Examining Elementary School Leaders' Perceptions of Induction Supports for Provisionally Licensed Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school leaders' perceptions of the induction programming they provided provisionally licensed teachers. The research question guiding this study was: What are the perceptions and experiences of elementary school leaders in relation to the induction programming and support they are responsible for providing provisionally licensed teachers? The sub-question was: How do elementary school leaders differentiate induction support for provisionally licensed teachers? This research contributes to the literature by presenting school leaders' perceptions of induction support for a growing number of provisionally licensed teachers entering the teaching profession. Qualitative study data were collected from 15 elementary school leaders across Virginia using a demographic survey and semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. A data analysis of leaders' perceptions provided insight on support structures, leaders' responsibilities, and additional support needed for provisionally licensed teachers. The summarized findings indicate that elementary school leaders view mentoring, coaching, and peer observations as crucial support structures for provisionally licensed teachers. The research highlighted the significance of communication, resource management, and workload management in fulfilling school leaders' responsibilities toward these teachers. Further findings emphasized the importance of career development for support staff, fostering a supportive school and community environment, the need for enhanced division-level support, and the necessity for targeted professional development aimed at provisionally licensed teachers. Implications included formalizing mentoring, coaching, and peer observation support, maintaining communication, allocating resources, and cultivating an inclusive school culture to support provisionally licensed teachers. The findings and implications may be helpful to school leaders planning induction support for provisionally licensed teachers.