International concern to raise educational standards and improve teacher quality has directed attention to the need to sustain career-long professional learning. Teacher induction and early professional learning (during years 2-6) have been associated with patterns of attrition and improved pupil outcomes. As the economic crisis impacts on public…

From 2001 to 2006, following a request from the Scottish Executive, HMIE gathered evidence about the implementation of "A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century", the tri-partite agreement prepared in 2001 by Scottish Executive, COSLA and the teachers' unions. This "teachers' agreement" had been drawn up in response to the…

This longitudinal study is set in the national and international contexts of early professional development, teacher careers, and teacher retention. It provides qualitative insights into key factors shaping beginning teachers' early professional learning (EPL) journeys and considers the impact of policy initiatives on new teachers in Scotland.…

One approach to the crisis in the supply of teachers in Britain is to attract back to the profession qualified teachers who have left. To know whether this approach is viable, however, it is important to know about the reasons for leaving teaching and factors affecting return. Therefore, a study was conducted to survey trained teachers not…

Some Scottish teachers voluntarily change sector from secondary to primary or vice versa, requiring them to take a shortened training ("conversion") course and assume probationary status. This paper analyzes 122 teachers' career-change motives, distinguishing between strategic reasons (more jobs in the new sector) and magnetic reasons…

Scottish primary teachers are trained via a 4-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) program or 1-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education. A survey of 234 headteachers and review of teacher evaluations revealed that most headteachers did not think that training route affected teaching quality, but a third of headteachers, all BEd-trained themselves,…

This project explored the activities and attitudes of Scottish teachers (N=50) on secondment to a variety of different bodies. The term "secondment" refers to the short-term assignment of a professional person from one institution to another, involving new forms of accountability and professional commitment. Three types of secondments…

Scottish teachers' job uncertainty results from school funding problems, trends toward part-time or temporary employment, labor mobility, and qualifications mismatch. Continuing professional development of teachers may help alleviate concerns over teaching standards in Scottish schools, but a more comprehensive review of the recruitment, training,…