A CASE STUDY: NOVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PROBLEMS IN TRANSCARPATHIA

The study presented in this article focuses on the topic of novice English teachers and the difficulties they experience during the first years of their teaching career. Based on the academic literature, we have defined the construct of a novice teacher as someone who has been teaching for a period from zero up to two years. Our main research aims were to investigate what difficulties novice English teachers in Transcarpathia encounter and suggest possible ways of solving these problems. The participants of our case study were eight English teachers having the novice status in the schools where they worked. They were each asked to fill in a questionnaire as the instrument of our research. One of our hypotheses (classroom management and implementing the curriculum are the primary problems of novice teachers) was supported by the research data, whereas the other one (little meaningful and adequate professional support is obtained by novice teachers in the workplace) was refuted. The findings indicate that the most problematic issues for novice teachers at the start of their career are keeping discipline in the classroom and maintaining learner motivation. The most crucial implications of the study include the following: novice teachers are advised to engage learners in learner-centred learning activities. From the very beginning they have to develop their routines and rules must be introduced for maximum learner achievement. Several techniques serve the teachers to maintain interest, motivation, attention and to prevent disruptive behaviour which they have to make use of in the classroom. We are fully aware of the fact that because of the small sample of the case study its findings are not generalizable for the whole population of novice teachers. However, we do hope that the issues highlighted in this paper can be of help to novice teachers who have just started their teaching career and have experienced similar problems.

Formulation of the problem. The paper analyses the main problems faced by novice English language teachers in Transcarpathian Hungarian schools. Many novice teachers struggle to teach during the first years of teaching. The problem is that unlike in other occupations, the requirements for a novice teacher are the same as for an experienced teacher. Even though novice teachers do not have the qualities of an experienced teacher, they are also expected to satisfy the requirements. Novice teachers are awaited to perform the same responsibilities as teachers who have twenty years of teaching experience.
Exploring the topic discussed here is essential and expedient, as novice teachers will always be and there will always be novices who enter the field of the teaching profession, therefore it is important to outline the issues that can cause problems. The usefulness of dealing with the subject is demonstrated by the fact that numerous written sources can be found and each study presents unique information.
The article aims at examining what novice English language teachers go through during their first years of teaching and try to come up with solutions on how they can be supported to overcome those problems, this facilitates the self-efficacy of these novice teachers as they integrate into the student community. The study gives insights into the problems novice teachers have in schools with the Hungarian language of instruction in the districts of Mukachevo and Berehovo, Zakarpattia oblast.
Based on our own teaching experiences, we have formulated two hypotheses. The first hypothesis states that the main problems which novice teachers face are classroom management and implementing the curriculum. The second hypothesis claims that novice teachers do not get enough meaningful and adequate professional support in the workplace.
In order to get information on the topic, a questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire included 21 open-ended questions, paying particular attention to the working environment, the first experience of the teachers, their fears, problems which the novice teachers may face and how they cope with the problematic areas. The findings obtained from the research can help novice teachers handle the challenges they meet during the first years of teaching.
According to numerous studies carried out on the above subject, the main areas which cause the primary problems to novice teachers include classroom discipline, motivating learners and maintaining their interests, or organization of class work. Other areas include poor teaching resources and dealing with the individual problems of certain students. The research results will be discussed in the light of the findings of the academic literature.
The practical value of the research is that it provides a description of what problems novice English language teachers face, gives an overview of the opinions and the points of view of the first years of teaching of novice teachers and presents strategies and advice to prevent the occurring problems.
Analysis of recent research and publications. The term novice teacher is commonly used in the literature to describe teachers with little or no teaching experience (Abdessamad & Meryem, 2017). They are either studentteachers or teachers in their first year of teaching (Tsui, 2012).
A novice teacher could be anyone who is teaching something new for the first time or who has entered a new cultural context for the first time. There is no compromise on how many years of teaching are essential to end this novice stage. Usually researchers define a novice as a teacher with less than five years of teaching experience (Feuer, Floden, Chodowsky & Ahn, 2017).
The first year of teaching is often the most crucial in the development of novice teachers. This period, generally described as a transition between the environment of a relatively safe training course and the contradictory reality of the school context, is often characterized as stressful, exhausting, and complex. Many studies in different subject areas have tried to capture and record the complexity of novice teachers' experiences in the first few years in order to discover a pattern of teacher learning and coping strategies. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of the issues during the novice years is yet to be achieved. Research in the field is often criticized as too narrow in its scope as it usually 1) applies a case study approach and focuses on only one or just a handful of teachers or 2) limits the observations on a limited number of concern areas, for example, teacher cognition, teacher beliefs, novice teachers' coping strategies, or their changing perceptions of teaching (Lakshmi, 2009).
