Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions During this series of oral interviews given to probationary teachers during their second term of teaching, information on the following was elicited: reasons for choice of LEA; date of original application; date of notification of appointment to school received; date of first visit to school; staff met and aspects of school seen during this first visit; information available by end of preceding term, about syllabus to be used, time-table to be followed, age- and ability-range to be taught in September, and age- and ability-range of children now being taught. A further series of questions establishes the probationer's feelings towards own teaching, including whether satisfied with the age- and ability-range of own classes, whether feels comfortable with the children, whether using the same approaches to teaching as used during teaching practice and, if not, reasons for changes made, ways in which probationer feels own teaching could be made more effective (such as provision of more space, more books or materials, smaller classes, wider age range and so on), and the sources of information on conventions, both written and unwritten, which govern the life of the school. The probationer is also asked whether any part-time work or study is undertaken in addition to teaching, and the nature of any such work or study, whether expects to continue in the same school during the next year and, if not, for what reasons, what position expects to have attained in five year's time and, if the interviewee is a woman who is leaving the profession for family reasons, whether expects to return to teaching when commitments permit. After a comparison of present experience of teaching with expectations aroused during training, the probationer is asked to choose, from lists provided, the three problems found most important in terms of teaching, school community life and personal life. A final question asks for ways in which the probationer feels entry into the teaching profession might have been improved or made smoother. Background Variables Probationer's sex, school, university or college of education attended, subject and date of degree or certificate.

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

by region, school type and degree of co-operation from Head and probationary teacher

Face-to-face interview