Eli Bergsvik

Bio: Eli Bergsvik is an academic researcher from Bergen University College. The author has contributed to research in topics: Professional development. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 25 citations.

The newly qualified teacher: a leader and a professional? A Norwegian study

Abstract: This article is based on a Norwegian study. The focus is two‐fold, including the views of both new teachers and leaders on the issue of leadership and professionalism. First, the focus is on the way newly qualified teachers describe how they function in the school and kindergarten organizations. The discussion explores how new teachers’ meetings with these organizations influence their daily life as teachers, and thereby their progress toward proficiency. Secondly, the focus shifts from the perspective of the new teachers to that of the organization leaders, who emphasize that professional competence is complex. In their view, it includes important aspects of the teacher’s role such as authority, leadership and how to act as teachers—important elements in the development of professionalism in this field the first years as teachers.

Can Early Careers Teachers Be Teacher Leaders? A Study of Second-Year Trainees in the Teach First Alternative Certification Programme.

Abstract: The most recent decade has seen a major growth in interest in teacher leadership, but there is limited research on the extent to which early career teachers can take on teacher leadership roles. In this article we explore this question by looking at teachers prepared through the alternative certification programme Teach First (TF), which aims to have its teachers take on leadership roles. We used a mixed methods approach, employing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods including surveys of TF teachers and headteachers, and 16 case studies, which included interview of TF teachers, heads, middle managers and non-TF teachers. We found that the TF teachers were keen and able to exercise leadership. This was most strongly the case for informal leadership roles like leading initiatives in the school. School support was important; senior management needs to be committed to distributed leadership, and practical hands-on support is required at the departmental level. A context that is stable and employs ...

The importance of collegiality and reciprocal learning in the professional development of beginning teachers

Abstract: This paper discusses factors that enhance induction experiences for beginning teachers. It reports the findings from case studies that explore the impact of new entrants to the teaching profession in Scotland. The data suggest that the most supportive induction processes mix both formal and informal elements, but that the informal elements such as collegiality, good communication and a welcoming workplace environment should not be underestimated. The study also highlights the potential benefits of a more collegiate environment for teachers across the career phases. Experienced teachers and new entrants had a range of experience to offer each other, thus creating more cohesive professional working which was supportive of early career teachers while encouraging reflection on practice among the more experienced professionals.

Surprising but not shocking: the reality of the first year of teaching

Abstract: The need in many countries not merely to recruit but – critically – to retain effective teachers has been a key factor in shaping induction policies. Past reviews of teacher induction have highlighted two important sources of difficulty: novices’ own unrealistic expectations of teaching and of students, and others’ unrealistic expectations of the novices. This article, which examines the relationship between teachers’ expectations of the first year of teaching and the realities that they encounter, explores the ways in which two policies in England – school-based initial teacher education partnerships (established since the early 1990s) and formal induction arrangements (re-introduced in 2000) have impacted on beginning teachers’ experience of the transition. Drawing on data from a three-year longitudinal study it focuses specifically on how the teachers’ reflections on their experience of their first year in teaching are related to the accounts that they give of their learning over the same period.

Newly Qualified Teachers in Northern Europe : Comparative Perspectives on Promoting Professional Development.

Abstract: Newly Qualified Teachers in Northern Europe : Comparative Perspectives on Promoting Professional Development

The newly qualified teacher: a leader and a professional? A Norwegian study

Abstract: This article is based on a Norwegian study. The focus is two‐fold, including the views of both new teachers and leaders on the issue of leadership and professionalism. First, the focus is on the way newly qualified teachers describe how they function in the school and kindergarten organizations. The discussion explores how new teachers’ meetings with these organizations influence their daily life as teachers, and thereby their progress toward proficiency. Secondly, the focus shifts from the perspective of the new teachers to that of the organization leaders, who emphasize that professional competence is complex. In their view, it includes important aspects of the teacher’s role such as authority, leadership and how to act as teachers—important elements in the development of professionalism in this field the first years as teachers.