Novice teachers have different duties, such as teaching and learning to teach. Thus, the first year in teaching can be regarded as a learning to teach because the knowledge and skills acquired in the pre-service teacher education period constitute a basis, and the learning process continues as a new teacher in the profession will encounter with real learning environments when they enter the class (Hussain, Nisar & Kousar, 2018).
Most novice teachers are like apprentices in any fieldthey need time to mature and acquire the tools of their craft. Most new hires fit in right away and, given encouragement and mentoring, become highly effective teachers (Jensen & Mostrom, 2012).
It is a common experience in the teaching profession to feel disappointment which can be defined as an unpleasant situation which takes place when desired expectations are not fulfilled. In the first year of teaching, no novice teacher encounters exactly the same situations as his or her expectations. Some of novice teachers are disappointed in their first year of teaching by having difficulties mostly due to lack of experience, although they start with a great deal of energy, enthusiasm, passion and great hopes for the profession (Denmark & Podsen, 2006).
During the first year of teaching the novices are developing their professional identity not only in terms of who they are as teachers, but also how they practice teaching in accordance with their own beliefs and students' needs. This will naturally include trial and failure, and to be able to do this, novice teachers want to experience autonomy to try out new things. In school contexts, which allow for autonomy and accept failures as part of the learning process, also for teachers, novice teachers are likely to become resilient. The fear of failing is harmful to any professional (Sorrell, 2017).
Becoming a teacher involves a transition from pre-service training into the profession of teaching. This transition brings about a shift in role orientation and an epistemological move from knowing about teaching through formal study to knowing how to teach by confronting the daily challenges of the school and classroom. They experience difficulties beyond their control that affect their professional performance at the workplace, especially during their first year of service. Consequently, beginning teachers often have a hard time determining their success (Huszti, 2004), especially during their first year of teaching (Zuckerman, 2009).
Novice teachers must deal with questions concerning lesson planning, the use of different teaching methods, the assessment of student learning, classroom management and students' individual needs, as well as becoming familiar with roles and attitudes as professionals (Harris, 2015).
All beginning teachers encounter challenges within the first years of teaching, but some struggle more than others (Boreen, Niday & Johnson, 2003).
New teachers are often assigned the most difficult subjects and the most challenging, diverse students in the highest-need schools. Then, they are rarely supported in their first years on the job -despite the fact that when Іноземні мови №4/2021 ISSN 1817-8510 (Print), ISSN 2616-776X (Online) novices are 'formally inducted', they are 2-3 more times more likely to remain in the classroom (Singh, 2004).
Some schools treat beginning teachers like their experienced colleagues, assigning them the same number of classes, duty periods, extra-curricular responsibilities, and, most often, the most challenging or least favored students or subjects for which they have little or no preparation (Zuckerman, 2009).
Novice teachers had difficulties making sense of the sequence of topics in textbooks and consequently they planned each lesson as discrete units on the basis of the prescribed objectives without understanding how the units fit together (Tsui, 2012).
The first year of teaching is often filled with high expectations and extreme difficulties. The conditions under which new teachers carry out the first year determine the effectiveness, attitudes, and behaviors they will develop and sustain for an entire career. The first-year experience is also a frequent factor in the decision whether to remain in the profession. Many motivated and potentially superb teachers leave prematurely (Fhaeizdhyall, 2017).
Good teachers move around and circulate almost nonstop when they are monitoring student performance. Easy movement about the classroom is also essential for proximity control, a basic and frequently used behavior management strategy where a teacher moves close to the students who are behaving inappropriately or who just look like they are about to behave inappropriately (Scherff, 2010).
A newly graduated teacher is equipped with information however being a novice teacher lacks them to behave like an experienced teacher. What is expected from an experienced teacher is also expected from a novice teacher. Issues like constraints, loaded curriculum, testing and marking, classroom management are the few basic topics in a teacher's daily routine. There are some other detailed headlines as well. For example, the culture of the institution, both written and unwritten, challenges in class due to misbehaving students (Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000).
