Promoting Self-Efficacy in Early Career Teachers: A Principal's Guide for Differentiated Mentoring and Supervision

Abstract

The challenges in meeting the demand for highly qualified teachers are great. This is evident both at the individual school level and in national retention and turnover statistics. The need for individually targeted teacher induction activities based on teacher preparation routes-traditional and alternative certification- are needed to help ameliorate the early career teacher turnover and retention statistics. This study reinterprets data from a previous study of teacher confidence and self-efficacy in terms of mentoring and supervision needs (induction activities). The results suggest that mentoring and supervision activities at the school level can be implemented to improve retention in perception of key competency areas. As frontline supervisors, principals are in a unique position to meet the differential needs of early career teachers.