Early transitions to the profession: Experiences of ITE students working as teachers

For the past five years, the Australian teaching workforce has been in the grip of increasing teacher shortages, with fewer teachers and many schools struggling to meet their staffing requirements. One solution to support the teaching workforce has been to employ Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students in schools. This unique group of teachers may face the challenges of managing competing demands, but also benefit from immediately being able to apply their university learning in their own classrooms. This paper presents findings from a national study that investigates the experiences of ITE students working in schools. Using data obtained through an online survey and in-depth interviews, the paper explores the perceived benefits and challenges of working and studying and focuses on the impact on this on participants’ wellbeing. Findings show that ITE students have a range of adaptive strategies for managing challenges and that there are significant strengths that help them navigate multiple contexts and demands. Implications for ITE providers, students, and employers will be discussed.