Research findings (e.g., Wolfe and Smith, 1996) also report consistently that beginning teachers face the following major challenges: • time management; • student assessment; • negative relationships with teachers, principals, community; • lack of time (to plan, prepare, carry out administrative duties, and mark); • establishing positive relationships with students; • confusion about their relationships with students and the need to establish authority; • difficulties with students' reactions to both the subject content selected and instructional strategy; • discovering and developing teaching personalities and styles; • difficulties in aligning instructional techniques to the subject content and students' learning styles; • perceptions of self; • earning the respect of colleague teachers (Zuckerman, 2009).
One of the most significant challenges is the change from learner to teacher yet being both at the same time, learning and developing pedagogy simultaneously. Coming to terms with the subject matter to be taught, the need to identify and to cater for a wide range of abilities, of different preferred learning styles, choosing which strategy to adopt from a wide range of teaching and learning strategies to suit particular pupils and classes, pitching the content of the lesson appropriately and all of this in ever-changing circumstances, time of day, week, year pupil dynamics, classroom environment and the charisma of the teacher you are taking over from (Battersby & Gordon, 2007).
Classroom management has been broadly defined as actions taken to create and maintain a learning environment that supports instructional goals. For teachers to be prepared to create and maintain an effective learning environment, they must have a variety of knowledge and skills that allow them to effectively structure the physical classroom environment, establish rules and procedures, develop relationships with children, and maintain attention and engagement in academic activities (McDonald, 2018).
One of the most prominent problems faced by beginner, novice, and pre-service teachers is classroom management during the actual practice of teaching. A teacher plays various roles in his classroom, but the most prominent role is that of a classroom manager because effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom. Chaos becomes the norm if students are disrespectful and disorderly due to lack of apparent rules in guiding their behavior. Thus, both teachers and students suffer in this chaotic situation because students are most likely to learn much less than they should, and teachers struggle to teach too (Glasgow & Hicks, 2002).
Many beginning teachers state they are unprepared for the realities of working with the behavior demands presented by their students. Classroom management involves a complex set of skills, and implementing these skills is confounded by the emotional aspect of having to respond to student behavior that disrupts the learning process (Evertson & Weinstein, 2011).
Inadequate planning often creates myriad problems. Many beginning teachers do not have a sense of the time required for a particular activity; it is not uncommon for them to discover that their hours' worth of material takes only twenty minutes to complete. In the initial weeks of a semester or any time a new teacher enters the picture, students may be a way of giving comments until they feel Іноземні мови №4/2021 ISSN 1817-8510 (Print), ISSN 2616-776X (Online) comfortable in the environment. There are, unfortunately, occasions when beginning teachers are never able to integrate classroom management into what goes on in the classroom (Harris, 2015).
A classroom with a well-designed physical layout increases student learning and helps to promote higher levels of appropriate student behavior. How you plan the room layout will significantly affect your teaching and your students' learning and behavior (Scherff, 2010).
New teachers need support during the first several years of their career. Although the greatest amount of support is typically offered during the first year, new teachers benefit from support during at least their first three years (Hussain, Nisar & Kousar, 2018).
Often beginning teachers do not get meaningful and adequate professional support in the workplace from either their veteran colleagues or their principals (Zuckerman, 2009).
Novice teachers in the early years tend to rely upon their connections with other teachers. Good professional development should engage teachers in collaboration problem-solving; should be continuous, supported, information rich; and should help teachers develop a theoretical understanding of the elements involved in the change or reform (Passi & Shah, 2009).
The lack of support for beginning teachers appears to be grounded in the erroneous belief that they have learned in their preparation programs all they need to know to be successful. If they are not successful, it is their own fault; they are not tough enough or unfit in some way for the rigors of teaching (Yoon, 2013).
At this emotionally challenging time, more experienced colleagues can play an important role, serving as a sounding board and assuring beginners that their experience is normal, offering sympathy and perspective, and providing advice to help reduce the inevitable stress. While this type of support does little to directly improve teaching performance, it does much to promote beginning teachers' personal and professional well-being and to transmit the culture of teaching. In the process, such support also improves the likelihood that the new teachers will stay the course long enough to have the opportunity to become more effective teachers (Townsend & Bates, 2007).
Relationships with colleagues have been repeatedly found to influence novice teachers' feelings of job satisfaction and sense of success with students, and ultimately their job retention chances (Hussain, Nisar & Kousar, 2018).
Beginning teachers also need help in knowing how to approach new tasks and in solving specific problems that crop out in their teaching. They are usually undertaking even the most basic teaching tasks for the very first time: developing lessons plans, planning, deciding what goes in the gradebook to determine grades at the end of the nine weeks, and structuring parent-teacher conferences.
