A Study On The Characteristics,Causes And Impacts Of "Reality Shock" Of Primary School Teachers During Entry Period

"Reality shock" is a psychological phenomenon experienced by most primary school teachers(PSTs)when they first enter the education and teaching field.It refers to the gap between their expectations and the actual work.This phenomenon can seriously affect the performance of PSTs during their entry period and even lead to difficult professional development and resignation.Therefore,to help PSTs smoothly pass the induction period and eliminate the negative impact of "reality shock," it is necessary to conduct a systematic and in-depth study on the "reality shock" of PSTs during their induction period.This research has developed an "reality shock" assessment framework for PSTs during their induction period based on the "reality shock" theoretical framework(Lv et al.,2008,Zhou et al.,2014,and Yin,2015).The "Questionnaire on the Reality Shock of PSTs in the Induction Period" was prepared based on this assessment framework and existing research results.The questionnaire consists of three main parts: basic information,current situation of "reality shock," and its impact.A survey was carried out on 102 PSTs,who graduated from normal education and have been in the profession for no more than three years.Ten PSTs in the entry period were also interviewed to investigate the reasons for the formation of "reality shock" through the Interview Outline on the Causes of "Reality Shock" of Primary School Teachers in the Induction Period.The research conclusions of this study are as follows:1.The "reality shock" of PSTs during their induction period shows different intensity and content characteristics in five dimensions: professional identity,work environment,student situation,professional ability,and interpersonal relationship.2.The formation reasons of "reality shock" are mainly divided into personal and environmental levels.On the personal level,the reasons include the cognitive imbalance of teachers’ profession caused by their experience in their school days,the existence of unsuitable factors in their personality characteristics,and the lack of role conversion ability.On the environmental level,the reasons include the high and urgent career goals of PSTs during the induction period caused by the role models of important others,the lack of rational understanding of the teacher’s career before PSTs enter the post due to the public social opinion,the limitations of teacher education curriculum in normal education,the imperfect professional support system provided by the primary school for the teachers in the induction period,and the physical and mental fatigue of PSTs during the induction period caused by high-density and high-intensity work arrangements.3.The practical impact of "reality shock" is mainly divided into proximal and terminal impact.The proximal impact of "reality shock" on PSTs in the induction period includes feeling difficulties,changes in teaching beliefs,and personality characteristics.The terminal effects are worse job performance,lower occupational happiness,and higher turnover intention.Based on the analysis of data and interview materials in this study and relevant research conclusions,the following suggestions are put forward to eliminate the "reality shock" of PSTs during their induction period:1.PSTs should actively put themselves into practice to form a more reasonable and comprehensive professional cognition,strengthen work reflection,and improve their professional level to find suitable working methods.They should also actively carry out self-adjustment to complete the transformation and unification of social roles.2.Normal universities should improve the curriculum to promote the comprehensive quality of normal students,adjust the curriculum structure to keep abreast of theory and practice,and attach importance to educational practice to standardize the system of education practice.3.Primary schools should optimize the induction training and give play to the key role of excellent instructors,pay attention to the practical needs,and unblock the communication channels between teachers and schools.They should also reduce work intensity and provide multiple support platforms,such as psychological counseling,enhance their belonging sense,and create a good and warm campus cultural atmosphere.