PROTEACH (Promoting teachers' success in their induction period)

15 October 2016 - 14 October 2019

PI/s in Exeter: Dr Karen Walshe

CI/s in Exeter: Professor Vivienne Marie Baumfield Dr Emese Hall Associate Professor Lindsay Hetherington Thomas Ralph Bryan Smith

Sponsor(s): European Commission

Project webpage(s)

PROTEACH (Promoting teachers' success in their induction period)

About the research

Alarming numbers of beginning teachers (BTs) leave the profession within 1-3 years, while many remain in the system but become demotivated. The transition from education studies into teaching is often difficult, largely due to mismatched expectations. 

In Israel, despite the importance assigned to teacher training and induction programs, high teacher dropout rates persist. PROTEACH aims at capitalizing on the recommendations of the EU’s “Handbook for policymakers on developing coherent and system-wide induction programs” (2010), the experience of the European members of the consortium, and the lessons learned from the Israeli “incubators” induction model implemented by some of the partners in previous years, to create a more effective model of teacher induction:  MIT – Multi-player Induction Teams. This model will take into account all areas to be considered when developing coherent and system-wide induction programs, will support BTs’ diverse needs and will empower them to become active players in their own induction process and in their schools, while increasing their retention rates.

From Israel, 3 HEIs + 1 educational institute take part in the project and are responsible for conducting the actions in schools from which our understanding of the role of BTs and the importance of “amplifying their voices” will emanate. 3 European partners –from Romania, UK & Estonia– represent knowledge and experience in fields that are needed for achieving of PROTEACH’s objectives. Throughout 3 iterations, the model and related curriculum will be fine-tuned. MIT groups will be created at 15 Israeli schools, with 200 BTs and 450 participants in total.

Outcomes expected: (1) Establishment of intra- and inter-HEI frameworks for mutual learning; (2) BT will be empowered to serve as key actors in their induction and school communities; (3) BT retention rates at participating schools will increase; 4) MIT-based principles will be included in HEI training programs and adopted by policy makers.


Other institution's involved with the project are:

  • Kibbutzim College of Education Technology & Arts, Israel
  • Mofet, Israel
  • Beit Berl College, Israel
  • Kaye Academic College of Education, Israel
  • Universitatea din Bucuresti, Romania
  • Tallinn University, Estonia