Grounding teacher induction in lived needs: a four-phase model for novice teachers in Iran

Despite extensive international research on teacher induction, models of early career support remain largely Western-centric and predominantly focused on pedagogical mentoring. In Iran, structured induction systems remain underdeveloped and insufficiently responsive to local professional realities. This paper develops a contextually grounded, multidimensional support model for novice teachers in Iran. Using a four-phase qualitative design, the research combined (1) a meta-synthesis, (2) grounded theory interviews, (3) a modified Delphi needs assessment, and (4) theory synthesis. This sequential design enabled systematic integration of global evidence with locally articulated priorities. Findings indicate that while international literature emphasises instructional mentoring and retention, novice teachers in Iran prioritise economic stability, social integration, and administrative clarity alongside pedagogical development. These priorities reveal a disconnect between pre-service preparation and workplace realities and challenge dominant induction paradigms that foreground pedagogy alone. The resulting model reconceptualises induction as a comprehensive professional support ecosystem encompassing educational, emotional, administrative, economic, and social dimensions. By integrating mentoring systems with institutional support mechanisms, the model offers both theoretical expansion and practical guidance for policy development in contexts where structural conditions significantly shape early career teaching.