The collegial networks of early career teachers in primary education

Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first years of practice. This chapter reports about Flemish research focusing on the role of collegial support networks in keeping ECTs in the profession, using mixed-methods social network analysis. Links to Communities of Practice—as the central theme of this book—are made, and recommendations towards ECTs, their colleagues, mentors, school leaders, policy makers, teacher education colleges and pedagogical advisory services are formulated.Globally, large numbers of early career teachers (ECTs) drop out of the profession in the first years of practice. This chapter reports about Flemish research focusing on the role of collegial support networks in keeping ECTs in the profession, using mixed-methods social network analysis. Links to Communities of Practice—as the central theme of this book—are made, and recommendations towards ECTs, their colleagues, mentors, school leaders, policy makers, teacher education colleges and pedagogical advisory services are formulated.B