Challenges faced by Emirati novice teachers

Abstract

The first years of teaching are well known as being the most challenging of new graduates' careers, corresponding to the highest attrition rates. Numbers of novice teachers leaving the profession during the first three years are universally high. The challenges faced by novice teachers vary from struggling with classroom management issues to coping with lesson planning, to name just two. In Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, novice Emirati teachers face additional dimensions to these challenges, in that they are joining public schools which are undergoing substantial educational reform. They are also in the minority as Emirati English medium teachers, working among mainly Western teaching staff. We interviewed a group of Emirati primary school teachers during their first year of teaching. It was found that they had faced multiple challenges, some of which are universal among novice teachers, such as managing student behavior and learning to cope with their new workload. However, they also faced additional unique challenges, such as navigating inter-cultural relationships with colleagues, and balancing their new working lives with their demanding home lives.

A Study of Novice Teachers' Challenges at Their Practical Teaching Phase

“…To my knowledge, there is no any similar studies in the Yemeni context which focused on the linguistic and lesson-planning problems that novice teachers encounter during the practical period. The significance of 1 Dickson, M., Riddlebarger, J., Stringer, P., Tennant, L., & Kennetz, K. (2014).…”

Emergence of Professional Identities of Novice Emirati Teachers

“…Professional identity is likened to an individual's perceptions of self as a teacher and as the teacher they wish to become (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011). In the UAE, policies in support of Emiratisation have led to prioritisation of employment for Emirati citizens in both public and private sectors (Dickson, Riddlebarger, Stringer, Tennant, & Kennetz, 2014). Emiratisation as a driver for change is responsible for the development of pre-service teacher preparatory programs in which Emirati nationals are trained to fulfil the demands of ADEC's NSM based on constructivist, student-centred methodologies and with English as the medium of instruction for mathematics and science.…”

The Novice English Teachers' Experience: Practices and Challenges

“…This is in line with Sali & Kecik (2018) who explained that novice teachers challenges in relation with learners' parents and colleagues. Dickson, Riddlebarger, Stringer, Tennant & Kennetz (2014) also explained that the novice teachers found the obstacle in relationship with colleagues and dealing with parent of the students. 5) at the beginning of their teaching, they feel lack of confidence.…”

“…Widiati, Suryati & Hayati (2018) also explain the challenges faced by novice English teachers during the initial years of teaching: they lack of teaching practice while they were in the university; some of them considered themselves lack of confidence of the English lesson; they normally felt various emotional states such as being excited, confused, challenged, or nervous; they found it difficult to create the lesson plan and implement the lesson plan which is appropriate with the different of students' ability level; they were having difficulty in managing the classroom such as in handling a big class and creating the interesting learning; in developing their profesionalism, they did not have any mentor. Dickson, Riddlebarger, Stringer, Tennant & Kennetz (2014) say that novice teacher faced various challenges in: managing the classroom, implementing the curriculum, arranging the administrative demands, having relationship with colleagues, dealing with students' parents, balancing the situation at home and schools. The results of some previous studies mentioned above triggered the recent study to seek deeper about the novice teachers' teaching practice, especially novice English teachers and their challenges in teaching English in boarding schools in Majalengka.…”