Before the implementation of Asptransit in Ticino there was no data which gave a clear picture of the career pathways of young teachers who had graduated from the then Scuola Magistrale (teacher-training school). Various factors were perceived: the difficulties of insertion, cycles of consolidation of employment (part- time work, long- and short-term supply teaching, alternative employment statutes such as teacher support). There were also extensions of teacher training, either continuous or less so, as well as moves to other areas of work. All of these phenomena were observed without ever having a basis of systematic surveys sustained over time.

Asptransit, in addition to bridging this gap, intends to identify some significant elements which characterise the transition from initial training of teachers to their first employment. The research aims at acquiring a better understanding of the strategies adopted and experienced by young teachers who are faced with the delicate and difficult first contact with the world of work. It also seeks to shed light on the way in which new teachers establish relationships with students, on educational and pedagogical work, and on relationships with other actors within the context (school colleagues, parents, school authorities), trying to capture significant elements affecting professional growth.

The project – partially funded by the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research and directed by Mario Donati, Katja Vanini De Carlo and Silvio Canevascini of the Department of Formation and Learning – is promoted in collaboration with the School Division (Department of Education, Culture and Sport of Canton Ticino), the High Pedagogical Schools of Western Switzerland (le Alte Scuole Pedagogiche della Svizzera romanda – HEP) and the Service for Research in Education (Service de la Recherché en Education – SRED).

Directors: Mario Donati, Katja Vanini De Carlo, Silvio Canevascini
Department: Department of Formation and Learning
Duration of the Project: 2005-2014
Funding Organisations: Department of Formation and Learning, FSN-DORE (for collaboration with the High Pedagogical Schools (HEP) of Western Switzerland