Challenges and Barriers in Novice Teachers’ Practice in Public Schools Research Paper

Examining the challenges and barriers that novice teachers face in public schools is crucial for improving the quality of the secondary education system. For Saudi Arabia, this area of ​​research is relevant due to a large number of young specialists. The conducted qualitative study based on the phenomenological approach and data collection through interviews revealed the main problems of adaptation to new working conditions and the possibilities of increasing productivity. Mentoring was seen as a potentially effective support mechanism for novice teachers. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing practices were also assessed as valuable tools for enhancing classroom management skills among the participants involved. The role of school administrators is high in stimulating the leadership qualities of young specialists and facilitating the successful combination of theoretical and practical attainments.

Working in a modern educational environment that is characterized by a variety of pedagogical approaches and tools for interacting with students requires high teacher professionalism and implies using effective communication skills. In addition, the teaching profession remains tense and responsible largely due to the human factor. In case an employee has good experience and can use flexible communication strategies with students, this is a significant plus in shaping the teacher’s image and establishing contact with the target audience. However, in the absence of working experience, the risk of difficulties increases. In Saudi Arabia, in 2020, the share of students involved in public education was 82.6%, and the qualified teaching of such a large number requires a constant influx of new staff (“Education indicators,” 2020). Therefore, the topic of the challenges that novice teachers face in public schools is relevant as an issue that can be solved by analyzing specific barriers and their causes.

This study aimed to identify what difficulties new teachers faced in public schools and what methods of overcoming specific barriers were the most optimal. As an assessment mechanism, qualitative research was conducted, and a phenomenological approach to analysis was applied as a mechanism to explore the problem through the experience of the target audience. The constructivist paradigm made it possible to determine the characteristic factors influencing the thinking and behavior of the research participants. As a data collection tool for this empirical study, interviews were conducted, and the questions to the teachers engaged were supposed to involve them in a discussion about the reasons and ways of overcoming challenges at the beginning of a working career. A literature review made it possible to identify the main research trends on this topic in the academic environment and perform a comprehensive assessment of the problem from a scholarly perspective. The overwhelming number of challenges and barriers among novice teachers in public schools were associated with establishing communication with the target audience, and the flexibility of interaction strategies and behavioral patterns was a valuable tool to implement and increase individual authority among students.

Research Question

Despite the fact that targeted work with young employees is an essential aspect of modern HR policies for retaining talented workers and maintaining a positive employer image, not all organizations promote this principle of interaction with subordinates. In the educational environment, individual constraints, such as the lack of funding or the cost of learning materials, affect the quality of such personnel-oriented practices negatively. According to Warsame and Valles (2018), “there is a lack of priority given to take proactive measures to retain novice teachers so they may successfully move into a second stage of teaching” (p. 17). As a result, new employees who come to public schools cannot count on comprehensive support from management and responsible departments and are often forced to adapt to a new working environment on their own. Ngang, Hashim, and Yunus (2015) cite a number of skills that novice teachers should possess, including advanced communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and some other attainments. Therefore, assessing the challenges these employees face was valuable from the perspective of analyzing potential mechanisms for improving their adaptation period to gain valuable experience.

Based on the existing challenges and constraints, one can pose the following research question: what barriers to productivity do novice teachers with less than three years of work experience in public schools in Saudi Arabia? Conducting qualitative research by using interviews as a tool to collect data from the participants involved helped highlighted the underlying difficulties. In addition, related questions arose in the process of working on this topic: what methods of addressing difficulties are relevant to novice teachers? What is the role of school leaders and mentors in interacting with novice teachers to help them adapt to a new working environment? The evaluation of findings from academic sources made it possible to highlight a number of crucial aspects of the topic and identify the key research trends.

Literature Review

In terms of age, Saudi Arabia is a country with a relatively young category of teachers. According to the official data, the average age of teachers in the country is 38, and only 5% are 50 or older (“Saudi Arabia,” 2019, p. 1). These figures are low and indicate that a large number of school staff have little experience, which is a reason to study the proposed problem.

