An Examination of the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on New Teachers in Secondary State Schools in England: A Q-methodology Study

Abstract

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic sparked much discussion, debate, and inquiry among those invested in education worldwide. By the end of April 2020, over 180 countries had completely closed their schools, affecting over 1.5 billion pupils and 60 million teachers. However, existing literature on Covid-19 often treats teachers as a homogenous group, overlooking the diversity of experiences within the profession. Therefore, this thesis addresses this gap by studying newly qualified teachers as a distinct sub-group, prioritising their voices and unique experiences. This thesis used Q-methodology to give newly qualified teachers from secondary state schools in Surrey, England, a platform to share their experiences of completing their induction period during the Covid-19 pandemic. It sought to identify which impacts of the pandemic had the most and least significance for participants during this time.

Although Q-studies are usually conducted face-to-face, restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant that this study was completed remotely. Firstly, online interviews were conducted with two participants, contributing to the production of the concourse used in the main part of the study. Following the completion of the concourse, a Q-set was generated, which consisted of 61 statements. Seven participants, including the two participants who were initially interviewed, sorted these statements using online software called Easy-HTMLQ V1.1. A factor analysis was completed and a two-factor solution identified: ‘The Covid-19 pandemic impacted teaching and learning’ and ‘The Covid-19 pandemic impacted mental health and well-being.’ There was high consensus between the two factors, where 31 statements were ranked similarly in both factors. This signifies a large agreement and overlap among participants as to which impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic were most and least significant during their induction period, presented in this thesis as a ‘shared viewpoint’. Factor 1 and Factor 2 were then interpreted and discussed in relation to existing literature. This thesis explores the implications of this study for novice teachers moving forward and offers recommendations for future research.

Date of Award	7 May 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Jim Hordern (Supervisor) & Michael Fertig (Supervisor)