Can ICT Reduce Drop-Out Rates Among New Teachers? A Qualitative Study in Canadian Student Teachers

Abstract

Practical training and professional induction are determinant in the professional development of teachers. In the province of Quebec, Canada, student teachers spend 120 days of their 4-year university program interning in secondary schools to develop their professional skills. They frequently find themselves isolated as they enter the practice, owing to the lack of coaching programs at this crucial juncture. This study proposes to deepen our understanding of the potential benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) for practical teacher training (internship) and professional induction. More specifically, it aims (1) to identify the difficulties encountered by interning and new teachers; and (2) to better understand how ICT can help them overcome these challenges. Results are presented from two pilot studies conducted in Canada during the internship of student teachers and the professional induction of new teachers.