Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to use the narratives of beginning teachers to investigate the emotionally challenging situations they face, with a focus on how their perspectives and definitions of such situations guided their actions and made coping possible. A short term longitudinal qualitative interview study was adopted. Twenty participants were interviewed at the outset of their last year of teacher education and then followed up with an interview at their first year of teaching. In between self-reports were written in addition to the interviews. The material was analysed using constructivist grounded theory tools. The findings show that new teachers experienced conflicts that were both interpersonal (with students, parents and colleagues) and intrapersonal (being ‘good enough’; establishing boundaries related to time and engagement; suppression of emotions) as they started out in teaching. In order to cope with these challenges, the beginning teachers used various strategies including collaboration, conformity, influencing and autonomy.
Highlights
Several studies have reported that new and less experienced teachers face complicated socialisation processes and collegial situations in the beginning of their careers (Caspersen & Raaen, 2014; Jokikokko et al, 2017; Kelchtermans and Ballet 2002), which are affected by micropolitical contexts
The aim of the study was to use the narratives of beginning teachers to investigate the emotionally challenging situations they face, with a focus on how their perspectives and definitions of these situations guided their actions and made coping possible
The beginning teachers had to make sense of the boundaries of the role, which they had already started formulating during their training
Summary
Several studies have reported that new and less experienced teachers face complicated socialisation processes and collegial situations in the beginning of their careers (Caspersen & Raaen, 2014; Jokikokko et al, 2017; Kelchtermans and Ballet 2002), which are affected by micropolitical contexts. The school setting is often full of conflict, tensions and rivalry as well as opportunities for collaboration and coalition, all of which influence the practice of new teachers. Beginning teachers have to engage in understanding the setting and establish themselves within it (Kelchtermans and Ballet 2002), even though some schools have been found to give little or no support for beginning teachers to develop coping strategies (Le Maistre and Paré 2010). Success in building mutual trust with colleagues has been found to reduce beginning teachers’ turnover intentions.
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