Experiences Of Novice Teachers Research Articles

Novice Teacher Recruitment and Retention in a Midwestern State: An Exploration of Contextual Factors

Teacher recruitment and retention consistently emerged as problematic in research and practice. This was particularly true in difficult-to-staff areas, such as rural school districts in the United States. As the teacher pipeline continued to decrease and various challenges plagued the field, this problem quickly became a crisis. The present study aimed to lift novice teachers' voices in rural and remote rural areas of a Midwestern State better to understand individuals' experiences in a rural setting and contribute to the current knowledge base of rural teacher recruitment and retention. Eleven participants in this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to uncover the specific contextual factors that influenced their experiences as novice teachers in a rural Midwestern State. Interviews revealed the need for direct support from administrators and colleagues to create a sense of belonging, which was imperative to positive novice teacher experiences. The need for appropriate preparedness within their preservice experiences and coursework, as well as solid induction and mentoring programs once hired, surfaced during the interviews. Rural-specific field experiences paired with comprehensive induction and mentoring programs focused on specific feedback prepare preservice teachers and novice teachers for successful rural teaching and living. Intentional recruitment efforts, including grow-your-own programs for future teachers and partnerships between rural school districts and teacher preparation programs, boosted the pipeline of novice teachers for rural areas.

UNVEILING THE JOURNEY: EXPLORING THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF NOVICE EFL TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM

This research aims the personal experiences of novice English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the classroom. The objective is to gain insights into the challenges faced by novice EFL teachers and strategies to address challenges. Descriptive method is employed, focusing on a single participant selected through purposive sampling. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis is used to analyze the interview data. The findings reveal that novice EFL teachers h challenges related to classroom management, lesson planning, and student engagement. Limited teaching experience and a lack of pedagogical knowledge are also identified as contributing factors. However, he demonstrate resilience and engage various strategies to overcome the challenges by seeking mentorship, engaging in professional development, and utilizing student-centered approaches. This research contributes to the existing literature on novice teacher experiences and informs stakeholders to held teacher training programs in the EFL context.

Novice Teachers Navigating Mentoring Relationships in the United States

Amid the national teaching shortage in the United States, it is now more critical than ever to sustain teachers. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to understand which mentoring experiences and induction support can aid in this objective. Framed by Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism, this study's longitudinal, qualitative nature explores the experiences of novice teachers (NTs) in elementary schools in the United States whose critical first years occurred amid a global pandemic. More specifically, we focus on the formal and informal support they experienced while becoming a teacher. Analysis of the data, which included in-depth interviews with the NTs revealed two key themes: 1) deprioritizing mentoring, and 2) inconsistencies in mentoring. The implications of this study aim to extend the existing literature, offering action-based evidence to improve mentoring and induction. Focusing on the retention of NTs via support and mentoring benefits the field now and into the future.

Novice elementary teachers’ pedagogical journey in far-flung schools in the time of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study was conducted to explore the experiences of novice elementary teachers assigned in far-flung schools in the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, anchoring on reflective practice using Kolb’s (2015) experiential learning theory. As a strategy to understand the experiences of novice teachers, the researcher employed mini-virtual ethnography by interviewing four novice elementary teachers teaching in schools located in mountainous areas. The data gathered were analysed using thematic analysis. Recorded interviews were transcribed, coded and sorted to identify the different themes. The study revealed that teachers experienced challenging and fulfilling encounters on their journey. To cope with the challenges brought by the pandemic, the teachers found means to ensure that education continued amidst the crisis, with the help of various stakeholders. Out of their experiences, teachers gained a lot of realisations and aspirations for their students, parents and self. They have seen that what they went through will help them become stronger, and there is still hope despite what is happening. By engaging in reflective practice, teachers were able to think and reflect on their experiences, learn from the experience, plan for a change and improve their learning and instructional practices.

Smoothing the path to practice: Playful learning raises study happiness and confidence in future roles among student teachers and student ECE teachers

Researchers investigating the experiences of novice teachers highlight the importance of easing their transition from study to work, including by strengthening their personal resources through active experimentation with future practices. Based on survey data from a large-scale programme evaluation, this paper reports on associations found between the adoption of a hands-on, student-centred approach – playful learning-based teaching (PLT) – during initial training of future professionals in care and education and three key outcomes: students’ happiness with their studies, perception of competence and professional readiness. Results showed that PLT was positively associated with all three outcomes, and further, that PLT can feasibly be promoted by equipping lecturers with material resources and peer support to adopt playful elements in their teaching.