Seasoned teachers can guide beginners in planning and accomplishing these tasks effectively. With the help of a veteran teacher, the beginner does not have to reinvent the wheel for such standard activities. Veterans can also share the sometimes unwritten expectations associated with such tasks in a given school, district, or state (Townsend & Bates, 2007).
A major source for beginning teachers' resilience seems to come from the students themselves, especially from students or classes they find difficult. If they succeed in developing positive and deep relations to the learners, the feeling of achievement strengthens their resilience. Novices feel responsibility towards these learners and not do not want to leave them to yet another teacher at the end of the year. Positive feedback from students has a strong impact on motivation from teaching. Socialization into the school culture and the community of teachers is another source for resilience. Positive relationships create an atmosphere of trust, and the novice teacher feels confident to articulate their challenges and actively seek advice. The feeling of being included, and not being marginalized is important. The mentor plays a central role in introducing and 'sponsoring' the new teacher to the colleagues, and can positively contribute to socialization. Having a named mentor whose professional and personal knowledge and skills are trusted, who is available and interested in doing a good job as a mentor is highly appreciated by the novices we worked with (Sorrell, 2017).
The purpose of the article, research questions and hypotheses. The aim of the research was to find out the problems that novice teachers encounter and to provide suggestions of how they can overcome these challenges. The research gave an insight into the problems novice teachers experience in schools of the districts Berehove and Mukachevo. An additional objective was to compare the findings obtained from the research with what the literature says about the problems novice teachers face.
Based on the literature, underlying research questions were used to lead the entire survey.
Research Question One: What were the main problems faced by novice teachers during the first years of teaching?
Research Question Two: What support was available to help novice teachers?
We have also formulated our hypotheses that may be supported or refuted by the research findings.
Hypothesis 1: The main problems which the novice teachers face are classroom management and implementing the curriculum.
Hypothesis 2: Novice teachers do not get enough meaningful and adequate professional support in the workplace.
Presentation of the main research material. This part demonstrates the purpose of the research and describes the methods of the research in detail, along with the participants, materials and research instruments used to Іноземні мови №4/2021 ISSN 1817-8510 (Print), ISSN 2616-776X (Online) collect information. The aim of the research is to provide information to understand the problems faced by novice English teachers during the beginning of their teaching.
The participants of the research were teachers of schools of the districts Berehove and Mukachevo. The number of teachers who took part in the research was eight. These eight teachers were chosen because of their novice teacher status. The eight teachers were aged between 22 and 35. Three male and five female teachers filled in the questionnaire. Each of them answered all of the questions which the instrument of the research included.
In order to conduct this research, where the aim was to explore the main problems that novice teachers struggle with in schools in Transcarpathia, a questionnaire was used as an instrument. The questionnaire was anonymous. It was accompanied with a cover letter which provided detailed information of requested actions.
The questionnaire included 21 open-ended questions, focusing on the working environment, the first experience of the teachers, their fears, moreover, problems which the novice teachers may face and how they handle the problematic areas. The research instrument contained four questions asking about the participants' background. In addition, the last question of the questionnaire asked the teachers to give some advice to novice teachers. Finally, the questionnaire included 16 statements, where the teachers had to designate the areas which cause them problems during their teaching. The statements were designed to ask about specific areas: emotional support, informational support, instructional support and the main problems which the teachers may face. The questionnaire was completed in the mother tongue of the teachers, which was Hungarian.
The research was conducted during the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester of the academic year 2019 -2020. Thenceforward this research required the participation of teachers, it was necessary to look for teachers who were willing to help in the implementation of the research. The novice teachers were informed about the aims of the research and asked to respond to the questions without giving their names. Copies of the questionnaire were sent to the teachers to fill in by e-mail. Completing the questionnaire took approximately 30 minutes.
The novice teachers were asked to read the questionnaire elements attentively and respond to the elements in order to gather data about the teachers' teaching experiences. The teachers answered the questions of the questionnaire based on their opinions, teaching experiences and habits.
Research results. In this research, 21 questions and 16 statements were defined to be investigated. The questionnaire provides the data obtained from eight novice teachers. The first four questions dealt with the background of the teachers.
