I Sorta Felt Like I Was Out In The Middle Of The Ocean - Novice Teachers’ Transition to the Classroom

Oct 15, 2026

Initial teacher education course design aims to equip pre-service teachers with skills, processes, and knowledge for teaching as a profession. Inquiry-oriented dispositions across teacher learning are framed as a key element of these programs. The study examines how novice teachers’ transition from pre-service preparation to classroom challenges unfolds, and how initial teacher education shaped readiness for that shift. It focuses on graduate teachers becoming novices and the impact of their training on classroom transition experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 6 | Article 7 | | --- | --- | 2018 “I Sorta Felt Like I was out in the Middle of the Ocean”: Novice Teachers’Transition to the Classroom Rebecca Miles La Trobe University, [r.miles@latrobe.edu.au](r.miles@latrobe.edu.au) Sally Knipe La Trobe University, [s.knipe@latrobe.edu.au](s.knipe@latrobe.edu.au) Recommended Citation Miles, R., & Knipe, S. (2018).“I Sorta Felt Like I was out in the Middle of the Ocean”: Novice Teachers’ Transition to the Classroom. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (6). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n6.7](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n6.7) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss6/7](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss6/7) Australian Journal of Teacher Education “I Sorta Felt Like I Was Out In The Middle Of The Ocean”: Novice Teachers’ Transition To The Classroom Rebecca Miles Sally Knipe La Trobe University Abstract: The design of initial teacher education courses is to provide pre-service teachers with skills, processes and knowledge about the practice and profession of teaching. This allows graduate teachers to best service the learning needs of future students. A disposition of inquiry in relation to ongoing teacher learning is a significant aspect of initial teacher education programs. The contribution that teacher education programs make in the transition from pre-service teachers to teacher challenges the experiences that occur during the teacher education program. The impetus for this study was to examine the graduate teacher’s transition to novice teaching and the impact of their initial teacher education course in preparing them for this transition. Introduction There has been a significant amount of research worldwide examining the classroom preparation of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and the long-term retention of beginning teachers 1 in the profession. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature investigating the various perspectives of an ECTs professional life including; the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs in preparing teachers (Kane, Rockoff & Staiger, 2008; Kane & Francis, 2013; Schuck, Aubussion, Buchanan & Russell 2012; Veen, Bakermans, Franzen & Van Hoof, 1996); teacher identity (Arvaja, 2016; Samuel, 2008); the effectiveness of mentoring and induction programs (Burke, Aubussin, Schuck, Buchanan & Prescott, 2015; Schuck ,et al. 2012); factors influencing teacher retention and attrition (Ewing & Smith, 2003, Fantilli & McDougall, 2009; Fenwick, 2011; Gallant & Riley, 2014); and teacher registration and professional standards for teachers (Leonard, 2012; Schuck, et al. 2012). Together, these studies suggest that many factors affect beginning teachers at the start of their career. The developmental ‘mastery’ required for teacher proficiency and teaching practice is a complex process involving increased ways of knowing, discipline knowledge, and specialised expertise (Turner-Bisset, 2001) . Beginning teachers suffer from ‘transition shock’as they move from teaching programs into employment as a teacher. This can lead to conformity and dismissing or reducing the opportunities to try reform-based strategies in their practices (Korthagen, Kessels, Koster, Lagerwerf & Wubbels, 2001) . Despite the extensive amount of research into the career readiness of ECTs, the introduction of support and mentoring programs, and now professional standards that determine the content of 1 The term ‘beginning teacher’ is used to refer to those who are in a transition phase of beginning teaching and are in their first teaching position, within 12 months of graduating. The term early career teacher refers to those within five years of entering the profession and is consistent with national and international recognition of the beginning stage of a teacher’s career. The term pr

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study examines novice (beginning/graduate) teachers’ transition into classroom teaching and how their initial teacher education course prepared them for the challenges of that transition.

How does the article describe the purpose of initial teacher education?

Initial teacher education programs are designed to provide pre-service teachers with skills, processes, and knowledge about teaching practice and the teaching profession.

What theoretical framework does the research use?

The research applies the Dreyfus and Dreyfus model (1986), supported by Flyvbjerg (2001), to highlight how practice contributes to expertise across five levels in professional learning.

Oct 15, 2026

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