The first year in teaching: Changes in beginning teachers’ visions and their challenges

Abstract

The present study examines both the changes in beginning teachers’ visions and the challenges they face during their first year experience in teaching. A basic qualitative research methodology was used, and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire that included open-ended questions from eighteen beginning teachers who started teaching in public schools in Eskisehir, Turkey. A vision-oriented teacher education model provided the conceptual framework for identifying the changes in participants’ visions. The challenges were also emerged through inductive analysis of the data. The findings provide some evidence of considerable changes in beginning teachers’ visions and challenges in their first year teaching experience. They also present evidence for the significance of first year teaching experience in beginning teachers’ visions. The study also highlights the crucial role of learning through experience in the teaching profession. In the end, some further research trajectories on teacher education, particularly changes in visions and challenges are suggested.