Regarding the novice teachers' first teaching experience, five of the eight teachers revealed that their experiences were positive. The students enjoyed the lesson and they were interested in the topic. The teachers were able to collaborate with the students effectively. Three of the novice teachers stated that their first teaching experiences were negative. The novice teachers could not prevent the disruptive behavior and they were not able to maintain the students' interest at first. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. First teaching experience
Regarding the choice of the teaching profession, six of the eight teachers agreed that they wanted to find a position connected to their studies. They also emphasized that conveying their knowledge to students feels good. One of the teachers said that her main purpose was to practise English on a daily basis. There was one teacher who was not able to put into shape why she chose this particular profession.
Regarding the question how the teacher's experience can affect the classroom community, the novice teachers agreed that beside their workmanship, they have to teach the students things that they can implement into their lives. They are also responsible for teaching and encouraging the students to think. They should share their experiences with the students.
Concerning the issues that helped the novice teachers, they mentioned their theoretical knowledge, the knowledge which they gained from their studies. The teachers remarked that their previous teachers were great examples to follow.
The last question asked the teachers to give some advice to prospective teachers. The suggestions were the following: teachers must be confident and patient, they should never be afraid of asking help from more experienced colleagues. One of the most important things is to educate yourself, in this way you can gain experience. It is important to establish rules in the beginning, for instance, when pupils have to write a mini test, a word test or a test paper, the teacher will not have to ask them to sit separately, because they will already know that.

Figure 2. Main problems novice teachers experienced
Fear is one of the problems described by the 8 teachers participated in the research. They were afraid of not being qualified enough or disinclining the students from learning English. They outlined their fears of not being able to teach properly, so the students may fail in learning English. There were more occasions when the students did not do their homework, because they did not understand the task, even though the teacher explained it previously. These occurrences made the teachers believe, that they may not be competent enough. They felt disappointed in themselves and they questioned their on qualifications.
One of the teachers stated that his biggest fear as a novice teacher was whether or not his students would care and pay attention to his lessons. He was afraid that he would demotivate them to learn and they would not be engaged in the process of learning.
Luckily, later on, these negative thoughts disappeared and the teachers recognized that they had to work on their techniques and skills to be able to explain the tasks and materials properly depending on the students' level of knowledge. These fears had much to do with the teachers' confidence in teaching English. At the beginning of the teaching profession novice English teachers come across fears that they do not have enough knowledge to teach English. As it was reported, novice teachers need to get used to the profession, because everything is difficult in the beginning. The novice teachers outlined that while they practised and applied their knowledge their fears disappeared.
Lack of spare time is one of the main issues and even one of the most challenging tasks novice teachers face. Novice teachers often feel desperate in learning how to manage all the responsibilities successfully. Novice teachers often feel the pressure that their lives are only concerned with teaching, because outside of the classroom, they must spend many hours with lesson planning and paperwork.
With the exception of one teacher, the respondents face many difficulties in implementing the curriculum. The teachers also described their struggle with teaching the curriculum because the lower-level students are hard to handle and work with.
Responses announced struggles with classroom management and discipline. As it was revealed, most of the novice teachers agreed that one of the main problems was dealing with students' behavior. It is one of the most common problems that novice teachers face. One of the teachers claimed that when the students misbehaved and were too noisy, she raised her hand and waited until each of the students did the same, indicating that they understood the problem and after that they remained silent. Unfortunately, this condition lasted only for a short period of time, then the teacher had to apply another technique. Instead of speaking louder, she found it most effective to speak in a lower voice or explaining the material only for that student who was paying attention, in this way the rest of the class started listening to what the teacher might be saying.
However, the techniques being applied did not always work. Another teacher mentioned that when having difficulties with the students' behavior, she tried reasoning or making compromises and most of the time it worked. However, there were many students with whom it did not function, even though she tried to discuss the problems together with the class.
One of the teachers pointed out that another problematic part is the lack of respect on the part of learners because some students decided not to accept instruction from the novice teachers. Students have a tendency of disturbing the classroom activities by asking pointless questions to catch the eye. These discourage the teacher from carrying on. Novice teachers need to make rules and regulations in order to control, manage all the activities in the classroom. Students have to know when it is permitted to talk and when they have to listen to the teacher. If the novice teachers do not make rules, and allow the students to do what they want, they will take advantage of them.
Difficulties related to discipline have some shortcomings which can be attributed not to the low level of theoretical preparation but to the personality of the teacher. For many teachers, external discipline is too important and, unfortunately, they often look for external devices to create discipline. For other teachers, however, discipline is not a major problem.