Stories Stories of Prevailing: Novice Teachers’ Journey in Far-flung Schools in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

This study was conducted to explore the experiences of novice teachers assigned in far-flung schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, anchoring on reflective practice guided by David Kolb's experiential learning theory. As a strategy to understand the experiences of novice teachers, the researcher employed mini-virtual ethnography by interviewing four novice elementary teachers teaching in schools located in mountainous areas through phone calls and messenger chat. The data gathered were analyzed using thematic analysis. Recorded interviews were transcribed, coded, and sorted to identify the different themes. The study revealed that teachers experienced challenging and fulfilling encounters on their journey. To cope with the challenges brought by the pandemic, the teachers find means to ensure that education continues amidst the crisis with the help of various stakeholders. Out of their experiences, teachers have gained a lot of realizations and aspirations for their students, parents, and self. They've seen that what they went through will help them become stronger, and there is still hope despite what is happening. By engaging in reflective practice, using Kolb's learning cycle, teachers could think and reflect on their experiences, learn from the experience, plan for a change, and improve their learning and instructional practices

Navigating the Double Bind: A Systematic Literature Review of the Experiences of Novice Teachers of Color in K–12 Schools

A robust body of U.S.-based research demonstrates the importance of teachers of color to promote positive outcomes among students of color, and recent policies aim to increase the proportion of teachers of color. These policies are unlikely to succeed if they ignore how educational systems currently marginalize teachers of color, particularly early in teachers’ careers, when they are more likely to leave. Thus, we conducted a systematic narrative review of the experiences of novice teachers of color in K–12 schools. We identified 72 relevant studies, from 1996 to the present, and qualitatively analyzed themes within them. We found that novices’ experiences of their socialization into K–12 educational institutions were deeply racialized, through their interactions with every aspect of K–12 educational systems. Novices’ experiences often placed them in a double bind, as they experienced tensions between their personal commitments as people of color and their professional commitments in schools that perpetuated oppressive systems. Welcoming novice teachers of color into K–12 schools thus necessitates broader efforts to dismantle the many ways oppressive systems are embedded within and perpetuated by schools—efforts to which novice teachers of color can contribute, but for which they should not bear sole responsibility.

Preparedness and Experiences of Novice Teachers in the Sociopolitical Context of Heightened Immigration Enforcement: Evidence From a Survey of California Teachers

For teachers of immigrant-origin students and their peers, emerging research notes the challenge of facilitating a high-quality education for students subject to traumatic events related to harsh immigration enforcement policies. This study examines whether new teachers from seven teacher preparation programs experienced the impacts of immigration enforcement and felt prepared to support students who were impacted. I surveyed new teachers in preservice and after 1 year of teaching ( N = 473) using survey instruments developed by Cohen and colleagues along with additional constructs developed via pilot testing. New teachers reported that immigration enforcement negatively impacted their students and their job satisfaction. Teachers exposed to discussion of immigration policy and teachers who reported engaging with immigrant families in preservice were more likely to view themselves as prepared to support students. I discuss differences for teachers in urban, Title I, and elementary settings.

Induction experiences of novice teachers and their coaches

ABSTRACT This mixed-methods study explores the experiences and influence of induction on novice teachers. The authors quantitatively analyze survey data from over two thousand novice teachers and a thousand of their coaches through statistical comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses to explore whether structures of induction are associated with how teachers learn and develop in their pedagogy. Qualitative analyses of respondents’ open-ended responses guided by word cluster formations indicate a positive feeling about this induction program but revealed differing areas of focus between novice teachers and their coaches. Results indicate the importance of coaches, curriculum, and the learning management system in creating positive induction experiences. Findings from this study have implications for the influence and structural design of induction programs for novice teacher development.

Explicating the Experience of Beginner Vocational Teachers

The limitations of teachers in vocational schools have been discussed and debated. This situation is contrary to professional teachers and teacher quality. Thus, vocational school administrators have to have standards to become vocational teachers. The experience of novice teachers is constructed to provide several information and input to vocational education providers. Qualitative research with a descriptive analysis approach was carried out. A total of 11 vocational teachers who are beginners in their careers (1-3 years of teaching) were selected to be participants. Open coding and axial coding were used in data analysis. The findings in the study that teachers' experiences are identified in four aspects, namely understanding, activities, problems, and the use of technology in their work. The important finding is that increasing the age of work experience increases social and professional competence and the age of beginner vocational teachers to have better technology closeness.

