Induction and Efficacy: A Case Study of New Zealand Newly Qualified Secondary Science Teachers

This paper reports on 20 newly qualified secondary science teachers (NQSSTs) participating in a New Zealand study on teachers?? early professional learning. The focus of our study is how these new teachers were nurtured to become competent science teachers, confident of their ability to positively influence student learning. Based on responses to a graduating questionnaire and three interviews across their first 18?months of teaching, we look at the effect of induction and contextual factors on the teachers?? efficacy. While the NQSSTs overall reported relatively constant ratings of self-efficacy, they demonstrated different patterns of declared efficacy across this 18-month period. Findings regarding the influence of induction practices and contextual factors on the efficacy of these teachers are mixed.