Luận văn thạc sĩ novice EFL teachers professional challenges and responses in teaching english at high schools in binh dinh province

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY TRAN THI TRUC NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‟ PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT HIGH SCHOOLS IN BINH DINH PROVIN

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI TRUC

NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‟ PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT HIGH

SCHOOLS IN BINH DINH PROVINCE

MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Binh Dinh, 2022

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI TRUC

NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‟ PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT HIGH

SCHOOLS IN BINH DINH PROVINCE

Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching

Code : 8140111

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr NGUYEN QUANG NGOAN

BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

TRẦN THỊ TRÚC

NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ NHỮNG THÁCH THỨC

CHUYÊN MÔN VÀ PHẢN HỒI CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TIẾNG ANH MỚI TẠI CÁC TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG TRÊN ĐỊA BÀN TỈNH BÌNH ĐỊNH

Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp giảng dạy Tiếng Anh

Mã số : 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: PGS TS NGUYỄN QUANG NGOẠN

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I hearby declare that I am the sole author of this matter thesis entiled

―Novice EFL teachers‘ professional challenges and responses in teaching English at high schools in Binh Dinh Province‖ and that I have not used any sources other than those listed in the references I further declare that I have not submitted this thesis to any other institution in order to obtain a degree

Binh Dinh, May, 2022

TRAN THI TRUC

my M.A thesis I'd like to express my gratitude to him for his patience and understanding during my difficult moments

Next, I am grateful to show gratitude to all lecters in my M.A course for their committed and enthusiastic teaching over the past two years

I must also thank to all my M.A classmates and colleagues for giving me useful advice during the course of study and research

Besides, I am also indebted to the cooperation and support of 50 novice EFL teachers in Binh Dinh Province who spent their valuable time participating in the survey for my data collection

Last but not least, I particularly thank to my family, friends and all of my beloved ones who have always supported and motivated me to finish this thesis This study is totally created by their love and encouragement

Quy Nhon, May 2022

ABSTRACT

It is undoubtedly acknowledged that teachers play such an integral part in teaching Admittedly, every year, a large number of new teachers graduate from colleges and universities and begin their teaching career During their initial years

of teaching, they encounter a lot of challenges Based on the theoretical background

of novice EFL teachers‘challenges, the study aims to deliver the professional challenges faced by them The data of the study are selected from the survey conducted with 50 novice EFL teachers who are teaching English at high schools in Binh Dinh Province through survey questionnaires and interviews which are two of the principle tools adopted in the research Specially, the purpose of the study is to focus on exploring the professional challenges in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude and then find out the responses or solutions to help novice teachers overcome their challenges The findings indicated they experienced skills challenges and attitude challenges a little more often than the knowledge challenges After carrying out this thesis, the researcher hopes to find out the best ways to help novice teachers overcome their difficulties during their teaching There are three effective approaches for novice EFL teachers to overcome their professional obstacles These responses are giving mentoring programs to newbie teachers; more pragmatic aspects of courses should focus on the contents in order to effectively apply theories to practice and providing more professional training on the use of innovative student-centered teaching methods, techniques and approaches

in EFL classrooms

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

ABBREVIATION vii

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF FIGURES ix

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1 RESEARCH RATIONALE 1

1.2 RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 4

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 5

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5

1.6 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS 5

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 NOVICE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 7

2.1.1 Definition of Novice Teachers 7

2.1.2 Definition of Teacher Professional Development 8

2.1.3 The Importance of Professional Development for EFL novice teachers 10 2.2 NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‘PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES IN PREPARATION STAGE 11

2.2.1 Challenges in relation to foreign language teaching and learning for high school teachers 11

2.2.2 Challenges in relation to forms of professional support 14

2 3 THE TYPES OF SUPPORT FOR EFL NOVICE TEACHERS 17

2.3.1 Physical Support 17

2.3.2 Emotional Support 18

2.3.3 Instructional Support 19

2.3.4 Institutional Support 20

2.4 RELATED STUDIES 21

2.5 SUMMARY 27

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 28

3.1 METHODS/DESIGN OF THE STUDY 28

3.1.1 Research Design 28

3.1.2 Participants 30

3.2 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT 31

3.2.1 The survey questionnaire 31

3.2.2 Interview 31

3.3 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE 32

3.4 DATA ANALYSIS 33

3.5 RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 35

3.5.1 Reliability 35

3.5.2 Validity 35

3.6 SUMMARY 35

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 36

4.1 TEACHERS‘BACKGROUND INFORMATION 36

4.1.1 Novice teachers‗ perceptions about teaching 36

4.1.2 Novice EFL Teachers‘ Training and Professional Development 40

4.2 PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES FACED BY BINH DINH EFL NOVICE TEACHERS DURING THEIR INITIAL YEARS OF TEACHING 44

4.2.1 Items of Knowledge Challenges 44

4.2.2 Items of Skills challenges 45

4.2.3 Items of Attitude Challenges 47

4.2.4 Concluding remarks 48

4.3 RESPONSES OF NOVICE EFL TEACHERS 48

4.3.1.The responses of novice EFL teachers 48

4.3.2 Concluding remarks 50

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 54

5.1 CONCLUSION ON NOVICE TEACHERS‘PERCEPTIONS ABOUT

TEACHING 55

5.2 CONCLUSION ON NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‘ TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 55