If students work with no or little result, it can easily weaken their motivation. It can be a real challenge for novice teachers. While some students are extremely competitive and interested in learning English, others feel forced into learning.
More interesting teaching methods are required such as group work, in this way all the members have responsibility for a given exercise.
Students' lack of interest can be generated by family problems, emotional difficulties, concentrating problems and other factors. Sometimes it is only boredom. Their lack of interest can be because they see no value in the course, they think that their efforts will not improve their performance or they have other preferences that compete for their time and attention. If students do not recognize the value of the subject, they will not be motivated to make efforts. Although, if students see how the course connects to their interests and goals they can become motivated. It is important to point out how it will help them later in different circumstances and situations. Motivation can be increased when teachers connect the course material to the students' personal interests. If the teacher is enthusiastic, it can raise students' curiosity.
It is important to arouse students' interest. Having a goal can play an important role in learning English. According to the right level of the students, teachers should help them to set up their own appropriate English learning goals. It is a fact that students easily feel bored if they do not find challenge in the task given. Teachers should make their learning goals a little challenging, but not too hard to achieve. If the goal is too hard for the students, they will feel frustrated. In that case, the students may give up on their goal. If teachers are full of energy, students may be involved in the class.
There are students in every class who are not interested in learning English. Five of the eight novice teachers outlined this problem. The novice teachers listed a few reasons why students have a lack of interest in learning English, for instance, the students considered the lesson meaningless and they felt bored; they were not motivated and they disliked learning English, because they had difficulties in understanding the lesson. As the teachers reported, those students who found it difficult to understand the lesson were low ability students.
Teachers should be respected because they contribute to social development. One of the most challenging problems of a novice teacher to acquire the feeling of familiarity. Two out of the eight teachers demonstrated their problem with lack of prestige. According to one of the teachers, when she entered the teaching profession, she had a lack of confidence and the students noticed it quickly and took advantage of it. Her first teaching experience was quite negative, as the students did not take her seriously because of her age. She reported that this problem still exists and instead of being strict, she tries to be friendly and sympathetic with the children. The other teacher said that she was confident from the first day of teaching, the students tried to make friends with her instead of following her instructions. Even today, students from the ninth and tenth forms try to take over control during the lessons, of course, the teacher does not let it happen.
Students often do not respect young teachers, because they think that they do not have enough knowledge and experience. Students try to detract the novice teachers' attention, instead of learning, they try to have a friendly conversation with the teacher.
Many times students think that anything can be done with a novice teacher, they can be naughty, they can be condescending at the first moment, especially the bigger ones. Novice teachers really have to think about how to handle the situation.
Mixed-ability students can be found in almost all classes and schools to extend the teachers with marked difficulty in teaching English productively. Novice teachers face many challenges in mixed-ability classes. Teachers of differing classrooms have problems meeting their students' different abilities, thus and so, the students differ in their motivation, attitudes and selfrestraint. As a result, teachers face some problems in designing appropriate lessons that could fit students' needs. This is because the novice teachers do not have the required skills set to teach their students better.
Students have diverse strengths, so teachers should come up with specific tasks for the various levels to keep the students always occupied, thus enhancing their learning abilities. As a further matter, novice teachers who have a positive mindset towards the diversity of student abilities are most prosperous in the teaching of mixed-ability classes.
According to the teachers who participated in the research, the more advanced students sometimes feel frustrated when they are not being challenged enough, while the less advanced students feel that the exercises and the material are too difficult. Another problem is that stronger students participate more during the lessons, while less advanced students take part less in the activities. As the novice teachers reported this is because of the shy nature of the less advanced students or they feel they cannot perform as well as the stronger students and they might give incorrect answers. The respondents sometimes feel that their attention is more on the stronger students and they do not devote enough time to less advanced students.
One of the teachers recorded that she comes back to the previous topics, so the less advanced students could pick up the material, meanwhile she pays attention to apply interesting methods, so the more advanced students would not feel bored during the activities.
The students from the seventh and eighth forms like to compete with each other, ordinarily, she organizes team-works.
One of the teachers stated that a great issue emerges from the lack of audio-equipment, because there is no opportunity to practice this kind of exercises. To solve this problem, he selects a text from the given book and he does some exercises additionally, then he reads the text so the students will hear the proper pronunciation. Accordingly, the lack of resources is another problem, however it can be solved.
