METHODS FOR RETENTION OF YOUNG TEACHERS IN SCHOOL: THE ROLE OF THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Much attention is paid to the problem of involving and retaining talented youth in the teaching profession due to the large shortage and high rotation of teaching staff. The professional well-being of new educators at school depends on the management practices applied, which must take into account the characteristics of the millennial generation. The article is devoted to the study of the perception of retention processes by both young teachers and school principals. 75 % of young teachers from time to time think about leaving school. The most common reasons are emotional and physical overload, negative attitude of children and parents, sense of professional loneliness in the team. In interviews and focus groups, we found inconsistent assessments of the effectiveness of traditional practices: mentoring, schools for young teachers, etc. Also, two types of retention management practices were identified: based on training and the elimination of professional deficits and on the involvement of the school’s professional community as an equal subject in the activities of the professional community. In the second case, as the statistics confirmed, the involvement is higher, and the number of those who are determined to leave is lower. A case study of management practices used by the principal of the school with the lowest percentage of leaving and the highest degree of involvement showed that the most effective practices are distributed mentoring, project management, psychological support of adaptation, organizing professional interaction in mini-groups, creating an environment for informal communication. The study is of practical importance for principals of large schools who employ several young teachers at the same time per year.

generations, young teachers, retention, professional community, professional deficits, mentoring, professional well-being, involvement, school management, principals, focus groups, interviews.

Bocharova Yu. Yu., Komatkova L. V. Methods for retention of young teachers in school: the role of the professional community. Business. Education. Law, 2021, no. 3, pp. 382—391. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2021.56.311.