New Teachers Identify Teacher Leaders as Key Support for Transition into the Profession

Authors

  • Barbara Brown University of Calgary
  • Sharon Friesen University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2025v21n3a1525

Keywords:

teacher leadership, new teachers, professional learning, professional development, mentorship

Abstract

Through an analysis of 289 open-ended survey responses, this study examines how teacher leaders support new teachers transitioning from teacher preparation programs to full-time teaching positions. An analysis of the responses revealed that teacher leaders support new teachers with instructional planning, professional learning, mentorship, resource sharing, assessment guidance, and inclusive teaching strategies. Through these efforts, teacher leaders foster collaborative and reflective practices, cultivate professional capital, and promote adaptive expertise. The findings emphasize the relational nature of teacher leadership, highlighting the role of teacher leaders in co-constructing professional growth and resilience among new teachers and enhancing teacher development. Implications for policy and practice include prioritizing teacher leadership initiatives to reduce new teacher attrition, promote equity, and foster sustainable professional cultures within schools.

Author Biographies

Barbara Brown, University of Calgary

 

Barbara Brown, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Her research program aims to advance the fields of learning sciences and school leadership by investigating how technology-enhanced learning environments and leadership practices can support teaching and learning in K-12 schools and postsecondary contexts. Her work is grounded in participatory methodologies with a focus on instructional design, policy implementation, and impact of digital pedagogies on teacher education, teacher leadership, and online learning. Email: babrown@ucalgary.ca | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6862-4157 

Sharon Friesen, University of Calgary

Sharon Friesen, PhD, is a Professor at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She was the co-founder and president of the Galileo Educational Network, a network dedicated to brokering and mobilizing knowledge through continuing professional learning and participatory research. She served as the vice dean of the Werklund School of Education for nine years. Dr. Friesen's body of research encompasses several key themes: innovative pedagogies and inquiry-based learning, educational leadership and systemic change, design-based professional learning, and technology integration in education. Her research often transcends these boundaries, reflecting the interconnected nature of these themes. Email: sfriesen@ucalgary.ca | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9402-2363

Downloads

Published

2025-10-03

How to Cite

Brown, B., & Friesen, S. (2025). New Teachers Identify Teacher Leaders as Key Support for Transition into the Profession. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 21(3), 19 pp. https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2025v21n3a1525

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 3 (2025): Teacher Leadership

Section

Special Issue: Teacher Leadership

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Barbara Brown, Sharon Friesen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use after initial publication under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 Unported License. 

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.