Abstract

Trainings are offered to all level of teachers at different phases of their careers. There are empirical foundations that these trainings have major impacts on the quality of teachers and resultantly on the quality of education. The study was conducted to investigate the quality of the induction training for elementary teachers of QAED, Punjab as perceived by the participants of the training. This study focused on teachers who received induction training in 2017. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were applied conclude. The newly-inducted teacher stated that the training was aligned with their professional needs. They were satisfied with the quality of physical and learning facilities, the subject matter knowledge, and the overall quality of training. They like training design, duration of training sessions, course content, finally, effective follow up of the training were the major findings if the study.

Key Words

Quality Training, Induction Training, Elementary School Teachers, Punjab

Introduction

The quality of any educational system depends on multiple factors e.g. the quality of the curriculum, the physical learning facilities available to students, the assessment system, the policy guidelines, etc. One of the major indicators of the quality of education is the quality in terms of professionalism and skills of the persons deputed to impart education i.e. the teachers. Teachers are the most essential part of any educational system as they are the people who are responsible to shape the behavior, thinking and attitude of the students in the learning process which is the ultimate objective of education. The quality of teachers depends on the quality of teaching skills and the pedagogical knowledge required to impart education to the students more effectively. It is quite evident that the quality of learning outcomes can best reflect the quality of teaching. The teachers must be kept abreast of the newest and most innovative knowledge being created throughout the world. In this world of digital transformation especially, the teachers must remain updated with the developments around him. That is why teachers everywhere in the world are provided with the opportunities to develop them professionally and this is done mostly through training. So, the professional development of the teachers has taken one of the key priorities of the educational systems, and Pakistan is no exception to it. 

Almost all the governments in Pakistan – federal and provincial – have embarked upon several initiatives for improvement and provision of higher-level trainings for teachers’ professional development especially teachers working in government schools. The successive governments have utilized their energy and available resources for the educational development of teachers of all levels and especially for the improvement of early grade and elementary school teachers. Development of a high-quality workforce of the teachers, the process starts with the quality and transparency of the induction process. These newly inducted teachers usually have a strong grip on their subject matter along with some kind of pre-service teacher education which is usually theory-ridden. Before entering the world of real work, training is recommended and usually provided to these newly inducted teachers i.e. the induction-level training. The basic purpose of this induction training is to bridge up the gap between theoretical knowledge and the practical aspects of the real-time world. This is the responsibility Of the training organization to plan, design, and execute quality training and professional development program for in-service and newly inducted teachers to improve and sustain their professional effectiveness (Creswell et al., 2009). This training is considered very important as newly inducted teachers are exposed to an unlimited knowledge of professional development (Wong, Britton, & Ganser, 2005).

Induction training remains to be the dynamic problem for any institution, which has also won attraction a great deal of attention in the empirical studies. When new inductees enter in the institution, they need to learn new skills and teaching techniques as they have the potential of making, preserving and educating the organization’s culture, standards, rules, performance etc. Hence, it is way to strengthen the effectiveness of induction level training for new workforces in such a way that they develop the valuable resources of the institution (Campbell, 2018).

The training of teachers is a widely discussed topic and researchers are convinced on the point that teachers need to be updated in their learning and teaching skills related to their field in order to develop their capabilities. Teachers should take responsibility to transform society by molding students into responsible citizens. Many researchers concluded that some beginning training for new teachers have included that these training brought a big difference in teacher's behavior and in their practice; some teacher got a significant change in the academic achievement of the student Through teachers induction, the gap between teachers and organization can be reduced and it can prove to be the source of getting the best outcomes from students. (Tynjälä & Heikkinen 2011).

Pearson and Porath (2009) say that educator training is a connection in which changes in states of mind, convictions and qualities do occur. Forlin (2009) communicates that if the destructive mentalities of pre-administration instructors are not tended to amid beginning educator training, they may keep on hampering the advancement of comprehensive training endeavors in schools (Donnelly, 2010).

Induction level trainings are arranged with a special focus on bridging up the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical importance. As school has turned into a complex entity and requires efficient and effective staff to be a successful unit therefore training of the staff have assumed significant importance in the field of Elementary education. Induction is a stage or phase of concentrated learning and nervousness, with encounters diverse to what has proceeded, and what will trail. The core purpose of induction level training is not only to equip the newly inducted teachers and administrators with new teaching methodologies and administrative skills but also to motivate them to achieve professional excellence for the improvement of the organizations they are going to work for. 

Literature Review

Since the 19th century the proposal for teachers’ training has been suggested. A lot of studies have been carried out in this regard. The researchers have accomplished that new teachers are more competent and good. Now the stakeholders (administration, parents, policy-makers, business market and society at large) have very high expectations from the teachers. In this situation, only dedicated and trained teachers can meet their expectations. It is the responsibility of training institutes to follow-up on training, teacher’s engagement, identifying time to time needs and introduce new technologies. A teacher must have effective skills and enough knowledge of the related topic to make his/her students understand in a better way. The induction process can engage in activities in bridging the communication gap and making the new employ comfortable in the institution. (Brookhart, 2011).

