First Year Of Teaching Research Articles

Personal resilience of first-year, alternatively certified agriscience teachers

A wide range of challenges continues to exist in delivering school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. Among the most pressing challenges are the recruitment and retention of high-quality agriculture teachers (Guffey & Young, 2020). Teacher educators and researchers in SBAE are tasked with meeting the nationwide demand for teachers, while also better understanding the status of alternatively certified agriculture teachers (Foster et al., 2020). This study explored the challenges, coping strategies, and personal resilience of first-year agriscience teachers in Florida who held a temporary teaching certificate. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, seven alternatively certified Florida agriculture teachers were interviewed. The personal resilience framework developed by Hoopes (2017) guided this study, as researchers examined alternatively certified teachers’ experiences and responses to challenges in their teaching. Emergent themes included prior plans to teach, overwhelming expectations, supportive networks, aspects of resilience, and feelings of motivation and inspiration. This study highlights the need for proactive professional development and support systems for first-year, alternatively certified agriculture teachers.

Easier Said Than Done: Building Bridges When the Conversation Gets Heated

Easier Said Than Done: Building Bridges When the Conversation Gets Heated

The Hoffmeyer Mentoring Activity Checklist

In this article, invitational theory is applied to the process of mentoring. Theresults of three research studies exploring mentoring of first-year school teachersled to factor analysis research in which 22 specific mentor related activitiesand behaviors in assisting first-year teachers are identified. These results werecompiled to create the Hoffmeyer Mentoring Activity Checklist (HMAC).

Hard history in hard contexts: Teaching slavery and its legacy in a Neo-Confederate space

This study examined the experience of a first-year teacher's encounter with Confederate heritage while teaching about slavery and its legacy in a nearly all-white rural high school in a southern state. Data was collected in four interviews over the course of one academic year and through the participant's journaling of critical incidents in her classroom. Data was analyzed through a series of open and pattern coding. The teacher, identifying as a white suburban-raised Northern, adopted the framework of multiple perspectives to foster students' understandings about the harmfulness of Confederate symbols. Yet, the participant felt disillusioned and, at times, ineffective due to her limited experience in Neo-Confederate spaces, tensions between her white identity and teaching about race, her students' academic disinterest, and a lack of subject-specific mentoring. Findings demonstrate the presence of context-specific impediments, or hard contexts, that make the task of teaching hard history even more difficult in some settings and posit limitations of a multiple perspectives framework on issues of racial justice.

Novice elementary teachers’ knowledge of, beliefs about, and planning for the science practices: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACT This longitudinal research examines the knowledge of, beliefs about, and planned use of the science practices of five novice elementary or primary teachers during their science methods course, student teaching, and first year of teaching. To answer our research questions, we collected lesson plans and conducted interviews after the teachers taught science lessons, and we coded these data sources for science practices and sub-practices. We found that the novice elementary teachers assumed a wide range of purposes for using the science practices in their classroom. For example, they emphasised the practices’ cross-curricular nature as well as how the practices can engage students in real science. In reference to the use of the science practices in their plans, there were aspects of the practices where the novice teachers’ planned practice did not yet match their understanding or beliefs. For instance, the novice teachers knew that reasoning is a part of science explanations, but there was little evidence of this element of Explanation and Argumentation in their plans. This work adds to the field's understanding of how novice elementary teachers use multiple science practices in planning to engage their students in sensemaking, and has implications for elementary science teacher education.

The experiences of newly qualified teachers in 2020 and what we can learn for future cohorts

Those training to become teachers in England during the 2019/20 academic year were severely impacted by the first national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with many missing school placements, giving them less time to build experience and confidence before becoming newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Their first year of teaching was also severely impacted by the pandemic. As part of a British Academy-funded project, we collected data from 2020/1 NQTs in England through their first year of teaching. This article focuses on the qualitative data from seven participants, utilising online interviews to understand the challenges and opportunities they faced within the sector during the pandemic. Our findings, while drawing on small-scale data, provide insights into how schools and training providers can support trainees in healthier times, and include the importance of relationships within school, support given by school leaders and the need to acknowledge the challenges of beginning a professional career. These findings may also be useful in future disruptive events for early teacher education.