Teachers need to be completely prepared and give enough tasks to keep students busy. Novice teachers need Іноземні мови №4/2021 ISSN 1817-8510 (Print), ISSN 2616-776X (Online) to have control right from the beginning, productively maintain discipline. Novice teachers need to give comprehensible instructions and be confident enough when they present their lessons.
The findings of the research have shown that novice teachers face various problems depending on the circumstances where they find themselves, the type of students and environment. Lack of respect was observed from students and that the students were unwilling to take instructions from novice teachers. Major students contributed to this problem. The result of the research also demonstrated that students undermined novice teachers because they were still young and students took advantage by asking inappropriate questions.
A really pleasant result was that all the novice teachers who participated in the research got enough support from their environment. All of them emphasized that from the first day till today, their colleagues were supportive and they welcomed them. One of the teachers mentioned that she teaches in the same school where she learnt, so many teachers knew her previously.
The more experienced colleagues gave advice to the novice teachers and helped them when they needed to. It is especially important to have people whom novice teachers can turn to. Teachers reported that taking some advice from their more experienced colleagues was helpful. All eight of the teachers had only positive experiences within their school-based support. It can be seen that having supportive colleagues is a huge factor which helps the novice teachers. They also put great emphasis regarding the knowledge they gained during their studies.
Novice teachers described being provided with support and having exchanges with colleagues. The working environment can help ease any issues a less experienced teacher might face. Being a novice teacher is a very difficult task because there is so much to learn. Novice teachers go into schools filled with knowledge, but without much practice putting that knowledge to work. It is best to ask for help and to be willing to take advice from the more experienced colleagues if hardships occur.
Conclusions, pedagogical implications and prospects for further investigation. The novice teachers who participated in the case study included primary and secondary school teachers. Many were committed to the teaching profession at a relatively early age, not least through family or student experiences. Some graduates moved to their current job and even to the teaching profession with a small detour. It is a strong commitment to the fact that after graduation the participants started their teaching career.
During the research, the following typical problems were reported by novice English language teachers: the most common issue is discipline, the establishment and maintenance of classroom discipline. Raising and maintaining student attention, encouragement, motivation. Teaching administration, which most novice teachers first encounter when they start teaching. Preparation of syllabuses, lesson plans, which need to be adapted to the characteristics of the school and the pupils. Of the educational difficulties, they highlight the issue of discipline, which is much more complex than novices would think. There are those who think that a "good" teacher is a teacher who can "discipline" the children to be quiet in class and do their assignment. The teacher activates himself or herself when a child behaves differently than the teacher wants.
Two hypotheses were stated in the research. The first hypothesis that the main problems which the novice teachers face are classroom management and implementing the curriculum was supported, furthermore, it was revealed that the novice teachers who participated in this research face issues such as fear, teachers' lack of prestige, students' lack of interest and mixed ability classes. In the field of teaching (didactic and subject pedagogical problems), the contradiction between education and position is highlighted. More people are entering the upper grades, though they are not prepared appropriately for the education and of these age groups, it creates tension.
Every educational situation has the special features of extraordinary skills which require extraordinary abilities, knowledge that is unlearned in school, and the ability to apply it. There are no recipes in education, the cases are simple and unrepeatable ones. In solving educational situations, teachers do not apply a previously learned pedagogical rule, but rely on their personal intuitions or decades of individual experience. In order to start a safe career and integrate professionally, novice teachers need not only theoretical knowledge, but also sufficient practice. This is seen by most novice English language teachers as extending their training and / or by one year of work experience. The beginners themselves are responsible for this, they need constant self-improvement.
The traditional role of the teacher is expanding and imposing demands on teachers. Whoever they become as a teacher is given every opportunity, but how they use the knowledge they get in college is not only up to their previous activities and functions during college years. Who is influenced by one's own abilities, attitudes, career path, and current school requirements. There is a strong correlation between learning outcomes, personality traits, social behavior and professional work and job success. The concept of integration is rather complex. Starting a career means differentiated content, professional as well as human integration.
There is a need for a period of becoming a teacher in which educators, as beginners, experience the responsibility of teaching, unleashing their pedagogical style, and becoming full members of a teaching body. In the course of training, however much teachers model human relationships in collective pedagogical practices, however much they provide opportunities for encounters, the style of partnership is actually shaped by the teachers in the early years of their career.