As knowledge about teacher improvement and learning has developed rapidly, the chance to the effective educational practices has also increased. However, it involves incorporating multiple fields of linking them to the knowledge of effective methodologies that is emergent in education (Darling-Hammond, Flook, Cook-Harvey, Barron & Osher, 2020). Several researches emphasize the significance of training of elementary teachers at the induction level. Mentoring provides opportunities for networking and classroom competency along with incorporating opportunities for teacher participation, autonomy, and collegial collaboration. These kinds of teacher support influenced new teachers’ beliefs about their profession and commitment to their career (Campbell, 2018).

As the world is dealing with trainings in almost all aspects of life, the training related to teachers at different levels has got more importance. The purpose of the training is to transport skills, knowledge and attitude to the teachers. Training produces influential effect on teachers making them confident that the department is playing an important role to help them in adjustment in new job. The new teacher’s achievement is also helpful for the organization. Induction level training also helps new staff to reduce the complexities they are facing in the start of their profession. They start contributing in the best way to gain the goals and objectives of organization once they overcome their problems (Antonacopoulou & Guttel, 2010).

The teaching profession is very unpredictable in its nature but an organized working environment may lessen this improbability. But teacher’s happiness and will can be increased. A suitable working setting signifies to a productive training, welcoming culture, good facilities, supportive mentor, efficient school management, probabilities for professional growth and sensible quantity of work. Smart planning, compulsory and teaching helpers can improve the teaching fulfillment (Bano, Noreen & Bashir, 2019).

Inducted programs is a better step to train and support new teachers. The main purpose of teacher’s induction program is to increase teacher’s effectiveness, productivity and value; increase quality for training, ability to support as cooperative work; use of instructional strategies in classroom and a sophisticated job. Induction programs train new teachers to overcome the situation of stress and pressure (Wong, 2004).

A person who leads students and makes them responsive about creativity is a teacher. These creative ideas help the students attaining the educational objectives. Induction training plays an important role in building a teacher more productive and capable. It facilitates a teacher to avoid mistakes. Experiences of teachers stay put a major concern of research. (Kagan, 1992). Training for new Elementary teachers has brought a big difference in teacher's behavior and in their practice that has proved much beneficial for both teachers and students (Wong, Britton & Ganser, 2005). Induction training is the basic and most important mode for adjustment of newly appointed teachers. In view of Wonacott (2002), induction programs are useful in improving teacher’s skill, performance and effectiveness. It is recommended that nobody can deny the importance initial professional development by engaging experienced teachers and school leaders along with two very important factors are (a) current individual help, valuation and feedback (b) remaining education, created on professional education. 

Quality education relies on learning policies, training technology and progressive work to arrange for their teachers (Salas, Wilson, Priest & Guthrie 2006). In the world of innovation, the knowledge, skill and abilities are compulsory especially in this competitive world (Arguinis & Kraiger, 2009). It is difficult for new teacher to handle the problems they face when they are new in profession. Moreover, they need some kind professional development training (Berry, 2004). The newly appointed teachers who have just fulfilled their training programs, must need the training throughout their professional career to maintain their good position in educational circle. Quality trainer are represented as having some mix of the traits of influence pedagogical information as branch of knowledge and core of learning, abilities, dispositions for convincing, educating and comprehension of teacher development, Those nations have bit by bit built up the structures, forms and budgetary abilities for various levels and sorts of training. Despite their long experience and theory, there is disappointment in instructor preparing mechanism. In the Newsweek magazine's custom curriculum version editorial manager Richard Smith noted cases "demonstrative of an interminable weakness in educator planning; the inability to prepare instructors, to engage them with capacities and behavior essential for leading emotional practice of teachers” (Malik, 2014). Wang, Strong, and Odell (2004), expressed that new educators, well-defined three most important tasks that materialized from the discussion and discussions among staff and trainers such as a)-Teaching technique b)-content knowledge  c)- Students.  

Newly inducted teachers need to manage difficulties in the classroom activities. Variety of factors affect the new teachers such as their mental stress,  discipline, lack of professional support , lack of cooperation from institute, insufficient financial support, following the orders from head of institute, using their energies for gaining goals, lack of cooperation of  colleagues, insecurity of the placement in this profession. There should be a way for them to reset their needs and their requirements for the stability of their job which can be better served with in service teachers training. 

