Confidence or Confusion: How Well Are Today’s Newly Qualified Teachers in England Prepared to Meet the Additional Needs of Children in Schools?

Source: Teacher Development, Volume 15, Issue 3, 2011, pages 381-394.

In recent years, teaching has come under intense scrutiny, with suggestions being made in some quarters that many teachers entering the profession are ill-prepared and that following expensive appointment processes many are leaving the profession after only a short period of employment.

The current paper investigates the perceived confidence levels of student teachers in their final year, prior to entering the profession in regard to meeting the needs of children with a range of complex needs.

The research forms part of a three-year project supported by ESCalate.