Deconstructing Novice Teachers’ Actions and Reactions to Nonharmonic Chilean School Communities of Practice

This paper reports a small section of a larger study that uses a mixed-methods approach to examine participation experiences of novice teachers of English in Chile beginning their careers in nonharmonic public, semiprivate, and private school communities. Drawing on Wenger’s framework of communities of practice, this paper reveals that novice teachers come across nonharmonic communities of teachers regardless of the types of schools where they work-that is, schools normally classified by socioeconomic background. As such, new teachers experience varying degrees of challenges that hinder their participation in such school communities. Rather than being a detriment, these nonharmonic communities of practice positively impact novice teachers to strive, including by joining diverse forms of communities, during the first years of teaching.

Classroom Management Challenges and Administrative Support in Elementary Schools: Experiences of Novice Public-School Teachers

The purpose of this study was to explore classroom management challenges that novice teachers experienced in their early years of profession. Moreover, this study explored the administrative support novice teachers received from school administration concerning classroom management. We drew on interview data to explore novice teachers' experiences who had less than three years of experience during their first job in public elementary schools. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of ten novice teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the experiences of novice teachers. The analysis came up with four themes: Responsive administration, helping hands, struggling with workload, and supportive principal.The study's findings revealed that most of the teachers faced over-crowded classes and a high workload in their initial time. Most of the teachers had received support from the administration; however, the administration was helpless regarding many challenges that the novice teachers faced in their early years. Many administrators did not help the novice teachers’ deal with over-crowded classrooms, the extra workload in the form of periods per week, and the management of students' behaviors.

Examining the Perceptions and Experiences of Novice Teachers from the Process of Formal and Informal Identification

هدف: موفقیت نظام آموزشی در تربیت دانش‌آموزان، به‌طور معنی‌داری تحت تأثیر دسترسی معلمان و مشارکت آن‌ها در فعالیت‌های توسعه‌ی حرفه‌ای با کیفیت است. از جمله برنامه‌های توانمندسازی و توسعه حرفه‌ای معلمان، برگزاری برنامه‌های آموزشی بدوخدمت یا آشناسازی معلمان است. از آنجا که معلم مهم‌ترین شخص در فرایند اجرای برنامه درسی قلمداد می‌شود، آموزش و توسعه حرفه‌ای اثربخش وی که نقطه‌ی اتکای هر تغییر و تحولی دانسته می‌شود، اهمیت فراوانی دارد؛ زیرا معلم اثربخش با اتکا به دانش و مهارت مورد نیاز حرفه‌ی معلمی و داشتن شایستگی‌های حرفه‌ای همواره به دنبال فراهم کردن موقعیت‌هایی برای ایجاد یادگیری در بین دانش‌آموزان است. هدف اصلی مقاله حاضر بررسی درک و تجربه زیسته نومعلمان از فرآیند آشناسازی بدو استخدام است.مواد و روش‌ها: روش پژوهش از نظر هدف کاربردی و از لحاظ ماهیت یک تحقیق کیفی مبتنی بر رویکرد تجربه زیسته است. تمامی معلمان و مربیان فنی و حرفه‌ای استخدام شده استان ایلام در سال‌های 1394 الی 1397 شامل 51 نفر به‌عنوان جامعه هدف انتخاب که با شیوه نمونه‌گیری هدفمند زنجیره‌ای 12 مصاحبه تا رسیدن به مرحله اشباع داده‌ها صورت گرفت. ابزار گردآوری داده‌ها، مصاحبه نیمه‌ساختار یافته بود که خروجی مصاحبه با روش تحلیل محتوای مضمونی در قالب 6 مقوله اصلی، 22 مقوله فرعی و 89 کد مفاهیم، کدگذاری شد. روایی کدهای مستخرج از مصاحبه از طریق وارسی مشارکت‌کنندگان پژوهش و نظر خبرگان حوزه منابع انسانی و برای حصول اطمینان از اعتمادپذیری داده‌های پژوهش از روش مطالعه مکرر، مقایسه مستمر داده‌ها، خلاصه‌سازی و دسته‌بندی اطلاعات استفاده شد. جهت تجزیه و تحلیل داده‌ها، رویه کدگذاری مبتنی بر تحلیل تماتیک بکار گرفته شد.بحث و نتیجه‌گیری: نتایج نشان داد که معلمان تازه استخدام شده از فرآیند آشناسازی بدو خدمت تجارب خوشایند، تجارب نامطلوب و شناخت و معرفت حقوقی را در روزهای اول استخدام به‌عنوان تجربه بیان کرده‌اند. انتظار معلمان از برنامه توجیهی بدو استخدام شامل دو محور نیازسنجی و هدف‌گرایی و نتیجه‌گرایی شغلی است که مقوله نیازسنجی بیشترین اهمیت را از منظر معلمان و مربیان تازه استخدام شده دارد. هم‌چنین مقوله‌های آشناسازی با فرایندهای درون‌سازمانی، آموزش در نقش و یادگیری سازمانی، از جمله نیازهای آموزشی معلمان در بدو استخدام عنوان شده‌اند. معلمان مهم‌ترین دغدغه‌ی بدو خدمت را شامل دو مضمون حمایت و پشتیبانی عاطفی، و توجیه مقدماتی قلمداد کرده و عواملی مانند فشار روانی و جسمانی، سازمان‌دهی نامناسب و ضعف مدیریت را از جمله مسائل و مشکلات بدو استخدام از دیدگاه معلمان دانسته‌اند. به‌عنوان نتیجه می‌توان اذعان نمود که نظام آموزش و پرورش در ابتدای ورود نو معلمان به سازمان آموزش و پرورش، دوره‌های آموزش بدوخدمت را برگزار کنند تا از بروز شکایت‌های ناشی از بی‌برنامه‌گی سازمان جلوگیری شود و نظر تازه استخدام شده‌ها را نسبت به سازمان خوشایندتر نماید. سازمان آموزش و پرورش پیش از آن‌که تصمیم به استخدام نیروی جدید بگیرند، در رابطه با نیروی مورد نیاز و برنامه‌های قبل از خدمت و ورود به سازمان مانند دوره‌های آموزشی به صورت عمومی و تخصصی، تئوری و عملی برای هر بخش به صورت جداگانه، تجزیه و تحلیل و برنامه‌ریزی نمایند.

