Exploring the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Four Thriving Early Career Teachers in Saskatchewan

Abstract

Governments and institutions who train teachers have developed high performing systems, which aim to advance teaching competencies (i.e. knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and strengthen teacher quality and capacity for resilience (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; O’Flaherty & Beal 2018). These systems incorporate personal, interpersonal, and pedagogical abilities and support the development of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skill sets, designed to strengthen teaching practice in support of student learning and well-being. Despite sufficient preparation, the occupation of teaching is known for moderate to high rates of attrition, with stress and burnout as factors that cause up to half of new teachers to leave the profession within the first five years (Canadian Teacher’s Federation, 2014; Kutsyuruba, Walker, Stasel, & Al Makhamreh, 2019). In Saskatchewan, teaching competencies are regulated through provincial standards, which outline goals to support teacher education in several domains (Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation; Saskatchewan Ministry of Education; Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board). The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn from the lives and experiences of four early career teachers (ECTs) in Saskatchewan, who, despite facing adversity, were thriving in their respective roles. Multiple sourses of data (observations, interviews, journals) were analyzed thematically through an interpretive case study supporting an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the four thriving ECTs. Though each faced challenges, they displayed strengths that helped them to be confident and competent educators. The results highlighted the needs of early career teachers by sharing a perspective that is less understood in the literature. A thematic analysis culminated in themes conducive to implications for a thriving teaching practice.