Managing Public Elementary School Classrooms in Lahore: Physical Facilities Related Challenges for Novice Teachers

Abstract

This study aimed to develop an understanding of the physical facility-related challenges that novice teachers in public elementary schools have faced during classroom management in their first three years. The semi-structured interview research design was employed, and the data was collected from a purposive sample of twenty novice public school teachers who had less than three years of experience.Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Most participants reported the absence of basic facilities such as small class sizes, rough and inadequate furniture, the absence of audio-visual aids, a shortage of electricity in the summer, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities in schools. Most novice teachers reported that teaching in the absence of these facilities was very difficult. It is suggested that the school education department should provide all the essential physical facilities in schools so that teachers can manage and teach effectively in their classrooms.