From student to teacher: reducing practice shock and early dropout in the teaching profession

SUMMARY Shortage of teachers is one of the major challenges facing the teaching profession. One of its causes is the high proportion of dropout in initial teacher education and during the start of the career. Since 1995, a nation-wide project has been underway in the Netherlands, aiming at a decrease of dropout by incorporating an intensive practice period in the final year of the initial teacher training programme. An evaluation of the project shows that the practice shock and the resulting dropout rate were indeed reduced. Relevant factors seem to be the degree to which student teachers were accepted and deployed in the school, the supervision and mentoring provided, encouragement of reflection, and the gradual increase of independence.