Primary head teachers managing mediocre practitioners

By definition 50% of primary teachers are average or below average in terms of their effectiveness. However, we know very little about the professional practice of such teachers as researchers almost invariably work with volunteers and these individuals tend to be competent and confident.

Previous research has highlighted some of the tensions head teachers experience when working with ‘less than adequate’ teachers. Little, however, is known about how effective head teachers help such individuals enhance their professional competence so that they can perform to the best of their abilities. Such insights are particularly important in the earliest years of schooling where practitioners shape the foundations for future learning and play a major role in creating young children’s attitudes towards schools and schooling.

This study involved semi-structured interviews with 12 head teachers. It was designed as a first step to develop an understanding of less successful – or mediocre – teachers involved in the earliest years of a child’s schooling. The study aimed to establish how successful head teachers work with colleagues who are below average in professional competence.