EXPLORING THE GAP BETWEEN TEACHER CERTIFICATION AND PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT IN ONTARIO - AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Oct 15, 2026

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An integrative literature review examines the measurable time gap in Ontario between completion of teacher certification programs and entry into permanent teaching employment. With teacher oversupply and reduced student enrollment, many newly certified teachers begin as occasional teachers and may wait several years for full-time contracts. The review analyzes whether occasional teaching periods sustain professional readiness, focusing on preparation after delayed transition, professional development support from employing school boards, and practical recommendations for administrators, boards, and faculties of education.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and Objectives

Background

Integrative Review of Literature

EXPLORING THE GAP BETWEEN TEACHER CERTIFICATION AND PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT IN ONTARIO: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW Allison Brock and Thomas G. Ryan, Nipissing University The following integrative literature review illuminates the perceptible time gap that currently exists for new Ontario teachers graduating and moving from teacher preparation programs to permanent members of the Ontario teaching community. At a time of oversupply of teachers, many new teachers within Ontario and beyond its borders become occasional teachers and must wait several years before gaining permanent teaching employment. Due to this extended wait time for a permanent contract position, it is important to explore just how occasional teachers remain prepared. Herein the question of whether new teachers are prepared for a permanent position after a period of occasional teaching is addressed. Introduction There is a widening time frame (gap) between the completion of teacher preparation programs and permanent employment as a teacher, especially in Ontario. Indeed,“the teacher surplus in Ontario is now so large that half the new education graduates will face five or more years of job searching to gain full employment as teachers”(Ontario College of Teachers, 2013, back cover) . Opportunities for new teachers are reduced because there are fewer potential students to fill schools: “Most Ontario DSBs [District School Boards] have fewer students and schools than they used to”(Miller, 2011, p. 39) . Also reducing the employment opportunities for new teachers is the fact that teachers are not retiring as early as they once had, and more retired teachers are double-dipping by securing places on occasional teacher lists ahead of newly qualified teachers. New teachers frequently begin their careers as occasional teachers, and evidence will demonstrate that occasional teachers are not provided with satisfactory professional development in order to remain current during this time. In Ontario, it is likely several years before newly certified teachers gain permanent employment as teachers, and, therefore, it seems important to ask, Are they still current and prepared? Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this review is to examine and explore via available literature, the obstacles newly certified teachers who become occasional teachers encounter while attempting to remain prepared to teach, and while waiting for a permanent position within the province of Ontario. We believe it is ofthe utmost importance to all stakeholders such as school boards that they employ highly qualified and prepared individuals to teach their students. Investigating whether new teachers who become occasional teachers remain prepared to teach after an extended wait time will address a key question in existing literature which focuses primarily on whether new teachers are prepared for their first year of teaching, assuming that they obtain employment immediately after certification. The objectives are to determine and illuminate via current and available literature, the ways new and occasional teachers remain prepared to teach while they search for permanent employment; to determine if and how occasional teachers are being supported as teachers by the school boards where they are employed; to identify reasons occasional teachers are not prepared to teach; and to recommend ways in which administrators, school boards, and faculties of education can better prepare new teachers who become occasional teachers for their often inordinate wait time. Background More research needs to examine new teacher preparedness (Al-Bataineh, 2009; Authier, 2012; Fennell, 1993; Imbibo & Silvernail, 1999) . Today, minimal research exists that examines whether new teachers who become (short term [ST] or long term [LT]) occasional teachers, while waiting for permanent employment, continue to be current and prepared as the years of occasional teaching grow. Currently, many new t

FAQs

What is the main gap this review focuses on in Ontario?

The review focuses on the time gap between completing teacher preparation programs and securing permanent employment as a teacher.

Why do newly certified teachers often start as occasional teachers?

Employment opportunities are reduced due to factors such as teacher oversupply, fewer students in districts, and delayed replacement needs, causing many teachers to wait years for permanent positions.

How does the review assess whether occasional teachers remain prepared?

It examines literature on whether teachers continue to be current and prepared while waiting during short-term or long-term occasional teaching, including the level of professional development and support provided by school boards.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet