“I felt as if I was becoming myself anew”: Transformative Learning Through Action Research Projects Carried out by Beginner Teachers

This article explores action research as a tool for promoting transformative learning of prospective teachers. Drawing on two B.A. or M.A. projects carried out at a university in Poland in which teacher-students used action research and the educational ethnography design to examine themselves as teachers and their practice, the article demonstrates the potential of such an approach for the transformation of students’ meaning perspectives and, eventually, of their personal and professional identities. The transformation the teacher-students experienced entailed their emancipation from the teaching models imposed on them in their institutions and the development of their personal teaching theories. This was followed by their transition to deliberate action, increased sense of agency, and readiness to assume responsibility for wider social change, consequently bridging the theory-practice divide. The author argues that despite the challenges of action research in the university context, its transformative potential makes it a valuable component of teacher education.

Effective Mentoring to Improve Job Satisfaction among Beginner Teachers at South African Primary Schools

Teachers leaving the profession before age of retirement is an ongoing problem in schools worldwide. While fewer teachers enter the profession each year, the number of teachers leaving the profession has increased. Many teachers listed lack of job satisfaction as a reason for leaving the education profession, while citing the lack of mentoring as a main cause of job dissatisfaction. This study explores the impact of an effective mentoring program at primary schools in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa to support and improve job satisfaction among beginner teachers entering the profession. This study follows a quantitative approach, consisting of a Likert-scale questionnaire. The sample of the study was a number of 550 teachers (principals, deputy principals, heads of department, teachers and student teachers) from different races and cultures from 50 randomly selected state and private primary schools in Mpumalanga. After comparing the literature with the respondents' data, the researchers found that the development and implementation of a mentoring program in the province of Mpumalanga would positively impacts beginner teachers' job satisfaction, thus indicating a definite need for such a mentoring program.

MENTORAS INICIANTES: marcas da constituição da identidade profissional reveladas em narrativas

O presente artigo apresenta um estudo oriundo de uma pesquisa-intervenção sobre um Programa Híbrido de Mentoria (PHM). O objetivo deste estudo é identificar e analisar indícios da constituição da identidade profissional de mentoras iniciantes, revelados por meio de narrativas escritas (diários de mentoria, memoriais e narrativas autoavaliativas) e orais (entrevista) que foram realizadas ao longo de uma formação inicial de mentores e no início da fase de acompanhamento de professores iniciantes. As narrativas foram analisadas com base na metodologia compreensiva-interpretativa e tendo como ponto de partida que a constituição da identidade de mentor é caracterizada por um processo complexo que engloba suas trajetórias pessoais e profissionais, suas compreensões sobre a mentoria, o como se sente mentor, o contexto de atuação, os desafios, tensões e incertezas vividos no exercício desta atividade. Essas narrativas revelaram: i) a motivação das mentoras (suas trajetórias profissionais e o desejo de contribuir com o desenvolvimento profissional de professores iniciantes); ii) as compreensões das mentoras sobre a função de mentoria. Evidenciando as representações e identificações que as mentoras apresentam sobre seu papel na mentoria e o reconhecimento que constroem sobre fazer parte deste grupo.Palavras-chave: Formação de professores; Mentoria; Identidade de mentor.Beginner mentors: marks of the constitution of professional identity revealed in narrativesAbstractThe present article presents a study from an intervention-research on a Hybrid Mentoring Program (HMP). The goal of this study is to identify and analyze evidences of the constitution of the professional identity of beginner mentors, revealed through the written narratives (mentoring reflective diary, memoirs and self-assessments narratives) and oral narratives (interview) that were carried out during the initial mentoring training and the beginning of the follow-up phase of the beginner teachers. The narratives were analyzed based on the comprehension-interpretative methodology and starting from the fact that the constitution of the mentor identity is characterized by a complex process that encompasses their personal and professional trajectories, their understandings about mentoring, how they feel as mentors, the context of action, the challenges, tensions and uncertainties experienced in the exercise of this activity. These narratives revealed: i) the motivation of the mentors (their professional trajectories and the desire to contribute to the professional development of beginning teachers); ii) the mentors' understanding of the mentoring role. It shows the representations and identifications that the mentors present about their role in mentoring and the recognition they make about being part of this group.Keywords: Teacher training; Mentoring; Mentor identity.Mentoras principiantes: marcas de la constitución de la identidade profesional reveladas en narrativas ResumenEl presente artículo presenta un estudio oriundo de una investigación-intervención sobre un Programa Híbrido de Mentoría (PHM). El objetivo de este estudio es identificar y analizar indicios de la constitución de la identidad profesional de mentoras principiantes, revelados por medio de narrativas escritas (diarios de mentoría, memorias y narrativas de autoevaluación) y orales (entrevista) que se realizaron a lo largo de una formación inicial de mentores y al inicio de la fase de seguimiento de los profesores principiantes. Las narraciones fueron analizadas con base en la metodología comprensiva-interpretativa y teniendo como punto de partida que la constitución de la identidad de mentor se caracteriza por un proceso complejo que engloba sus trayectorias personales y profesionales, sus comprensiones sobre la mentoría, el cómo se siente mentor, el contexto de actuación, los desafíos, tensiones e incertidumbres vividas en el ejercicio de esta actividad. Estas narraciones revelaron: i) la motivación de las mentoras (sus trayectorias profesionales y el deseo de contribuir con el desarrollo profesional de profesores principiantes); ii) las comprensiones de las mentoras sobre la función de mentoría. Evidenciando las representaciones e identificaciones que las mentoras presentan sobre su papel en la mentora y el reconocimiento que construyen sobre formar parte de este grupo.Palabras clave: Formación de profesores; Mentoría; Identidad de mentor.

