Newly Qualified Foreign Language Teachers’ Adaptation in Profession: Challenges, Problems, First Achievements and Further Prospects

Abstract

Ukrainian reforms in higher education and participation of universities in different international programmes open new perspectives for quality assurance rising. This study focuses on the foreign language teachers’ professional readiness during their initial period of work and provides an important opportunity to advance the understanding of the main changes in education and their influence on newly qualified FL teachers’ adaptation in the profession. The concept of “foreign language teachers’ training” is studied in the context of the pedagogical field, determining the personality of the future teacher, professional suitability; content of education, application. These prerequisites of newly qualified FL teachers are defined as reasonable and desired for further professional development. As a qualitatively oriented study, the purpose of the suggested investigation was to find out newly qualified teachers’ experience, serious challenges, benefits and, moreover, to explore best practices in order to support newly qualified teachers in their initial career. A variety of qualitative and quantitative tools of survey for collecting data was applied for measurement as a basic study design. The main study findings outline perplexing problems for the FL teachers to solve: paperwork, time management, low salaries and affective filters. Another important finding was that newly qualified teachers need a mentor who can give a methodological support. The results show a significant importance in “New generation School Teacher” programme further implementation in the FL teachers training course.

New Tendencies of Efl Teacher Training at Ukrainian Universities: British Council Project Implementation

“…The tendency concerned about the need of newly-qualified teachers' support approved by the latest research results. According to the research investigated by Komar O. et. al.…”

“…One study by Andrusiak (2017) reports the main positive features and issues relating to the implementation of the "New Generation School Teacher" project within the context of Uzhhorod National University (English Philology department) and proved that the Project has had a favourable impact on teaching practices of the whole department. The other study by Konovalenko, Goncharova (2019) involved the description of new principles and main points of the project "New generation school teacher" and pointed on the importance of its implementation in modern EFL teacher training program at universities. Supporting their ideas, we are aimed to depict Uman State Pedagogical University experience of implementing this project.…”

“…Thus, Gembaruk Alla (2019) investigated the effectiveness of the PRESETT Curriculum in EFL teacher training and evaluated it by means of survey and focus group discussion where the participants were methodology teachers. The other group of researchers Komar Oleh, Kolisnichenko Anhelina, Derkach Svitlana and Kapeliushna Tetiana (2021) investigated the newly qualified teachers' experience, serious challenges, and benefits they also explored best practices by means of comparison traditional Methodology course and PRESETT Methodology course (Komar et. al., 2021).…”

Attributes of Effective Foreign Language Teachers: Insights From Ukraine

“…Research into characteristics of effective FL teachers in the USA was undertaken by Bell (2005), Brown (2009), to name just a few. Challenges and best practices of newly qualified FL teachers in Ukraine were studied by Komar et al (2021). Rigorous research into attributes of effective FL teachers as ascribed by pre-service and inservice teachers in Ukraine could not be located.…”

Teacher's Facilitating of the Students' Learning Autonomy During the War via Video Aids: A Case Study of the English Methodology Teaching

“…A little amount of literature has been published on challenges to education during the war in Ukraine. Recently, a number of studies have shown different ways of managing the education process during pandemics [5], [6], [7]. Several studies investigating education during the Russian invasion have been carried out.…”