National Survey of Teachers in Their First Year of Service, 1966-1967; Interview Questionnaire

<p>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</p>The purpose of this study was to collect information about the conditions, opportunities, problems and needs of teachers at the beginning of their career and to assist in the development of services to them.<br> <i>National Survey of Teachers in Their First Year of Service, 1966-1967</i> (SN:66031,66032,66033,67032,67033)<br> This group of surveys serves both as a demographic study of probationary teachers and as a longitudinal study in which characteristics of the teachers at the beginning and at the end of the year were related to each other and to characteristics of the school and of the employing authority. It covers seven main areas: probationary background and training; their distribution; appointment and placement; in-service guidance; probationers in the classroom; in the school community; outside school; and career intentions.<br> Arising from findings of this group of surveys, a further research and development project was undertaken by the University of Bristol to investigate the needs, problems, and advantages associated with the mounting of in-service courses for probationers. The data from this project are held as SN:14 <i>Probationary Teachers, 1968-1969</i> and SN:15 <i>Probationary Teachers, 1969-1970</i>.<br> The phasing of the enquiry followed the timetable:<br> Spring 1966: Survey of Directors of Education in the 162 LEA's in England and Wales (SN:66031)<br> June 1966: Survey of Head Teachers (SN:66032)<br> Sept 1966: First survey of probationers (SN:66033)<br> March 1967: Oral interviews with sub-sample of probationers (SN:67032)<br> May 1967: Follow-up questionnaire to probationers who responded to first questionnaire (SN:67033)<br> <br> SN:14 includes two questionnaires (A1 and B1) distributed to probationers in one rural and three urban areas in July 1969. These probationers had completed their probationary year and had experienced only traditional forms of in-service guidance; they formed a control group for the project.<br> SN:15 includes nine questionnaires, distributed between September 1969 and July 1970 in conjunction with a series of project-organized induction courses and discussion meetings. The questionnaires were administered according to the following timetable:<br> Sept 1969: Questionnaire A2 and B2 to all probationers<br> Sept-Oct 1969: Questionnaire C1 to those attending induction conference<br> Oct-Dec 1969: Questionnaire C2 to those attending discussion meetings<br> Jan-June 1970: Questionnaire C3 to those at optional topics courses<br> July 1970: Questionnaire C4 to those at overview conference<br> July 1970: Questionnaire C5 to all probationers<br> July 1970: Questionnaire A3 to all probationers<br> (Questionnaire A1, A2 and A3 were essentially identical, B1, B2 and B3 completely identical.)<br> The questionnaires therefore measured both response to various course programmes and discussion meetings, and the overall effect of such courses on the professional judgements, opinions and actions of probationary teachers.<B>Main Topics</B>:<br> Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions<br> During this series of oral interviews given to probationary teachers during their second term of teaching, information on the following was elicited: reasons for choice of LEA; date of original application; date of notification of appointment to school received; date of first visit to school; staff met and aspects of school seen during this first visit; information available by end of preceding term, about syllabus to be used, time-table to be followed, age- and ability-range to be taught in September, and age- and ability-range of children now being taught. A further series of questions establishes the probationer's feelings towards own teaching, including whether satisfied with the age- and ability-range of own classes, whether feels comfortable with the children, whether using the same approaches to teaching as used during teaching practice and, if not, reasons for changes made, ways in which probationer feels own teaching could be made more effective (such as provision of more space, more books or materials, smaller classes, wider age range and so on), and the sources of information on conventions, both written and unwritten, which govern the life of the school.<br> The probationer is also asked whether any part-time work or study is undertaken in addition to teaching, and the nature of any such work or study, whether expects to continue in the same school during the next year and, if not, for what reasons, what position expects to have attained in five year's time and, if the interviewee is a woman who is leaving the profession for family reasons, whether expects to return to teaching when commitments permit. After a comparison of present experience of teaching with expectations aroused during training, the probationer is asked to choose, from lists provided, the three problems found most important in terms of teaching, school community life and personal life. A final question asks for ways in which the probationer feels entry into the teaching profession might have been improved or made smoother.<br> Background Variables<br> Probationer's sex, school, university or college of education attended, subject and date of degree or certificate