ЦЕЛОСТНОЕ ВОСПРИЯТИЕ И ЕГО РОЛЬ В ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОМ СТАНОВЛЕНИИ БУДУЩИХ УЧИТЕЛЕЙ ИЗОБРАЗИТЕЛЬНОГО ИСКУССТВА

The article discusses the role of purposeful education of such a specific quality of vision as a holistic vision in the professional development of future teachers of fine arts. The analysis of classical and modern studies on this issue allowed the authors to define the integrity of perception as the ability to see nature and the image itself not in fragments, but immediately in all the unity and diversity of its plastic properties and qualities. According to the results of the study, it was found that in the process of visual analysis of the depicted object of nature, a generalized form is revealed in the form of a "spot" — its silhouette. With visual recognition and depiction of an object in the silhouette technique, the key educational and creative task of defining the "holistic form of nature" and displaying it on the plane in the form of a "pictorial spot" is solved. This is explained by the fact that the silhouette image, being a kind of artistic technique, contains all the signs of a graphic symbol, namely: the absence of secondary, distracting details, high contrast, clarity of forms. Based on the practical experience gained during the first-year teaching at the Faculty of Arts and Design of the Pedagogical University, it is proved that without a competent setting of vision for the generalized perception of objects of nature and image, the full-fledged training of future fine art teachers is impossible.

An Ecological Study of Identity in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Light of the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity.

Influenced by the growing urge of investigating the combined nature of teacher identity with the dynamic teacher professional learning processes in recent years, the present study aimed to cast an ecological look at identity role construction and change in L2 teaching. To this aim, Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) meta-theoretical framework was employed with the centrality of social–cultural roles in framing an EFL teacher’s experiences and guiding actions. In a single-case study, a Chinese EFL teacher’s dynamic construction of identity (as a single-case design) was traced in three phases: before a practicum (teacher professional development program), during the practicum, and during the first year of teaching. A triangulation of data was used to ensure the adequacy and representativeness of the required data. The data were analyzed qualitatively to find traces of change and development in the teacher’s ontological beliefs, goals, self-perceptions, and action possibilities. The DSMRI-oriented analysis of pre-, mid-, and post-practicum data emphasized the traces of role identities of the teacher trainee in her professional development process, that also created both emerging patterns and emerging challenges in her role, fostering a more negotiated, adaptive and realistic teacher role identity. This study substantiated the usefulness of the DSMRI for viewing language teachers’ professional development and the dynamic identity development processes as several temporal and situated factors contribute to the alignment or misalignment of a teacher’s ontological beliefs, goals, self-perceptions, and action possibilities.

Teacher preparation and the COVID-19 disruption: Understanding the impact and implications for novice teachers

The COVID-19 pandemic required many school districts and teacher preparation programs to make major changes to student teaching placements. Preservice students who completed student teaching during the academic year 2019- 2020 are now employed as first year teachers, yet the impact these changes had on teachers’ self-efficacy is not clear. First-year teachers (N=162) responded to a survey which included items from the teachers’ sense of self-efficacy scale (TSES) to understand how teacher self-efficacy differed based on disruptions to student teaching placements and current teaching modality (hybrid, virtual, in-person). Participant responses to quantitative survey items were analyzed using a two-way MANOVA, while a qualitative survey item was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results from the two-way MANOVA show a significant interaction at the p<.05 level between current teaching modality and change in student teaching placement on overall teacher self-efficacy (p=.003), student engagement (p=.005), and instructional strategies (p=.001). Thematic analysis resulted in 11 themes sorted into positive, neutral, or negative impact categories with the greatest number of themes in the negative impact category. Overall, the results add to the knowledge base about the importance of student teaching to teacher self-efficacy. Implications for higher education faculty, policymakers, and school leaders are discussed.