The analysis of relevant academic studies on the given topic can help identify the characteristic problematic aspects of novice teacher careers and potential tools for overcoming them. According to Sezer (2017), one of the common challenges young professionals in public schools face is students’ disruptive behavior. The lack of the knowledge of classroom management leads to the fact that a novice teacher is unable to establish the educational regime due to pupils’ poor discipline, which, in turn, affects a teacher’s authority. Mahmoudi and Özkan (2015), in turn, cite a large program base as one of the barriers to productive pedagogical work. Drawing up curricula, preparing materials, and other organizational activities create a significant burden for a novice teacher, which is difficult to cope with without proper experience. Chaaban and Du (2017) note that coping with job-related stress is an essential prerequisite for working in an educational environment, and in many public schools, there are resources available to accomplish this, such as dedicated training programs. However, not all employees can count on school managers’ loyalty, which complicates the adaptation process.

The unpreparedness of novice teachers to work in the school environment is complicated by non-standard organizational nuances that affect the pedagogical process. For instance, Dvir and Schatz-Oppenheimer (2020) provide an example of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic when social isolation measures have changed traditional schooling principles. Novice teachers are forced to adapt to such conditions, but due to little experience of working in a regular mode, this creates additional difficulties for them. However, as Çakmak, Gündüz, and Emstad (2018) remark, even in a normal learning environment, many novice teachers face the barrier of anxiety about the inadequacy of professional requirements. Little experience does not allow young specialists to rely on the knowledge of classroom management, and the first years of work are stressful. At the same time, even in case of high-quality preparation, difficulties may arise. According to Ngang, Yunus, and Hashim (2015), a teacher’s authority is largely shaped by personality traits acquired during practice, and theoretical knowledge is not the basis for ensuring students’ attentiveness and discipline. Therefore, productive work at school requires combining theoretical and practical skills.

When considering novice teachers’ adaptation to school work, one should take into account some common principles. As Zhukova (2018) argues, three stages are the steps that most young specialists pass: “survival, self-adequacy, and acceptance” (p. 103). However, to accept one’s status and believe in one’s strengths, novice teachers need to make efforts and unleash their potential. According to Eteläpelto, Vähäsantanen, and Hökkä (2015), not all teachers perceive individual competencies positively, which may be due to both anxiety and the lack of professional experience. In the face of pressure from school leaders, young specialists have to demonstrate a commitment to achieving students’ high learning outcomes. Nevertheless, due to the aforementioned barriers, such as stress or little experience, the implementation of short-term and long-term teaching objectives is not always possible. The situation is complicated by the fact that teaching competencies are usually assessed immediately after starting work, and there is no adaptation period to develop the necessary interaction skills with the target audience (Goh, Yusuf, & Wong, 2017). Thus, even despite a good educational background, young specialists can get confused in a real work environment.

In addition to the general problems with classroom management, novice teachers face accompanying challenges associated with their profession. Sali and Kecik (2018) provide a list of common barriers that worry young specialists: “assessment, relations with parents, administrators, and colleagues, heavy teaching load, knowledge of subject matter and school rules,” and some others (p. 117). Without sufficient experience, many employees are not able to comprehend all the subtleties of pedagogical activities quickly, which affects the effectiveness of their work in certain aspects. Moreover, as Kozikoglu (2017) states, “a mismatch between theory and practice” is a common phenomenon when a young specialist with a specific educational background learns all the features of the teaching process in a direct working environment, and often, basic doctrines and concepts may not correspond to the current conditions (p. 92). Given the high dynamics of educational trends and a large number of assistive approaches and digital materials, novice teachers are confused in this environment. Akcan (2016) confirms the inadequacy of university academic programs to school conditions. As a result, novice teachers are forced to adapt and transform their knowledge to meet the current requirements.

The aspect of retention is a significant topic when discussing the difficulties of novice teachers’ adaptation. According to Glennie, Mason, and Edmunds (2016), high turnover among young specialists is common in public schools, particularly where inadequate retention practices are employed. The authors note that the main reason is job dissatisfaction caused by the lack of support from administrators and managers (Glennie et al., 2016). In this regard, the issue of the socialization of novice teachers in the school environment is an essential topic to address through special assistance programs, for instance, mentoring. Paula and Grīnfelde (2018) note that, despite the preliminary academic training, young specialists do not have real work skills, for instance, time management attainments, communication skills, and some others, which is expressed in problems with adaptation and interaction with the target audience. Many researchers argue that mentoring is a must for such employees; otherwise, the risks of high turnover due to dissatisfaction with working conditions increase (Paula & Grīnfelde, 2018; Shwartz & Dori, 2016). Therefore, while considering challenges and barriers to adaptation, one should take into account mentoring as an integral component of support and personnel-oriented practices.

