Keyword: teaching experience

ABSTRACT: In this text, we address issues related to the beginning of the teaching career, exploring mentoring as an important support in this initial phase of teaching practice. Understanding the relevance of the process of initiation to the teaching profession, we seek to emphasize the relationship between experienced teachers and beginners, considering the involvement between these professionals as a valuable way to overcome the adversities of this initial moment. The research is methodologically based on narratives and multiple case studies, bringing the experiences of a group of nine teachers working in early childhood education in a city in the interior of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (a country that does not have a national professional teaching induction program and has few local initiatives of this type), and from them, we seek to reflect and dialogue with some authors who discuss the theme, among them, Marcelo, Nóvoa, and Reali et al.. In this way, we show that the relationships built between experienced and novice teachers were vital for their permanence in the profession and contributed immensely to their professional development, even in the absence of a formal and official mentoring program.

ABSTRACT: Globally, the issue of burnout persists among educators, giving rise to feelings of anxiety and depression. The implications of burnout on teachers’ health are significant, posing a risk to both their physical and mental well-being. This study examined burnout among Senior High School (SHS) teachers in Ghana, with a specific focus on investigating the potential influence of gender, educational qualification, and teaching experience on burnout levels. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, employing the census method to involve all 520 teachers from the chosen public SHSs in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The data collection instrument used in this study was an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators’ Survey. Inferential statistics, specifically, multivariate analysis of variance, was used to analyze the research hypotheses. The study revealed that there were significant differences in burnout among teachers based on their gender, educational qualification, and teaching experience. In light of our findings, we recommend that SHSs prioritize the enhancement of their counseling services. Specifically, we suggest organizing gender-specific seminars and workshops to empower both male and female teachers. These initiatives should focus on promoting coping strategies that are attuned to gender-related nuances and reinforcing their individual masculine and feminine identities.