Teachers' Experiences in the Implementation of the Life Skills CAPS for Learners With Severe Intellectual Disability

This article focuses on a participatory process where the experiences of teachers regarding the implementation of the life skills curriculum and assessment policy statement (CAPS) for learners with severe intellectual disabilities (SID) in schools for learners with special educational needs were investigated. This curriculum for learners with SID has been developed to be more effective in meeting the needs of these learners. The curriculum ensures that learners can meet the requirements of the national CAPS used in ordinary public schools at a reduced depth and width, or at a more functional level, in accordance with their cognitive abilities. Although a descriptive mixed research method was applied in the study, this article reports on the qualitative part of the research. In the qualitative phase, collages and arts-based discussions with core project groups were used to generate data. Four schools, 13 core project groups, and 51 participants (teachers) were involved in the research. The transcribed data from the core project group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis, and the themes that emerged were discussed by the participants. Based on the results of these qualitative arts-based discussions, the findings were used to create opportunities for the teachers to talk and work together to jointly develop a training manual for beginner teachers and to form a learning environment that would permit rich inquiry-based dialogue among the teachers.

Teaching from the heart: exploring beginner teachers’ attitudinal knowledge

This article provides insight into the knowledge held by Zimbabwean Ordinary Level beginner teachers who teach Literature in English. An extant of research output on ESL focuses on curriculum, subject, learner, and pedagogical content knowledge of linguistic content, with limited, if any, focus on knowledge of Literature in English. To address this gap, this study employed a qualitative single case study design to gather data on the knowledge held by four purposively selected beginner teachers. In the context of this study, beginner teachers were college trained English teachers who had been in the profession for less than four years. The study was underpinned by social constructivism and current literature on experiential teacher knowledge. The study established as a novel finding that beginner teachers held attitudinal knowledge. Additionally, the findings affirmed that beginner teachers’ knowledge was a multiple-sourced construct that was fluid, idiosyncratic, attitudinal, pragmatic, and contextual. The study recommends that teacher preparation institutions consider the findings as basis for student teacher training programmes that foster connections between personal and experiential sources of knowledge construction.

EXPLORING BEGINNING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS OF TEACHING READINESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR SCHOOLS IN PUNJAB

The study aims to explore beginning English language teachers’ beliefs about their readiness for teaching in the public sector schools in Punjab. The change from the educational institution to the classroom proves to be unsettling for the beginners and the feeling of being prepared well for the profession does not seem to be present when they attempt to advance their teaching practices in new environments. The study employs quantitative approach to gain the individualized perceptions of beginner teachers’ readiness for teaching through a self-reported survey questionnaire. 30 beginning English language teachers whose experience ranged from 1-4 years were taken as sample using purposive sampling technique. The findings reveal that majority of the beginning language teachers were not in readiness with regard to applying techniques for teaching different language skills such as speaking, listening, writing and reading. They also lacked expertise in planning lesson for differentiated learner style, lesson delivery and using appropriate assessment tools to assess learners performance. The study concludes that the initial training programs should enable beginner English language teachers to acquire these skills and apply new teaching methodologies in the real classroom environment. The results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to conduct a study in a different context in order to extend the scope of results. This paper fulfils an identified need to study how the beginner teachers can prepare themselves for the challenges in their initial teaching years.

