Study finds unfair expectations place extra pressure on new teachers
Australia's teacher shortage could be worsened by unrealistic expectations placed on new graduates, a new study by QUT researchers reveals.
Published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, the reveals that the term "classroom readiness" has become a convenient policy tool rather than a reliable measure of teacher capability.
Researchers say that teaching performance assessments, which are often used to evaluate new teachers, fail to account for the real-world complexities of teaching.
Schools continue to report high levels of teacher burnout and high attrition rates among teachers caused by factors such as teacher shortages, which are beyond the control of teacher education.
The research, led by Associate Professor Rebecca Spooner-Lane and including Associate Professor Nerida Spina, Ms Elizabeth Briant and Dr. Julia Mascadri, all from the QUT School of Education, questions whether Australia is measuring the wrong thing by expecting new teachers to meet rigid standards while neglecting the practical and humanistic challenges of the profession.
Associate Professor Spooner-Lane, who specializes in research focused on the professional development and career progression of teachers from graduate teacher through to lead teacher, said classroom readiness was more of a policy construct than a genuine assessment of teaching capability.
"The term classroom readiness has been used strategically to justify reforms in teacher education, but our research shows that readiness is not a point-in-time achievement, it's a professional journey," Associate Professor Spooner-Lane said.
"Our review found that readiness is too multifaceted to be effectively measured by a single assessment. While teaching performance assessments aim to standardize and regulate teacher preparation, they risk oversimplifying the demands teachers face in diverse classroom settings."
The paper says that policies enforcing assessments assume graduates can seamlessly transition into classroom teaching, with evidence that even top-performing teachers struggle in their first years without proper support.
"New teachers often enter classrooms facing unrealistic expectations, and are required to manage complex student needs, adapt to curriculum changes and navigate classroom challenges with minimal guidance," Associate Professor Spooner-Lane said. "Assessments reduce teacher preparation to a selected set of criteria, ignoring the mentorship, adaptability and professional development needed to thrive."
Associate Professor Spina, co-author of the study, said there was an urgent need to ensure new teachers were well prepared by their initial teacher education degrees, and then well-supported once they started work in the profession.
"We cannot expect graduating teachers to step into classrooms as fully-fledged experts from day one," Spina said. "They require structured support systems that guide their early years in the profession, helping them build confidence and competence.
"A teacher's journey should be one of continuous development, shaped by meaningful mentorship and accessible opportunities for learning. Without these, new educators may struggle to navigate the complexities of real-world teaching.
"Standardized testing alone does not prepare teachers for the realities of the classroom. Instead, we must invest in hands-on training, professional collaboration, and real-world teaching experiences that truly equip them for success."
More information: Rebecca Spooner-Lane et al, A scoping review of classroom readiness: what is it? Can it (and should it) be assessed?, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education (2025).
Provided by Queensland University of Technology
