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The problems that beginning teachers face early in their careers are a major factor in growing rates of attrition among neophyte teachers. New Scheme Teacher (NST) induction is an imperative process in acculturating teachers to their new careers and helping them overcome the hardships of teaching and the accreditation process. Although induction practices have become more common in recent years, there are still no mandated structures for inducting NSTs into the profession in New South Wales (NSW); this is especially poignant in the independent education sector, which has little oversight. This research entailed a collective case study of six independent schools in NSW to examine their induction processes from the view of the administration and the views of the New Scheme Teachers involved. The results were compared against other participating schools and international best practice, as deemed by the literature. The results show a great disparity between schools and sectors, which impacts on teacher preparedness. Recommendations are made with reagrd to aligning best practice to ensure that all beginning teachers have the opportunity to thrive in their chosen field.

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Dr Sean Kearney (PhD) is Associate Dean in the School of Education at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney. He lectures in educational psychology and general pedagogical methods. His current research focus is on assessment reform in higher education and the impact of international service learning on students intercultural competence.

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