Perceived Problems of Beginning Teachers

Abstract

Perceived problems of beginning teachers in their first years of teaching are reviewed. Studies from different countries are included. Issues such as the reality shock and changes in behaviours and attitudes are considered also. The eight problems perceived most often are classroom discipline, motivating students, dealing with individual differences, assessing students’ work, relationships with parents, organization of class work, insufficient and/or inadequate teaching materials and supplies, and dealing with problems of individual students. There is a great correspondence between the problems of elementary and secondary beginning teachers. Issues such as person-specific and situation-specific differences, views of the principals, problems of experienced teachers, and job satisfaction of beginning teachers are discussed also. Three frameworks of teacher development are presented which provide conceptualizations of individual differences among beginning teachers. Finally, forms of planned support for beginning teachers are noted. Research using an interactionistic model for the explanation of behaviour is needed.

Challenges of First Years of Teaching in Turkey: Voices of Novice EFL Teachers

“…However, for novice teachers, those new beginnings might imply frustration and disappointment. As widely recognised and documented in the research literature, initial years of teaching have been marked with confusions, challenges and tensions (Farrell, 2003;Farrell, 2006;Loughran, Brown, & Doecke, 2001;Veenman, 1984). Research in educational literature has paid considerable attention to those challenges of first years of teaching.…”

“…Research in educational literature has paid considerable attention to those challenges of first years of teaching. Veenman (1984), in his analysis of eighty-three studies, provided a comprehensive list of areas of difficulty as perceived by beginning elementary and secondary teachers. The reported problems covered such areas: classroom management, assessment, relations with parents, administrators, and colleagues, heavy teaching load, knowledge of subject matter and school rules, inadequate school materials, inadequate guidance and support, large class sizes.…”

The Help-seeking from Social Capitals and Self-regulated Learning among Pre-service Teachers

“…However, possible problematic cases during practicum are inevitable. Veeman (1984) indicated that certain problems focused on three facets, i.e., student (e.g, dealing with problems of individual students), material (e.g, insufficient and/or inadequate teaching materials and supplies), and parents (e.g, unable to build positive relationships with parents). Additionally, Huang and Waxman (2009) identified that pre-service teachers perceived a large gap between expected ideal practicum situation and realistic practicum school environment when they engaged in field-based school experiences.…”

Classroom Management in Foreign Language Education: An Exploratory Review

“…This may be related to the fact that "the ideals that the beginning teacher formed during teacher training are replaced by the reality of school life where much of their energy is often transferred to learning how to survive in a new school culture" (Farrell, 2006, p. 212). Issues such as classroom discipline, dealing with individual differences and mixed-ability classes, organization of class work, relationships with parents, insufficient and/or inadequate teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, sitting arrangement, noise, and social and cultural activities (Sariçoban, 2010;Veenman, 1984), to name a few, usually get in the way of teachers, especially in their initial years of teaching. In many settings, such issues tend to constitute real challenges that all teachers must learn to cope with.…”