Novice teacher agency in the multi-level language classroom

ABSTRACT This article explores the agency of novice New Zealand language teachers in the multi-level class. While the experiences of novice teachers have been widely reported, the field of language teacher agency is in its infancy as is research on how novice teachers respond to an increasingly diverse range of learners’ needs from the outset of their teaching career. Data from semi-structured interviews revealed that novice teachers felt constrained by the amount of time needed to understand the curriculum requirements and to develop resources. Teachers felt that there was a lack of professional development available to support them with their teaching, although they did not actively seek guidance, thus reinforcing a sense of isolation. However, alongside these challenges, the novice teachers in this study took pedagogical risks in their teaching and did so in highly individualised ways. Teachers trialled different approaches aligned with their personal teaching philosophies, and in response to their students’ needs, in ways that are typically seen with more experienced teachers. This study raises important implications for teacher education programmes and highlights the need for ongoing mentoring and support for novice teachers, as well as supporting them in articulating their needs and in seeking support from others.

Experience of novice teachers to present mathematical problems

Mathematical problems are important in mathematics learning. Teachers should give students the opportunity to solve the problem. Novice teachers face some obstacles to present mathematical problems in their class. This study aims to describe the experience of novice teachers to present mathematical problems for their students. This article discusses the barriers experienced by novice teachers to present math problems. This research is qualitative research. The data were collected through interview five novice teachers. The results of this study reveal that novice teacher rarely present problems in mathematics learning. The low mathematical understanding ability of students are the main obstacle of novice teachers. Novice teachers assume that presenting problems affect students to be more confused. The findings of this study indicate that learning mathematics by novice teachers have not instructed students with problem-solving ability maximally. For further research, it is necessary to analyse the ability of novice teachers in preparing mathematical problems.