Conversely, the second hypothesis that novice teachers do not get enough meaningful and adequate professional support in the workplace was refuted. Becoming a teacher and starting a career is more difficult than meeting the requirements of a teacher. Many early-stage teachers experience as a practical shock the contradictions between what they learned in theory during their studies in college and their classroom practice. Many novice teachers are alarmed by the often unfortunate circumstances we hear so much about schools these days. Therefore, in order to effectively promote workplace integration, it is important to familiarize graduate teachers with the career adaptation challenges that are legally required.
It can be stated that novice teachers were getting enough support as the more experienced teachers provided help for them when they needed. The novice teachers are able to adapt to the environment and they are accepted. There was always a colleague on the board who gave a helping hand. They are satisfied with their choice of profession. Satisfaction with careers and good professional socialization of newcomers is very important, because teaching requires high preparation. It is important for their career satisfaction that they are placed in a job that corresponds to their qualifications so that they have a solid professional knowledge when leaving college. Both give a sense of safety to novice teachers. It can be concluded that the adaptation and acceptance of graduates are good. They are usually found in collaborative communities. All of them have found their place in the teaching staff while preserving their values.
In this research on novice teachers' main problems, we have identified such key determinants, which can be beneficial and helpful to overcome the issues mentioned by the novice teachers who took part in the research. Novice teachers need to be able to choose, adopt and apply teaching materials and methods. The workplace immediately entrusts newcomers with full-fledged responsibilities, meaning they are ready, immediately effective, and capable of maximum performance. Novice teachers are generally more advanced than their experienced colleagues they arrive at their first job with a much broader range of theoretical and modern techniques, but their core competencies have not yet been sufficiently well established, not even aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and uncertain about their professional identity, their own professional development goals, their career path.
Comparison of the research findings show the problems of getting started have been consistently the same as it was reviewed in the literature, so we can reasonably assume that these problems are common to start-ups, even today. Difficulties due to inadequate preparation can make the days of novice teachers suffer. Those who are aware of the extent to which a teacher's well-being is influenced by a successful or unsuccessful lesson, the correct or inadequate solution of a situation, and the usage of their pedagogical skills take the problems raised seriously. The process of solving difficulties can trigger not only tension, dissatisfaction, but also the development of pedagogical thinking and the competence to create the conditions necessary to overcome problems. Any difficulty may act as a stimulus in the process of solution or as a result of overcoming it.
In teacher training, theoretical knowledge gives students some grounding, some practice. There is also a widespread perception in international literature that the teaching profession is a set of knowledge that can be defined, explored and acquired. The opinions do not differ in the fact that the pedagogical profession cannot be reduced to knowledge, rules, principles. Good practice is needed. This practice is on the one hand practical and, on the other hand, the application of knowledge, principles, rules in teaching education work. Not only can the success of the practical application of the acquired knowledge, but also the longer-term career, be significantly influenced in the first years' experience gained.
The results of the research question relating to the support of novice teachers were positive, while the findings in the literature reviewed stated that novice teachers do not get enough support, so they were negative. The importance and often lack of a professional and personal supportive environment in school organization in relation to career start-up problems is mentioned in the literature. Assistance from experienced teachers can alleviate the difficulties, leaving the novice self-reliant -providing ongoing support during the first year(s). After the start of the school year, novice teachers receive little help in many places. As it can be seen, the results of the research were different from the written sources. The novice teachers are found in collaborative communities.
According to the written resources it was significant to help students improve their own techniques and develop their cooperative skills. This was also something that the novice teachers mentioned, as they were on the opinion that small groups work was beneficial for the students.
Teaching is a complex process, in many cases involving quick response and creative improvisation. Therefore, it is important to put methods, tools, critical thinking and procedures in order to create good practice. Professional support can help the success of new challenges, the integration of the community, and the motivation to teach, which can provide a certain level of security in the first years of starting a career.
Novice teachers and teachers with many years of teaching experiences are always successful when students note or understand something better after they explain it. Perhaps, what encourages them is the fact that they are able to teach effectively and that it is worth doing. The participants of the research try to be as prepared as possible for the lessons, and if they feel deficient in teaching, they will make up for it as soon as possible. It is beneficial for teachers to draw appropriate conclusions from their experiences and apply them properly in the classroom.
Novice teachers are advised to prepare for integration and get all the information they need about their career and workplace, at the time of training, acquire the ability to self-educate and practice it consciously. They should not only be receptors to the effects, but they should be active members. All organizational frameworks are provided, they should make use of it. They should welcome the kind-hearted help of their colleagues, they will return it as far as possible. Novice English language teachers should provide the best of their professional knowledge in everyday work.