Presetnation by Dr Greer Bennett, Hunter Institute of Mental Health, for the International Mental Health Conference 2016.

1. Start Well
A Research Project Supporting Resilience
and Wellbeing in Beginning School Teachers
Dr Greer Bennett, Ms Ellen Newman, Ms Elizabeth Kemp,
A/Prof Frances Kay-Lambkin, Dr Gavin Hazel

2. Hunter Institute of Mental Health
• The Hunter Institute of Mental Health is a leading national
organisation dedicated to reducing mental illness and suicide
and improving wellbeing for all Australians.
• For more than 20 years we have been delivering successful,
evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention
programs from our base in Newcastle, NSW.
www.himh.org.au

3. Project background:
Early career teachers are at risk
• The first years of employment are a critical time for early career (beginning) teachers;
• Peak performance in teachers occurs at around 5 years of service (Clotfelter, Ladd and
Vidgor, 2006);
• In Australia, almost 1 in 2 early career teachers will leave the profession within 5 years
of beginning their teaching careers (Gallant and Riley, 2014); and
• There are many reasons for early career teachers leaving the profession; however
overwhelmingly the strongest factors include those of a mental health origin:
- Stress;
- Burnout;
- Job dissatisfaction;
- Mismatch of expectations;
- Feeling overwhelmed; and
- Lack of social inclusion at school….

4. How can we help beginning teachers?
The culture of schools as a professional learning environment that
promotes social connectedness, collaboration, formal and informal
induction processes and ongoing learning opportunities, enables
teaching staff to support each other and enhances early career
teachers’ resilience (Johnson et al., 2012; Gibbs & Miller, 2014).
Peer support

5. Project aims
1. To identify some of underlying issues that may contribute
to high rates of attrition in beginning school teachers in
NSW; and
2. To identify and recommend strategies to promote
retention in beginning teachers, with a particular focus
on peer relationships.

6. Methodology
• Review of current evidence (ongoing);
• Online survey of beginning teachers’ views; and
• Targeted telephone interviews with key
stakeholders in education sector.

7. Online survey
453 teachers responded to
our survey in just 3 weeks.
417 respondents were
eligible for inclusion in the
study.
www.himh.org.au

8. Who answered our survey?

9. AGE LOCATION
Who answered our survey?
www.himh.org.au

10. Approximately how many years have you been teaching?
Key results:

11. Social support
Key results:
Social support is important

12. Workload
Key results:
Perception of work/life balance and workload

13. Key results:

14. • Online survey augmented with interviews with key
thought leaders from the education sector:
– Peak training organisations;
– Union representatives; and
– Organisations providing dedicated support to
beginning teachers.
Methodology Part 2:

15. "Leadership at a school
level could actually reflect
the value that early career
teachers have, not just to
other early career teachers,
but to experienced teachers
as well."
"One of the problems of early
career teachers is problems are
perceived to be the product of
them being relatively
inexperienced. We have to realise
that they are dealing with the
same sorts of problems that very
experienced teachers are dealing
with and they need at least the
same support."
“We need to get in early with our
pre-service teachers while they
are still training to talk to them
about some of the things that
could impact mental health and
wellbeing for them, and their
resilience in dealing with a whole
range of things that sit outside of
the mandated curriculum.”
Key thoughts: Leaders interviewed

16. Take home messages
• Beginning teachers in NSW have high rates of planned
teacher attrition;
• There are key factors that influence a teachers’ plans to
stay in teaching, such as work/life balance and level of
social support; and
• Generally, key thought leaders in the field agree with
information provided by the teachers themselves.

17. Thank you
Contact: Greer.Bennett@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
www.himh.org.au