Classroom management, as the general principle of control over the educational process, is a complex practice with different approaches and principles of involvement. Wolff, Jarodzka, and Boshuizen (2020) discuss the difficulties that novice teachers face while implementing specific aspects and remark that the learning environment is not limited to teaching curriculum materials. The modern trend of an individual approach to each student creates additional challenges that not every young specialist can overcome successfully. Miles and Knipe (2018) cite the experience of some teachers who have faced the classroom management process and note the concern of many respondents not being able to address all emerging issues, for instance, discipline control, self-confidence, and some other barriers. Moreover, in addition to traditional approaches to establishing interaction with students, in some cases, specific requirements are imposed on teachers. As Kasim and Abdurajak (2018) state, novice teachers engaged in Islamic education should not only present educational materials in an accessible way but also follow the interaction norms for the given communication environment and exemplify appropriate behavior. All these aspects make classroom management a complex process with numerous professional conventions.

Overcoming the aforementioned challenges and barriers is discussed in academic studies as important work for a number of reasons. Dias-Lacy and Guirguis (2017) mention a high turnover of young specialists and note that about 50% of novice teachers leave their positions during the first three to five years of their careers (p. 265). As an effective mechanism for addressing this problem, the authors propose to pay attention to mentoring programs as projects aimed to promote young professionals and support them at the initial stage of work (Dias-Lacy & Guirguis, 2017). Astuti (2016) endorses this solution and notes that, in addition to mentoring, productive collaborative and knowledge-sharing approaches are useful initiatives to implement in the school environment for novice teachers. Interacting with senior colleagues, organizing collective projects for the exchange of experience, and other activities can be valuable in raising the professionalism of young specialists and, no less important, enhancing their self-confidence. Mikser, Õun, Tuul, Kukk, and Hussar (2020) highlight the role of school administrators as supervisors of novice teacher training. If managers are interested in improving their subordinates’ professional attainments and classroom management skills, the success of mentoring increases.

For Saudi Arabia, these prospects for overcoming barriers are relevant in view of the aforementioned statistics on the young age of teachers in the country. Moreover, official figures confirm that only 22% of teachers who have worked for less than five years have a mentor (“Saudi Arabia,” 2019, p. 3). This means that drawing attention to the issue of supporting young employees at schools is an urgent task in the country.

Opportunities to increase the productivity of novice teachers and overcome potential difficulties and barriers are the topics that are addressed in academic literature. One of the approaches proposed by Cheng and Szeto (2016) is stimulating young specialists’ leadership skills. If school administrators delegate certain powers to novice teachers, for instance, the preparation of educational programs, this will increase the motivation of employees and contribute to enhancing their independence and responsibility. The mentoring perspective that Gholam (2018) discusses is also valuable and allows “raising the awareness of school leaders to the needs of beginning teachers” (p. 1). Support can be provided both in the form of practical recommendations and due to the involvement in certain types of activities, for instance, group projects that bring together a number of young specialists. Finally, as Bettini, Jones, Brownell, Conroy, and Leite (2018) argue, workload management is another important concept to develop and implement in public schools in which novice teachers work, which may help reduce teachers’ stress. The proposed measures can help increase the productivity of young employees and minimize the impact of negative factors on their work process and adaptation to new conditions.

Conceptual Framework

While taking into account the findings from the conducted literature review, individual ideas were collected and compiled into a specific conceptual framework for research aimed at clarifying the key challenges novice teachers face and potential mechanisms to cope with them. Given the peculiarities of the work and the intended design of the study, specific practical solutions were considered as the principles of addressing the stated problems and answering the posed research question. Since many scholars agreed that mentoring was an effective tool for helping novice teachers and raising the awareness of their adaptation barriers, this study was based on the idea of ​​evaluating available and widespread mentoring programs by young staff involved to analyze the effectiveness of these interventions and their benefits for productive teaching. According to Schatz-Oppenheimer (2016), mentoring is useful as a practice that allows finding problematic aspects of activities in the work of novice teachers and strengthening their knowledge accumulated during university education. Therefore, the variables of challenges and mentoring formed the basis of the conducted research and helped build the design of the entire study with the involved participants.

