Identifying the type of transition experienced by newly qualified physics teachers entering the workplace

This study examines teachers’ experiences of transition at different points in time over a two-year period to encapsulate their journey to becoming a qualified teacher. Six novice teachers participated in a study in their final year of university through to their first year as a newly qualified teacher. Reflective journals, one-to-one interviews and qualitative surveys formed that database for reflexive thematic analysis and theme maps. Schlossberg’s indicators for identifying transition were then related to the analysed data to establish the type of transition experienced by teachers. Findings from the study shed light on the overlapping nature of transitions experienced by novice teachers and highlight opportunities for professional learning to aid for the smoothening of these transitions for aspiring teachers.