Dealing with the unexpected: Perceptions of novice and experienced teachers on adaptive performance in teaching

In today’s rapidly changing society, professionals across domains, including education, must demonstrate flexibility and adaptability. This study aimed to compare perceptions on adaptive performance in teaching among novice (n = 18) and experienced (n = 20) university teachers. The methods included interviews regarding perceptions on adaptive performance in teaching and lived examples of situations that required adaptive performance. Results showed that teachers view adaptivity as a constant necessity in teaching practice. Their perceptions were linked to characteristics like flexibility, creativity, open mind, situation awareness; and experienced as being developed through experience and reflection. Novice teachers more frequently described situations involving classroom management or uncertainty regarding content knowledge. Experienced teachers mainly shared more examples involving complex interactions with students or conflicts within student groups. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how adaptive performance in teaching is perceived by teachers and how teacher development programs might contribute to its development.