Basisschool Het Talent is een integrale ontwikkelschool die werkt vanuit een pedagogische didactische kernstructuur (PDKS). Vanaf de oprichting in 2001 wil deze school leerlingen op hun eigen tempo en niveau laten werken én extra aandacht besteden aan 21e eeuwse vaardigheden. De schoolleiding en leerkrachten zijn benieuwd of hun aanpak ?werkt? en hoe zij zichzelf en het PDKS onderwijsconcept kunnen blijven ontwikkelen om in te kunnen spelen op toekomstige maatschappelijke veranderingen. In dit project wordt geprobeerd beide vragen te beantwoorden. Leerlingen worden gedurende twee jaar gevolgd om hun ontwikkeling van 21e eeuwse vaardigheden in kaart te brengen en te vergelijken met de ontwikkeling van ?traditionele? vaardigheden op het gebied van taal en rekenen. De leerkrachten en schoolleiding werken in dezelfde periode in hun professionele leer¬gemeen¬schappen aan de verbetering van de eigen onderzoekscompetenties en het PDKS onderwijsconcept.

-

It is widely acknowledged that educational quality depends on the quality of teachers. Their wellbeing is one of the most crucial ways for achieving such quality. However, both early-career teachers as well as experienced teachers face different professional identity tensions throughout their career, which is assumed detrimental for their wellbeing and can cause burnout. Undesirable dropouts of early-career teachers and burnout of experienced teachers, in both primary education, secondary education and vocational education, cause teacher shortages. This study investigates how wellbeing and burnout of early career teachers and experienced teachers in primary, secondary and secondary vocational education are related to their professional identity tensions. It further reveals effects of two six-week intervention programmes, including a ‘passion for teaching week’ (experienced teachers) and a gratitude week (early-career teachers), based on gratitude theory and positive-activity theory, on teacher wellbeing and burnout. A mixed-method design, including longitudinal studies, quasi-experimental studies and qualitative studies is used, in which insights stemming from educational sciences, positive psychology and organisational psychology are combined. This fundamental and multidisciplinary interlinked research project aims to increase our understanding of teacher burnout, wellbeing and the underlying professional identity tensions, by comparing early-career teachers and experienced teachers in three educational domains, which is assumed to contribute to a stronger teacher workforce and, as such, to improve educational quality.

The teacher shortage in primary education is a threat to the quality of education. Almere and Lelystad are faced with particularly severe shortages, and solutions are being developed. A promising approach is innovation in organizing education, with the goal of efficiently restructuring education with fewer teachers. However, there is little knowledge on effective implementation of this measure. In this project, we collaboratively design and study innovation in organizing education with the regional network Flevowijs, drawing on scientific insights and practical knowledge. Our aim is to support educational practice, develop new knowledge on innovation in organizing education, and maintain educational quality.

Because of teacher shortages and high teacher dropout rates, Educational Regions are being formed (regional cooperation among various stakeholders). At the same time, the need for permanent appointments for, and flexible employability of, teachers is increasing. Both can have far-reaching consequences for teacher commitment. This research increases insights for policy and practice on what commitment is, what personal and appointment characteristics affect it, how it develops, and how (unwanted) dropout can be prevented. These insights are relevant for teacher retention and for the quality of education in primary, secondary and vocational education.