Induction Period for Novice Teachers: International experience and implementation suggestions

The paper focuses on induction period for novice teachers as an opportunity for the support of teachers’ professional development. First, we identify the challenges that teachers in this career stage face. Then, experiences with induction period from selected countries are introduced. Following this, current efforts to implement induction period for beginning teachers in the Czech Republic are discussed. Drawing on several research projects focused on novice teachers, this paper connects to current steps undertaken by the Ministry of Education to establish an official career system and induction period for teachers in the Czech Republic. At present, a bill proposal suggesting appropriate law changes is being discussed. Should it be approved, an opportunity for innovative specification of the induction period will open up. Thus this study attempts to identify such principles (based on experiences from various countries and on multinational comparison studies) the fulfilment of which can be beneficial for beginning teachers in the long term and mitigate the threat of novice teacher drop-out.