Technology in Language Education Course: Operationalizing TPCK in Preservice Language Teacher Education

This study examines the experiences and attitude of the first cohort of students who took a discipline-focused educational technology course in a teacher education institution. This course, Technology in Language Education, utilize Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework to train 107 preservice teachers to utilize and innovate with technological tools. The results of the post-evaluation questionnaires answered by 58 of these preservice teachers suggest the achievement of both the program and course learning outcomes. In the follow-up surveys conducted after practicum and during their first year of teaching, evidence of knowledge and skill transfer were expressed. Furthermore, lesson plans evaluated using Harris, Grandgenett, and Hofer's (2010) TPACK-Based Technology Integration Rubric imply the students’ fulfillment of the learning outcomes of the course.

Functions and relational aspects of mentoring for novice teachers during the second year of teaching

ABSTRACT Growing numbers of school systems and employers now provide and mandate mentoring for novice teachers. Most studies, however, have focused on the extensive mentoring provided during the first year of teaching, and not on mentoring in the following years. There is little research on the functions and on the relational aspects of mentoring new teachers. To address these issues, the present study implemented a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 Israeli novice teachers during their second year of teaching supported by a mentor. The findings shed light on the perceived meanings of the role of mentoring and the types of relationships that develop between the mentors and novice teachers in their second year of teaching. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Self-Directed Learning Through Computer-Aided Mathematics Instruction: First-Year Teacher Education Experience

Objective: The study investigates first-year teacher education students’ self-directed learning through Computer-Aided Mathematics Instruction (CAMI).Methods: A total of 230 first-year mathematics teachers specialising in Further Education and Training (FET) phase teaching participated in the study, where responses from 50 student teachers were purposively and conveniently selected to report on in this paper. A qualitative research method approach was used and open–ended questionnaires were utilised to collect the data for first-year teacher education students’ self-directed learning. The questionnaires were analysed using descriptive data analysis.Results: Results of the study revealed that CAMI was used to monitor students’ learning, the time the learning takes place, the performance of the student within the duration of time, and to evaluate student performance. The results also revealed the skills that characterised self-directed learning and active learning where the student teachers were motivated to learn more and to solve difficult problems in mathematics.Conclusions: The study recommends technology integration, such as CAMI, in teacher education and teaching and learning in the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), to promote self-directed learning and support effective learning for future learners.

Metaphorically drawing the transition into teaching: What early career teachers reveal about identity, resilience and agency

This article examines the transition experiences of four early career teachers throughout their first year of teaching. Using metaphorical drawings and narratives, this study investigated the relationship between identity, resilience and agency during this transition period. By drawing on legitimate peripheral participation as a theoretical lens to theorise teachers’ transition experiences, the findings reveal that identity, resilience and agency worked in tandem to enable each early career teacher to look beyond challenges, pressure and fluctuating confidence during this critical transition period. These findings shed new light on why some teachers successfully withstand pressure throughout their first year of teaching.

Harnessing the potential of recently retired physics teachers to mentor new physics teachers

Three new physics teachers graduating from a university provider of initial teacher education in England were paired with a recently retired physics subject specialist teacher in order to provide informal mentoring during their first year of teaching. The aim of this was to explore if a mentoring intervention of this kind could support teacher knowledge growth of the new physics teachers and influence their retention in the teaching profession. Qualitative data from the study suggests that substantive content of the mentoring discussions that took place addressed issues of general pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge. The retired teacher mentors were enthusiastic and able to act as mentors. Suggestions emerge for ways of facilitating the mentoring.

Classroom Management Coaching for First-Year Urban Teachers: Purpose, Design, and Implementation

This qualitative study explores one urban district's purpose, design, and implementation of a unique classroom management coaching program for first-year teachers (FYTs). Through interviews of coaches, assistant principals, and district administrators, we identify why and how this program supported FYTs’ struggles with classroom management. Results highlight difficulties related to culturally responsive classroom management, which was mitigated by district coaches who provided individualized support. Data also indicates specific misconceptions held by FYTs, strategic district decisions in designing the coaching program, and challenges encountered throughout implementation. Findings have implications for the preparation and support of culturally responsive classroom management for FYTs.