Study Design

This research was qualitative and based on an empirical method of collecting data and interacting with the target audience. This type of study was the most optimal for answering the research question posed since the main emphasis was not on statistical correlations and calculations but on the opinions of the participants involved. The views of novice teachers were essential to provide a comprehensive picture of whether teaching in public schools in Saudi Arabia was challenging and whether the conditions and opportunities were created to overcome barriers.

Research Approach

As an approach to research, the phenomenological principle was applied as a mechanism that allowed obtaining the necessary data on the experience of the target audience as the main criterion for assessment and analysis. According to Padilla-Díaz (2015), the perception of the problem from the perspective of individual experience is the main rationale for applying this approach in qualitative studies. Therefore, the phenomenological approach allowed for a comprehensive picture of the issue and the focus of research activities on evaluating the background of the participants involved.

Research Paradigm

As a research paradigm for this study, the constructivist approach was applied. Bada and Olusegun (2015) describe this algorithm as a method that results from the analysis and interpretation of accumulated knowledge. In other words, all the data collected is used not as a basis for drawing a general picture of the problem from an unknown perspective but as an addition to the information that has already been gained. In this study, the constructivist paradigm made it possible to assess the knowledge of the involved participants in terms of their experience and acquired skills, which helped consider the problem comprehensively.

Data Collection

As the main data collection tool, interviews with 15 novice teachers from public schools in Saudi Arabia were conducted. As a selection criterion, the time of work in an educational establishment up to three years was used. The interview questions involved assessing the participants’ experiences and analyzing their perception of the existing challenges and barriers to productivity, as well as opportunities for professional development (see the section “Interview Questions”). Individual conversations helped obtain the personal views of each participant on the proposed problems and evaluate their opinions regarding the role of mentoring in teaching practice.

Validity and Reliability for Data Collection and Analysis

Since the conducted research is based on the phenomenological approach, the selected strategies for collecting data and analyzing information received from the target group (the assessment of interview responses) were reliable and valid. According to Yüksel and Yıldırım (2015), “the purpose of a phenomenological interview is to describe the meaning of a phenomenon that several individuals share” (p. 9). Conversations with the study members were the best tools for learning the personal experience of each participant regarding the chosen problem (challenges and barriers at the beginning of a teaching career). Moreover, this approach is characterized by applying such mechanisms for collecting and analyzing data regularly, and the rigor of such methods is due to the need to obtain accurate and unbiased information. Therefore, the interviews provided an opportunity to evaluate the individual perception of the problem by each participant and assess potentially effective mechanisms for overcoming it.

Interview Questions

1. How long have you been working as a teacher in your public schools?
2. What difficulties did you face after getting a job as a teacher?
3. Your principal has asked you to rate your current work progress. What criteria will you consider when compiling an individual performance analysis?
4. What communication challenges did you experience when interacting with students?
5. Why do novice teachers often feel the need to adapt to a new working environment?
6. You need to implement a classroom management approach based on a theoretical concept. Where could you find the necessary materials to develop the plan?
7. What collaborative practices can novice teachers apply when working at school?
8. Your senior colleagues are indifferent to your problems with classroom management. How will you solve the existing communication barrier in these conditions?
9. Why should the knowledge-sharing process involve not only novice teachers but also more experienced school staff?
10. How can mentoring help you cope with the existing challenges and improve your performance?
11. You have decided to improve classroom discipline, but you are not sure which strategy is best to apply. Who will you turn to for advice or materials to solve the issue?
12. What personal qualities should a novice teacher have to cope with workload and stress successfully and implement the set objectives in the current curriculum?
13. What motivational strategies would be effective for you as a young specialist who is ready to work and realize your professional potential?
14. How committed is your school administration in terms of retaining young staff and developing a broad base of support materials and professional training programs?
15. You realize that your university education cannot help you establish classroom discipline. How adequate would it be to seek advice from senior colleagues?

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