Models of Social Support for Beginning Teachers in Estonian and Finnish Schools

This study explores professional social support models in schools in Finland and Estonia. The study sheds light on how Finnish and Estonian minority language schools have organised social support in the frame of their professional development for beginning teachers. Using a structural framework for understanding social support at all systemic levels in the learning environment, we used qualitative case studies to analyse how social support for beginning teachers is integrated in everyday practices. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with school principals, practice supervisors and teachers at 6 schools (3 in each country). The findings show that there were differences in whether the social support was based on individual needs and systematised school-based implementation involving recognised leadership. The differences reflect variations in the level of maturity of the social support system of beginning teachers. The findings were interpreted through a systems approach and adopted to a cross-national context. This resulted in a proposal for a multi-level social support model underlining systematic support mechanisms for professional development with a social dimension.