Secondary Teachers’ Working Experiences in Innovative Learning Environments: Enablers and Influences

Literature shows that navigating transitions from traditional single-cell classrooms to innovative learning environment (ILEs) calls for careful considerations. The importance of professional learning and development (PLD) in supporting teachers to thrive in educational transition has been continuously emphasised. Even though the key role of PLD for teachers in ILEs has been recently explored in the Aotearoa New Zealand context, few studies have investigated how teachers’ working experiences can be influenced by the ways they view their teaching practice in ILEs and the support teachers receive to work effectively in those spaces. Moreover, less attention has been given to how school-, class-, and individual-level variables interact in the same context. This study explored New Zealand secondary teachers’ experiences working in ILEs, by analysing survey data (quantitative data and qualitative data) from 248 teachers who taught in ILEs for most or all of the time. The structural equation modelling showed that both the reliable digital resourcing and a culture of ongoing PLD predict positive experiences of working in ILEs, both of which are also positively associated with teachers’ work (morale and workload). The quantitative findings were reinforced by the thematic analysis of teachers’ comments, which identified enablers and barriers to working effectively in ILEs. Overall, this study highlighted the importance of supporting teachers when responding to pedagogical challenges related to working in an ILE.