Understanding the nature of teaching is a lifelong process. New research tracks the changing beliefs of teachers as they transition from novice to qualified professional. Linda Belardi reports.

As a pre-service teacher, taking control of a classroom of 30 bright-eyed, vivacious young students for the very first time is often a daunting and complex task. The distracting clatter of children talking can be especially nerve-racking for the novice teacher who is eager to appear assertive and in control of her spirited pupils. For English teacher Bree Harvey, a productive classroom, however, is not always a quiet one. "As a beginning teacher, I believed that effective teaching was having kids sit and work. If there was a silent classroom then I felt I was an effective teacher. I soon...