Using the Dynamic Model of Educational Effectiveness to explore development of practice by Teach First beginning teachers

Pressures on pupil achievement, alongside a rigorous inspection regime in English schools has arguably led to an increased interest in demonstrating the impact of beginning teachers on pupil attainment. Routes into teaching have come under intense scrutiny, not least the Teach First route (TF), which is seen as an expensive training model. Several impact studies have attempted to evaluate TF and its’ teachers, with mixed results (Darling-Hammond, 2006; Reynolds, Hopkins, Potter, & Chapman, 2001). This research builds on these findings and investigates the impact by TF beginning teachers using the Kyriakides, Creemers, and Antoniou (2009) dynamic model of educational effectiveness as a framework for analysis. Findings indicate that these teacher level factors are interrelated and not isolated characteristics. Participants move between these levels as the year progresses, and may do so in a non-linear, and non-sequential way. This study has added to an existing body of knowledge and indicates that further exploration of teacher impact is necessary, especially in terms of enabling teachers to assess their own impact on pupils, and to understand what it is they are doing that is making a difference