Empowerment through induction: supporting the well-being of beginning teachers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ways teachers undergoing induction via the Career Advancement and Development of Recruits and Experienced (CADRE) Teachers Project felt empowered and supported in their well-being through mentoring and coaching. Design/methodology/approach Surveys about CADRE Project impact were e-mailed to 675 current and former participants. Out of 438 surveys returned, researchers used homogeneous sampling to identify 341 teacher respondents. Researchers used qualitative thematic analysis to determine ways teachers felt supported. Findings Coaching and mentoring supported CADRE Project participants' well-being through empowerment (theme). Sub-themes included: growth, collaboration, networking, improvement and resources. Originality/value Few studies exist on induction programs with the longevity of the CADRE Project. The high survey response rate with overwhelmingly positive responses suggests that CADRE is unique in its support of beginning teachers' well-being through the first-year teacher phases, specifically due to the combination of mentoring and coaching beginning teachers receive.