The Early Years of Teaching: A Cross-Cultural Study of Turkish and Polish Novice English Teachers

Given the importance of novice teacher experiences and their long-term effects in the field, this cross-cultural exploratory study investigates the challenges of 34 novice Turkish and Polish English teachers and how they develop their professional understanding in the early years of teaching. The participants were non-native novice English teachers working with K-12 learners in culturally, socially, economically and historically diverse regions of Turkey and Poland. The data collected simultaneously in both countries in the spring term of the 2016-17 academic year were generated from two sources: a) critical incidents of the novice teachers, and b) online and/or oral interviews with these teachers, followed by comprehensive cyclical data analysis. The challenges related to pedagogical and sociocultural factors influenced the way the teachers teach in their contexts. The findings suggest that creating interactive and reflective learning contexts for novice teachers will help them better adapt to their new school settings and develop professionally.

Moving beyond induction and mentoring: The influence of networks on novice teacher experiences

ABSTRACTIn this research, I investigated the social support networks of four novice elementary teachers. Data were obtained through one-on-one interviews, egocentric social network map creation, and observations. Though the four teachers had varying levels of satisfaction, at the completion of their second year of teaching, all four expressed intent to remain in their positions and the profession. Examination of the four teachers’ social support networks and work contexts suggests that these novice teachers need and value the following supports: emotional, contextual, relational, academic, and social. The types of supports each of the four teachers accessed were functions of the type and locations of the relationships they formed but also reveal the priority the teachers placed on the various supports.

Political tensions: English teaching, standards, and postsecondary readiness

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to highlight ways two novice secondary English teachers negotiated the politics of college and career readiness along with the literacy needs of students, in the age of accountability. Design/methodology/approach This three-year longitudinal qualitative case study focused on two participants in English teacher preparation and their first two years in the classroom. Findings The findings focus on participants’ definitions of college and career readiness as it pertains to their English Language Arts classrooms. Next, the focus is on two themes: tensions these novice teachers experienced as they attempted to build classrooms focused on postsecondary readiness, and the ways in which they worked to bridge the gap between their definitions of college and career readiness and the realities of their classrooms. Research limitations/implications Connections among high stakes testing environments, postsecondary readiness and literacy teacher education are important to the field. Studying the experiences of novice teachers can fill a present gap at the intersection of these concepts. Practical implications Curriculum in teacher education should introduce standards, as well as provide a platform for negotiating and critiquing them. Three focus areas to help pre-service teachers mitigate tensions between minimum skills assessments, college readiness and literacy are personal experience, collaboration and reflective partnerships. Originality/value There has been little to no research done on the tensions between preparing all students to be college and career ready and the minimum skills based priorities that govern many school systems and its impact on novice teachers. This classroom reality is important to literacy teacher education.

South Korean Novice English Language Teachers’ Experience of Induction into Teaching

The induction experiences of novice teachers are receiving increasing attention within the subject field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).The process of beginning to teach is acknowledged to be complex and often fraught with tensions and anxieties for newly qualified teachers who may experience significant disjunction between the realities of classroom and institutional life and what they have been taught on pre-service training courses. Research has also shown that novice teachers can be helped to make a successful transition from the teacher-training environment to the school through well-designed induction programs which provide structured support and professional development with access to resources beyond the school itself. This article seeks to uncover whether these elements of well-designed induction programs are replicated for teachers of English in the Korean school system. Using data gathered in interviews with recently graduated teachers, the article examines the experiences of teaching in the early years and documents teachers’ own perceptions of their induction into teaching. The article discusses the place of the teachers within the social network of the school and, in so doing, hopes to foreground how individuals come to terms with the new and complex roles inherent in ‘being a teacher’ within this framework. This is a perspective particularly necessary for TEFL as a discipline where methods are so often deemed paramount in learning to teach, rather than an understanding of what it means to be a teacher of English as a foreign language in a particular socio-educational context.

“I am here for a reason”: minority teachers bridging many divides in urban education

Minority teachers are overwhelmingly employed in urban schools in underserved, low-income communities with large minority student populations. They receive little in the way of multicultural preparation, mentorship, and professional induction to meet the demands of teaching diverse student populations. This grounded theory study explores the experiences of novice teachers from various minority backgrounds working in urban classrooms. A tentative grounded theory, ‘I am here for a reason’ emerged, suggesting that minority teachers rely on their personal backgrounds and experiences to help them take an insider’s perspective with minority students in light of poor multicultural preparation and limited support in schools. The shared cultural perspective with students enables teachers to connect with and advocate for students, which represents both a strength and challenge for minority teachers. Finally, minority teachers are motivated by a strong desire for social justice as they work to bridge many divides, and are intentional in their work despite facing significant obstacles in training and teaching.