Moreover, there should be some more appropriate ways for teachers to make their job and profession easy and more comfortable for them.  Some steps should be taken, so the teacher can interact more confidently with students and he could make good understanding of the whole environment. Behavior and attitude of senior colleagues should be encouraging with new teachers (Burley & Pomphrey, 2011). In order to develop effective teaching strategies, novice teachers should exercise their own views and contemplations; they can ask questions and seek guidance from their trainers (Wang, Strong, & Odell, 2004). This procedure is known as professional development, as it is essential for categorizing their supposed struggles in the first occasions. 

In view of Thompson (2007), it is noteworthy that not just “survive” but “thrive” in the first year for the progress of expert skills which indicates the approach of a capable instructor. Kollough (2005) suggests being kind to yourself and do not expect sudden and unprecedented successes. In the initial years for the progress of expert skills which indicates the approach of a proficient instructor. Uncertainly there is a mean focus on professional learning which has a dynamic role in the progress of the educational circle. Induction is taking as must after seeing the results and outcomes from teaching training. Teaching training is considered as a compulsory thing to meet the updated challenges complexity and demands. To tackle with them at the gym must be enough trained that they can face all such problems (Berliner, 2001)

Noe and Kodwani (2013) views that training and learning process concerns the elements used for the training program in an offer to build the possibility that it can be provided a higher level of transmission of information. The design of the training manages with characterizing, recognizing, targets and extension, techniques to be received for conveying the training schedule with objectives. The goal of the induction training is gotten from process of training needs analysis which includes what is required and to be accomplished.

Pahuja (2015) believes that training and development has a great debated about beginning and start-up of the training and development process. The training institutes require to certify that the trainers and trainees have revealed and are prepared to convey and adapt individually. The training program ought to begin on fix period as established upon. Resources, for example, cash, automobiles, encouraging guides and helping resources which provided are accessible to be utilized. The facilities for example, classrooms, helping frameworks, furniture the physical environment condition ought to be helpful during learning. During training process relate to the stages or steps intimate an induction training process guarantees that the estimated outcomes may be achieved. There are four steps associated with the induction training process. a) Training needs analysis, b) structuring of the training, usage of the training and observing and assessment of the training (Mensah & Darkwa, 2016).

A productive instructor can improve the quality of the evaluation of training improve the outcomes of training by providing feedback to the trainers, as it assesses teacher skill level. Formal evaluation of T&D program serves to establish the involvement in these programs strengthen to the newly inducted teachers and managerial work progresses. Assessment of induction training should evaluate the quality and quantity of learning achieved – the magnitude of change that has followed in professional skill, individual capacity to work and adapt, or occupational performance; and the source of improvement – whether he change can be recognized to a precise training program (Mikidadi, 2013). 

Quality of feedback after classroom observation includes content delivery, pedagogy; interaction with student, through questioning techniques results in extended participation. Enhancing the learning skills, or knowledge and application of one’s own thinking processes by questioning during teaching, it is an important component of feedback and is important for. In addition, support, in which observer focuses on deepening students’ understanding, associates with increased communication skills, language and social development and academic performance (Jamil, 2015).

Considering the importance of induction level training in the overall professional development of the teachers, Punjab School Education Department has also started offering induction training to all its newly inducted teachers. In the previous discussion, we have found that training at this stage of career can go a long way in the professional development and career of a teacher if the training is well-organized. This study was designed to investigate the quality of these induction level trainings arranged by Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED) – an apex institution of the School Education Department Punjab. The study was delimited only to the perceptions of the newly inducted elementary school teachers.

Objectives

The objective of the study was to analyze the perceptions of newly inducted teachers about the quality of induction level training offered by QAED.




Research Questions

1. Are the newly inducted teachers satisfied with the training design of the induction level training offered by the QAED?

2. Are the teachers satisfied with the outcome of their induction level training?

Methodology

The study was explanatory in nature and quantitative research design was used to investigate the quality of induction training of newly inducted teachers in Punjab. The population consisted of the teachers inducted in 2017 in Punjab and gone through the induction training in the same year. Total 22,493 teachers inducted in different disciplines e.g. Science, Math, English, Arts, Arabic, etc. The study was delimited to Lahore district only. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect perceptions from the newly inducted teachers. There were 16 centers where QAED offered training to the newly inducted teachers. Four out of 16 centers were selected by using random sampling technique. One hundred respondents from each center were selected using convenience sampling. The questionnaire was filled and returned by 400 newly inducted teachers.

Questionnaire was built-up by the investigator at five-point rating scale to collect perceptions of the respondents. Data were collected by self-developed questionnaire. Validity was determined from different experts from university teachers. Pilot testing was done before data collection to ensure the legitimacy and unwavering quality of instruments and rectification were made on the premise of pilot testing. Subsequent to fusing the recommendations got through pilot testing, the polls were updated and finished. Dependability of instruments was figured through Cronbach Alpha. The unwavering quality of the poll was 0.899.

