I AM NOT READY FOR TEACHING! EFL GRADUATES’ CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE PROFESSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.33.759777Keywords:
University Graduates, EFL Teacher Education, Teaching Challenges, Profession ReadinessAbstract
Every school year, Algerian Ministry of Education recruits hundreds of university Masters’ graduates to occupy job vacancies in teaching English both in Middle and Secondary schools. However, student teachers who eventually become novice teachers are often blamed of being unprepared and unqualified for the profession. Student teachers alike express their dissatisfaction with the quality of teacher education they have received and the lack of training in different areas of teaching. This exploratory paper seeks to investigate the level of readiness and preview the forecasted challenges that university graduates of English may encounter as they enter the school life. To do so, a questionnaire was administered to 136 Masters’ graduates of English at Biskra University to survey their major challenges and expectations of the teaching profession. The results revealed that a considerable number of student teachers are reluctant to join schools as they feel ill-equipped and untrained to become teachers though they see teaching as a promising job for the future. They also express their need to have pre-service teacher training sessions along their studies in which core elements of teaching need to be practiced and simulated especially lesson planning, classroom management and teaching language skills. The surveyed student teachers expressed their uncertainties of dealing with learners’ discipline problems in large classes especially in Secondary Schools, and preparing lessons from a textbook they have never trained to work with. For better insights into novice teachers’ challenges, a classroom observation-based enquiry and one-on-one interviews with beginning teachers may reveal further difficulties and suggest better recommendations.
References
Allebone, B. & Davies, D. (2000). Developing subject knowledge. In S. Herne, J. Jessel and J. Griffiths (Eds), Study to teach: A guide to studying in teacher education (pp. 56- 69). London: Routledge.
Brandenburg, R. (2008). Powerful pedagogy: self-study of a teacher educator practice. Australia. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8196-5
Brooks, V. (2007). Learning to teach and learning about teaching. In V. Brooks, I. Abbott and L, Bills (Eds), preparing to teach in secondary schools: a student teacher’s guide to professional issues in secondary education (2nd ed) (pp.7-17). England: Open University Press.
Bubb, S. (2003). The insider’s guide for new teachers: succeed in training and induction. London and New York: Routledge Falmer, Tayler and Francis Group.
Bubb, S. (2007). Successful induction for new teachers: A Guide for NQTs and Induction Tutors, Coordinators and Mentors. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Calderhead, J. & Shorrock, S. B. (2005). Understanding teacher education. Case studies in the professional development of beginning teachers. London. The Falmer press. Taylor & Francis Inc.
Celani, M. A. A. (2006). Language Teacher Educators in Search of ‘Locally Helpful Understandings. In S, Gieve & I. K. Miller, (Eds). Understanding the language classroom. New York. Palgrave Mackmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230523166_12
Crowe, A. R. & Berry, A. (2007). Teaching prospective teachers about learning to think like a teacher : Articulating our principles of practice. In T. Russel and J. Loughran (Eds), Enacting a pedagogy of teacher education values, relationships and practices(pp.31-44).London: Routledge.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2008). Learning to teach language in the first year. A Singapore case study. In T. S. C. Farrell (Ed). Novice Language Teachers Insights and Perspectives for the First Year (pp. 43-56). London: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2008). Introduction: Insights and Perspectives for The First Year of Language Teaching. In T. S. C. Farrell (Ed). Novice Language Teachers Insights and Perspectives for the First Year (pp. 1-10). London: Equinox Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otot.2008.05.001
Furness, A. (2008). Formation of ESL teacher identity during the first year: an introspective study. In T. S. C. Farrell (Ed), Novice Language Teachers Insights and Perspectives for the First Year (pp. 150-158). London: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Kessinger, T. A. (2009). Standard one: Teaching. In C. L. Klecka, S. J. Odell, W. R. Houston, and R. H. McBee. (Eds), Visions for teacher educators’ perspectives on the association of teacher educators’ standards (pp. 67-72). Maryland, USA: Association of Teacher Educators and Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Loughran, J. (2008). Challenges, Dilemmas, and Future Directions in Teaching about Teaching. In P. Aubusson & S. Schuck (Eds), teacher learning and development: the mirror maze. Sydney, Australia: Springer.
Murray, D.E. & Christison, M. (2010). What English language teachers need to know, volume I: understanding learning. New York. Routledge.
Northfield, J. & Gunstone, R. (1997). Teacher education as a process to develop teacher knowledge. In J. Loughran & T. Russell (Eds), teaching about teaching: Purpose, passion and pedagogy (pp. 48-56). London: The Falmer Press (A member of the Taylor & Francis Group).
Richert, A. E. (1997). Teaching teachers for the challenge of change. In J. Loughran & T. Russell (Eds), teaching about teaching: Purpose, passion and pedagogy (pp. 73-94). London: The Falmer Press: A member of the Taylor & Francis Group.
Schmidt, C. (2008). The transition from teacher education to ESL/EFL teaching in the first year for non-native English speaking teachers in Canada. In T. S.C. Farrell (Ed), Novice Language Teachers Insights and Perspectives for the First Year (pp. 73-88). London: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Skinner, D. (2005). Get set for teacher training. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Tucker, P. D. & Stronge, J. H. (2005). Linking teacher evaluation and student learning. Virginia. USA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Westcott, E. & Harris, A. (2007). Key issues, opportunities and challenges for new teachers. In V. Brooks, I. Abbott and L, Bills (Eds), preparing to teach in secondary schools: a student eacher’s guide to professional issues in secondary education (2nd ed) (pp.31-42). England: Open University Press.
Willis, J. (1981). The training of non-native teachers of English: A new approach. In The British Council, ELT documents 110-Focus on the teacher. Communicative approaches to teacher training (pp. 41-53). London. The British Council
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 AUTHORS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
