Fish out of water: Investigating the 'readiness' and proficiency of beginning drama teachers in Western Australian secondary schools

• Published in: The Australian journal of teacher education Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 65 - 80
• Main Authors: Christina C Gray, Kirsten Lambert, Sarah Jefferson
• Format: Journal Article
• Published: Perth Edith Cowan University, School of Education 01.01.2020; 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Drama teachers; Educational leadership; High school student activities; Professional education; Self-efficacy; Western Australia
• ISSN: 1835-517X; 1835-517X

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2011) stipulate that graduating teachers need to be classroom-ready and able to perform at a 'graduate standard'. However, recent research indicates that nearly 50% of beginning teachers lack readiness, are overwhelmed with stress, and will leave the profession within five years. This paper seeks to elucidate this disconcerting reality by providing a nuanced focus on the experiences of beginning drama teachers. Findings indicate that while participants in this study began feeling confident and ready for teaching drama; they were largely unprepared for the unwritten requirements of the profession - namely, coping with systems, policies and bureaucracy - and extensive extracurricular responsibilities. This article posits several strategies for enabling beginning drama teachers to successfully 'manage' their induction into the profession, and ultimately achieve teacher identity salience.