The development of ambitious instruction: How beginning elementary teachers’ preparation experiences are associated with their mathematics and English language arts instructional practices

This study of 83 graduates from 5 elementary teacher education programs found that elementary candidates' opportunities to learn general teaching methods were positively associated with their enactment as first-year teachers of ambitious mathematics and English language arts (ELA) practices. Opportunities to practice content-specific instructional strategies during student teaching were positively associated with first-year teachers' enactment of ambitious mathematics practices, but negatively associated with classroom management in mathematics and disciplinary demand in ELA. First-year teachers' classroom management was positively associated with enactment of ambitious instruction in both subjects. In sum, we identify several learning opportunities that support first-year teachers’ ambitious instruction.

Greener than ever? A look at the newest teachers in our public schools

Drawing on nationally representative data from the 1988 to 2018 school years, the authors provide an overview of some of the key changes in the characteristics of first-year teachers in the U.S., including racial/ethnic identity, education levels, subject area, and certification status. The data also show that new teachers have become increasingly more likely, compared to experienced teachers, to work in schools with a greater fraction of students of color, which has consequences for equitable teacher assignments and teacher attrition.

Quality of Professional Psychologist Training in Online Space

The article is devoted to the definition of the basic provisions of training psychologists in the conditions of forced distance learning. The purpose of the study is to analyze the main qualities that a future psychologist should have, and to consider the impact of online learning (forced distance learning) on their quality and formation. The main objectives include: analyze theoretical framework of modern training of a psychologist; analyze the role of digital and online technologies in teaching future psychologists; analyze the answers given by student psychologists during a survey aimed at determining the role of online learning; propose recommendations for improving the learning process of future psychologists in a distance / blended learning. Among the research methods used, the following methods of scientific research were defining: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological sources, governmental documents on the topic of research for the theoretical substantiation of the research problem, modeling of the data obtained. The authors also conducted a survey. The results of the study show that based on the analysis of the answers received from psychology-students, we can draw several main conclusions: most students would prefer classroom or blended learning; main difficulties faced by students: technical / internet problems, motivation (self-organization), difficulties in communicating with teachers; a significant part of students do not have practical skills and relevant information on working in the online space. Based on the analysis of the obtained results and own experience of work and study at the School of Psychology, recommendations are provided for first-year students and teachers in online learning. In conclusion, in the context of improving the quality of training of future psychologists in distance and blended learning, we recommend implementing from the first semesters of study in university courses aimed at familiarizing students with the norms of behavior in the digital space.

Teaching Approaches Compatible with First-Year Accounting Student Teachers’ Learning Styles: Theoretical and Phenomenological Perspectives

Premised on the theoretical assumptions of social constructivism and multiple intelligences, the purpose of this conceptual study was to investigate teaching approaches which are compatible with the learning styles of first-year accounting student teachers from a theoretical perspective. Being a conceptual study in nature, data was collected from a host of sources on learning styles, teaching approaches, social constructivism and multiple intelligences. The study established that while not all first-year accounting student teachers are able or do not prefer to learn everything in the same way, social constructivist centred approaches are highly compatible with most of the students’ learning styles. Based on literature verdicts, the study recommends the application of the principles of social constructivism in accounting lesson presentations. It is also recommended that accounting lecturers should orchestrate all teaching and learning activities around student needs and their learning styles. Furthermore, the findings from literature review provide a sound basis to recommend that students must always be at the centre of all teaching and learning, regardless of the pedagogical beliefs and preferred teaching approaches of the accounting lecturer.

Work-related coping behaviour and experience patterns, career choice motivation, and motivational regulation of first-year teacher education students – Evidence from Germany and the Czech Republic

This study examined the association between work-related coping behaviour and experience patterns (WCEP), career choice motivation, and motivational regulation in first-year German teacher education students and their counterparts from the Czech Republic. The key finding of the present study was the association between the desirable health-promoting work-related pattern and the more autonomous higher-quality types of motivation. Regarding the cross-country differences, German students differed significantly from Czech students in terms of WCEP assignment. Whereas German teacher education students displayed more frequently the healthy work-related pattern, Czech teacher education students, on the other hand, tended to be more vulnerable to burnout.