants et élèves. L’injonction à l’individualisation n’a pas été couplée avec une réorganisation des espaces scolaires et du travail des enseignants. Par conséquent, il semble aujourd’hui difficile de considérer ces relations comme étant individualisées. / Since the 1990s, the education and training of French and Quebecois teachers has evolved in line with educational reforms and the professionalization movement in teaching (Malet, 2010). France and Quebec have not adopted the same configurations for their initial teacher education (ITE) programs. ITE in Quebec is longer than in France and corresponds to an undergraduate degree. However, in both countries, new teachers experience a sense of unpreparedness for the profession during their induction years (Broccolichi et al., 2018; Borges et al., 2021). This thesis focuses on a specific period in teachers' careers, namely professional induction, and particularly on the learning related to relationships with students during this time. Mastery of these relationships is now an essential condition for being able to "manage the classroom" (Barrère, 2002). Through an analysis under the lenses of the sociology of teachers’ work, the sociology of experience, and concepts closer to educational sciences such as "knowledge for teaching," "professional development," and "experiential learning" this research allows for the integration of objects that have hitherto been analyzed separately: initial teacher education, entry into the profession, continuous professional development, and the challenges of teaching. This work is based on the thematic analysis of semi structured interview conducted with Quebecois and French teachers. The results highlight the relational challenges that teachers face when starting their careers, as well as the strategies they employ to address them. They demonstrate that novice teachers rely on resources such as training, the division of educational labor, colleagues, and even students’ parents. Finally, these teachers are presented as possessors of relational knowledge composed of both knowledge about students and self-awareness in interactive classroom situations. This thesis introduces three areas of reflection. Firstly, the lack of formalization of interaction with others hinders the professionalization of relational professions (Demailly, 2008). The discussion around the notion of "relational knowledge" held by experienced teachers and transmitted from generation to generation has thus been initiated. Secondly, the comparative approach has highlighted the influence of school organization and political choices regarding training on the learning of the relational dimension of the profession. Reflection on the content and organization of teacher education programs has therefore been proposed. Thirdly, this research offers a theoretical and practical reflection on relationships between teachers and students. The call for individualization has not been coupled with a reorganization of school spaces and teachers' work. Therefore, considering these relationships as individualized appears challenging today.

This investigation on teacher induction documents case studies of three beginning teachers in one target Woreda in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. It is organized into six chapters. In Ethiopia, the implementation of the teacher induction programme began in 2005 as part of a larger teacher education reform that is designed to promote the quality and effectiveness of teachers. Five years into the implementation process, it became essential to investigate how well the induction practices are organized and implemented, how beginning teachers were being integrated into the system, and whether the whole process has given beginning teachers better opportunities to learn in practice than by trial and error. The research design for the present investigation was the case study method. As teacher induction is a new venture in the Ethiopian education system, it was important to establish an in-depth understanding of this new phenomenon through case study than making generalizations. My literature readings convinced me about the use of the case study method to do an in-depth study of the situation. Interviews, observations and document analyses were the main tools used to collect the data needed in this research. The data suggests that the three case study teachers, with the support from their respective mentors, completed the formal aspects of the first year induction course as prescribed by the two first-year induction modules. The induction approach followed and applied the course module materials as is. However, in spite of following the prescriptions by the education authorities, variations were noticed in the quantity and quality of professional development activities, action research projects, classroom observations and reflections offered to and completed by the three beginning teachers. Furthermore, the changes observed as a result of the induction programme also varied largely due to personal and situational factors. On the whole, even though the induction guidelines set by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education contain most of the fundamental components of what the literature would consider to be effective for the induction programmes, its implementation in this context was constrained by the lack of some key elements and resources viz. the limited capacity of the mentors, absence of allocated time for induction and mentoring activities in the school programme, lack of subject-specific support in the schools and ineffective monitoring and evaluation of the entire programme, both in school and at the district levels. The present investigation offers policy makers a window into the practices and possible consequences of the induction programme in Ethiopia and presents possibilities for making informed decisions about how to assist practitioners to establish a successful induction programme for beginning teachers. Furthermore, the study offers an empirical test of the theoretical models suggested for setting up effective induction programmes for beginning teachers. The major conclusion that arises is that it is not so much whether the formal aspects of an induction programme are in place or not but more how the on-going support for and interpretations by all the role players that determines the success or otherwise of the programme. It is suggested that more research be done on the conditions that are necessary for the success of beginning teacher induction programme in different contexts in the country. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

This investigation on teacher induction documents case studies of three beginning teachers in one target Woreda in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. It is organized into six chapters. In Ethiopia, the implementation of the teacher induction programme began in 2005 as part of a larger teacher education reform that is designed to promote the quality and effectiveness of teachers. Five years into the implementation process, it became essential to investigate how well the induction practices are organized and implemented, how beginning teachers were being integrated into the system, and whether the whole process has given beginning teachers better opportunities to learn in practice than by trial and error. The research design for the present investigation was the case study method. As teacher induction is a new venture in the Ethiopian education system, it was important to establish an in-depth understanding of this new phenomenon through case study than making generalizations. My literature readings convinced me about the use of the case study method to do an in-depth study of the situation. Interviews, observations and document analyses were the main tools used to collect the data needed in this research. The data suggests that the three case study teachers, with the support from their respective mentors, completed the formal aspects of the first year induction course as prescribed by the two first-year induction modules. The induction approach followed and applied the course module materials as is. However, in spite of following the prescriptions by the education authorities, variations were noticed in the quantity and quality of professional development activities, action research projects, classroom observations and reflections offered to and completed by the three beginning teachers. Furthermore, the changes observed as a result of the induction programme also varied largely due to personal and situational factors. On the whole, even though the induction guidelines set by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education contain most of the fundamental components of what the literature would consider to be effective for the induction programmes, its implementation in this context was constrained by the lack of some key elements and resources viz. the limited capacity of the mentors, absence of allocated time for induction and mentoring activities in the school programme, lack of subject-specific support in the schools and ineffective monitoring and evaluation of the entire programme, both in school and at the district levels. The present investigation offers policy makers a window into the practices and possible consequences of the induction programme in Ethiopia and presents possibilities for making informed decisions about how to assist practitioners to establish a successful induction programme for beginning teachers. Furthermore, the study offers an empirical test of the theoretical models suggested for setting up effective induction programmes for beginning teachers. The major conclusion that arises is that it is not so much whether the formal aspects of an induction programme are in place or not but more how the on-going support for and interpretations by all the role players that determines the success or otherwise of the programme. It is suggested that more research be done on the conditions that are necessary for the success of beginning teacher induction programme in different contexts in the country. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)