The researcher herself visited the selected center from Lahore for data collection. Data collected through Questionnaire and analyzed by using SPSS 20. Descriptive and were applied. Data collected through the questionnaire from newly inducted teachers. The study was quantitative in nature. The Results of the study highlighted the perception and expectation of trainees from training.

 

Table 1. Factor-wise reliability analysis of the instrument

Factor	Number of Statements	Chronbach Alpha
Quality of training design	6	0.762
Quality of outcomes	6	0.822

The values of Cronbach’s Alpha for independent factor of Training Quality i.e. training design (0.672), and training outcomes (0.822) were acceptable and the scale was statistically reliable. Overall the value of Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire was 0.899.

Findings

Table 2. Analysis of teachers’ perceptions regarding training design

 

Statement	Mean	SD
Alignment of training objectives with professional needs	4.41	0.73
Alignment of training modules with real classroom practices	4.23	0.67
Timing of training offered regarding career development	4.24	0.92
Duration / length of the training	3.31	1.30
Duration / length of each session	3.44	1.17
Inclusion of all components in the training	4.04	0.86

 

Majority (95.2%) of the new inducted teachers agreed that the objectives of the training were aligned with their professional needs. They also agreed that training was offered at the right time of their career and training modules were based upon practical problems. Majority of subject matter knowledge. In addition, 76.9% of the respondents agreed with the statement that the main emphasis during training is on life skills and practical teaching relatively content knowledge.

 

Table 3. Analysis of teachers’ perceptions regarding training outcomes

Statement	Mean	SD
Combination of theory and practices	4.23	0.76
Impact on future career	4.46	0.65
Usefulness of training in real time classroom	4.44	0.64
Captivating for participants	4.22	0.88
Very essential at this phase of career	4.31	0.85
Must be made compulsory for every inductee teacher	4.35	0.92

 

Majority (94.7%) of the teachers suggested that induction training should be made essential for every novice inducted school head. The respondents (90.0%) were of the opinion that theory and skills both are cohesive in the training while 87.4% of the respondents believed that the training was remarkable. 

Discussion

After going through the finding and results of the study, following points are placed for better clarity as discussion. The main objective of the study was to analyze the perceptions of the newly inducted elementary school teachers regarding the quality of their induction training offered to them by QAED Punjab. Two important areas of the said training i.e. training design and training outcomes were focused in this study. 

As far as the training design is concerned, an overwhelming majority of the participants believe that the training was aligned with their professional requirements and offered to them at the right time of their career. They were exposed to real time classroom problems which helped him to link their training modules with the practical nature of problems. The participants were satisfied with the fact that the training focused o life skills and practical live classroom teaching content knowledge. 

The second important area focused in this research study was the training outcomes. Here, too, the participants believed that both theory and practice were incorporated in this training which made it very useful for novice teachers. They further recommended that such trainings should be made compulsory for all newly inducted teachers. They were satisfied with the training outcomes and showed a firm belief that this training will help them a lot when they will teach a real class as a novice teacher. 

The findings of this research are in line with almost all earlier researches regarding investigating quality of trainings offered by QAED (e.g. Khalid, Butt, Haider, Naweed & Khan, 2015). One of the possible reasons of these high-quality trainings might be the professional approach adopted by QAED (previously known as DSD). QAED is an apex institution of the School Education Department of the Government of Punjab (Pakistan). The institution is fully aware of the government policies and base its trainings on need assessment of the teachers. Furthermore, it has hired a huge team of professionals for this purpose which design the trainings very carefully. Due to this utmost care, the trainings are well aligned with the professional needs of the teachers. But there are certain studies which show that the impact of these trainings on the improvement of quality of education is too little if any (e.g. Hussain, 2017). One of the major reasons which can be identified from the international practices and literature is lack of follow-up of these trainings. Lack of proper follow-up mechanism results in lack of effectiveness of these trainings.

Conclusion

Overall, the trainees newly inducted teachers were contented with the quality of the training design. Overwhelming newly inductees were satisfied with the quality of subject content knowledge of the resource persons, their active engagement in the learning process and told that trainers check understanding of the trainees and provide feedback regularly. The participants were highly satisfied with the quality of training process, physical and learning facilities. The teachers were satisfied that quality induction level training was useful and suggested that this training should be made compulsory for every newly inducted teacher / head teacher.

Recommendations

Following are the recommendations are prepared in light of the conclusions made:

1. The duration of training and sessions should be reconsidered, and the optimum duration should be fixed on the basis of research.

2. Course content should be made more useful.

3. Efforts should be made to increase the effectiveness and usefulness of interactions of participants with resource persons and fellow participants.

4. Researchers should come forward and design some sort of follow-up mechanism of these trainings to make these trainings more effective for a longer period of time.

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