The Gamification Quizizz

Various problems faced by teachers, students and parents when studying online during a pandemic. The teacher feels the saturation of students studying at home and completing school assignments. Therefore, there is a need for innovation in assigning tasks to be more fun and not a burden. One such innovation is using quizizz. The aim of this service is to improve teacher competence in making online evaluations through the quizizz application . The method used to carry out the service is in the form of lectures, questions and answers, and practice . This activity was attended by 19 teachers at Sadagori 1 Elementary School in Cirebon City. From the results of the community service activities, the teacher's ability to make online quizzes using quizizz increased 100%. Beginner teachers who have never used or know the Quizizz application can easily create and publish quizzes in Google Classroom. The involvement of tutors in each group really helps the teacher to practice making quizzes using quizizzes. The participants were very enthusiastic about participating in the training and hoped that this training would be sustainable.

"Do all roads lead to Rome?": The influence of two different higher education programmes on beginner teacher identity

In this qualitative case study, we explored the experiences of beginner teachers who chose two different routes-full-time and part-time studying-on the journey to becoming teachers and we report on the influences of this choice on their emergent beginner teacher identities. We purposefully selected two groups of participants, each consisting of three who studied full-time and three who studied part-time. The latter worked part-time at schools or in similar educational contexts while they were studying. Epistemologically underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm, we employed the Possible Selves theory (Marcus & Nurius, 1986) as the theoretical lens. Inductive thematic analysis of data demonstrated three main themes. First, data showed a distinct divergence between the perceptions of initial beginner teacher identity states in the two groups of participants. Second, both groups of participants agreed that time is a significant factor in the complex psychological processes required for the construction of a beginner teacher identity. Third, both groups strongly considered practical experience as an essential factor for beginner teacher identity development.

INICIAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL DE DOCENTES DA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: docência, aprendizagens e dificuldades

PROFESSIONAL INITIATION OF TEACHING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: teaching, learning and difficultiesINICIACIÓN PROFESIONAL DEL PROFESOR DE EDUCACIÓN INFANTIL: enseñanza, aprendizaje y dificultadesRESUMOO objetivo deste estudo incidiu em identificar e analisar as dificuldades encontradas e as aprendizagens adquiridas/construídas no início da carreira de docentes da educação infantil. A pesquisa com enfoque qualitativo foi realizada no município de Itapetinga-BA, com cinco docentes iniciantes da Educação Infantil. Os resultados mostraram que o docente em início de carreira encontra inúmeras dificuldades para exercer a sua função, no entanto também alcançam inúmeras aprendizagens para a construção da sua identidade pessoal e profissional; que há diferença entre ser professor iniciante da escola pública e privada; ser professor contratado e efetivo; ser professor da educação infantil e de outros níveis ou modalidades de ensino.Palavras-chave: Início da Carreira Profissional Docente; Docência na Educação Infantil; Professor Iniciante.ABSTRACTThis study focused on identifying and analyzing the difficulties and learning acquired/constructed in the early childhood education teacher career. The qualitative research was conducted in the city of Itapetinga -BA, with five beginner teachers of early childhood education. The results showed that the teacher in the beginning of the teaching career is many difficulties to carry out their work, but also reach several learning for the construction of their personal and professional identity; there is a difference between being a beginner teacher of public and private school; teacher be hired and effective; being a professor of early childhood education and other levels or types of education. Keywords: Beginning of the Teaching Professional Career; Teaching in Early Childhood Education; Beginning Teacher.RESUMENEl objetivo de este estudio fue identificar y analizar las dificultades encontradas y los aprendizajes adquiridos/construidos al inicio de la carrera de los docentes de educación infantil. La investigación con enfoque cualitativo se llevó a cabo en el municipio de Itapetinga-BA, con cinco docentes principiantes de Educación Infantil. Los resultados mostraron que el docente al inicio de su carrera docente encuentra numerosas dificultades para ejercer su función, sin embargo también logra numerosos aprendizajes para la construcción de su identidad personal y profesional; que hay una diferencia entre ser un maestro principiante en las escuelas públicas y privadas; ser un maestro contratado y eficaz; ser docente de educación infantil y otros niveles o modalidades de educación.Palabras clave: Inicio de la Carrera Profesional Docente; Docencia en Educación Infantil; Profesor Principiante.