Research - Dr. Catherine Beauchamp
Dr. Catherine Beauchamp
School of Education
Dr. Beauchamp, in collaboration with Dr. Lynn Thomas from Université de Sherbrooke, is working on a pilot study examining the transfer of new teachers from teacher education programmes to actual practice in schools of the Eastern Townships. They will target two cohorts of new teachers who will go on to take teaching jobs in the Eastern Townships area: student teachers in the final year of the Elementary or Secondary programme at Bishop's and students in the final year of the Baccalauréat en enseignement de l'anglais langue seconde programme at Université de Sherbrooke The transfer from a programme of pre-service teacher education to actual teaching practice in school can be one of frustration for new teachers, too often leading to a sense of ineffectiveness and defeat. Some school boards, for example the Eastern Townships School Board, have attempted to implement programmes of mentoring for new teachers. However, new, inexperienced teachers graduating from Bishop's University or the Université de Sherbrooke are often hired to teach in small rural schools, where establishing a professional identity means finding a place within tightly knit local communities. Not only must these teachers work towards an identity within a school and within their profession, they must also deal with complex aspects of bilingualism and biculturalism in the school and local community. Establishing a professional identity and a sense of making an effective, lasting contribution to the future of the community becomes complicated. Dr. Beauchamp and Dr. Thomas seek to learn how these new teachers perceive themselves and to track the issues they must deal with as they begin their practice. The information gained will increase the understanding of the role local programmes of teacher education must play in preparing teachers for work in the area and for supporting their early years of practice in the schools of this region.