5.3 CONCLUSION ON PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDE 56

5.4 CONCLUSION ON THEIR RESPONSES TO THEIR CHALLENGES 57

5.5 PEDOGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 57

5.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 58

5.7 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 58 REFERENCES

APPENDIX

ABBREVIATION

EFL English as a Foreign Language

SLA Second language acquisition

LIST OF TABLES

Table

Page number

4.1 The extent to which novice teachers like their profession 37

4.2

Correspondence of the Two Perceptions( as novice teacher &

4.4 In-service Training for EFL Novice Teachers 42

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure

Page number

4.1 Teaching experience of novice EFL teachers at high school 37 4.2 Perception about teaching as EFL Novice Teachers 38 4.3 Perception about teaching as EFL Novice Teachers 38

4.4 Correspondence of University Specialty with Teaching

4.5 The Supply of Necessary Teaching Skills by Universities 42

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter includes six parts: (1) the rationale for this study, (2) the aim and objectives of this study, (3) research questions, (4) scope of the study, (5) significance of the present study, and (6) the organization of the thesis

These obstacles and failures of beginning teachers are not of recent development, they seem to have existed within the profession from its period One might remember their first days of teaching or greeting students for the very first times without hiding their trembling or shaking Graduates of pre-service teacher education programs are frequently confronted with the realization that, as new teachers, they must immediately begin teaching in a classroom setting Anyone who

is teaching a new course for the first time is considered a novice teacher (Farrell,

2012, p 437) However, in general, a novice teacher is someone who has recently completed pre-service teacher education and has less than four years of teaching experience The data reveal that it is not commonplace for new instructors, even new English teachers, to have to deal with a variety of demands from seasoned and professional colleagues This is a difficult task for new teachers, especially if there isn't much professional aid and support available in the classroom

In most parts of our province, beginning school teachers are not any longer faced with physically forcible removal from their situations, but the actual fact that even the most effectively adjusted of them have definite problems is clear to oldsters, school boards, administrators, and fellow teachers alike The importance of

this paper in terms of the issues' nature can scarcely be denied

This study is going to provide two essential components First and foremost, beginning teachers realize that the ideals they formed while training may not be appropriate for the realism they faced with during their first years of teaching That is to say, during their first few months in the classroom, novice teachers are bombarded with a variety of situations that they have not anticipated It

is unfortunate that this concern has not been fully addressed in schools in our province as beginning teachers have the identical responsibility as full-time lecturers with a few years of service It is suggested that it is not until they need survived the initial shock of the primary year that novices are ready to begin

to think about the fact thatlong-term planning, overarching student goals, and individual student needs are all important considerations

It has been discovered that during their first year of teaching, new instructors ask themselves several identification questions, such as ―Who am I in

my story of teaching? Who am I in my place in school? Who am I in my children‘s stories? Who am I in my administrator‘s stories?‖ (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999, p.3) Given the conflicts, reality shocks, and anxieties that many studies into new teachers' teaching experiences have identified as common characteristics of the transition from student to teacher (Huberman, 1989; Vonk, 1993; Thomas & Beauchamp, 2011), novice teachers often struggle to find appropriate answers to these questions, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and challenged (Thomas & Beauchamp, 2011)

Because there is no progressive entrance into the teaching profession, beginning teachers‗s move from pre-service education to professional practice is typically unsettling Novices frequently teach like experienced teachers, allowing them to play multiple roles such as student, teacher, and researcher (Smith & Sela, 2005) There appears to be a consensus that what is expected of an experienced teacher is equally expected of a new teacher Despite the fact that novice instructors lack the attributes of experienced teachers, they are expected to match similar standards as soon as they enter the field, and this injustice occasionally goes even

further, with beginning teachers receiving the most demanding teaching assignments (Yost, 2006) This adds to the difficulties faced by new teachers As a consequence, ―beginning teachers leave the field at higher rates than beginning workers in other careers‖ (Wonacott, 2002, p.3)

Numerous studies on novice teachers of English have been conducted in terms of covering several aspects of novice teachers Research by Brannan and Bleistein (2012), for instance, reported that novice teachers were desperately in need of support from their mentors, both of logistical knowledge and of those related to professional and pedagogical competences Moreover, research by Ai Phuong (2015) explored the construction of professional identity of a novice EFL teacher in Vietnam However, these studies were conducted on novice teachers of secondary schools and just explored the profession identity of novice teachers In other words, although much has been written in the educational literature about novice teachers' experiences in their first years of teaching, the subject has received less attention in the fields of English language teaching (ELT) and language teacher education

Compelled by this very fact, the piece of writing ―Novice EFL Teachers’

Professional Challenges and Responses in Teaching English at High Schools in Binh Dinh Province” is aim to thoroughly examine professional challenges that

novice teachers in our province face in their early experience of teaching at high schools through a review of serious literature Supported recent studies from the literature, these professional challenges are discussed and future direction for research during this field is recommended Secondly, it is necessary to come up with pragmatic implications so as to support new teachers, helping them to solve the challenges that they are likely to encounter in their daily tasks and duties This paper also provides specific advice as well as tips for finding solutions to real teaching challenges, all of which are summarized in brief and comprehensive ways teachers can be able to apply in the reality and keep for future reference

For the purpose of finding out what problems beset the beginning teachers,

a survey was made of fifty teachers in high schools The term ―beginning teachers‖

in this study refers to those teachers who have had no more than five years of teaching experience The schools range from the very small to the very large and from the poorly equipped to the most modernly equipped

Unfortunately, the majority of English teachers in our province in general and in high schools in particular have not had any opportunities or chances of being heard or listened in terms of their daily struggling They have to accomplish their tasks as well as duties without being provided any kinds of pragmatic assistance The most effective components in English language education are teachers They play an essential role in the learning and achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2003) According to Shafie and Nayan (2010), knowledge transmitter, role model, facilitator, student assessor, curriculum assessor, and course planner are some of the primary tasks instructors are required to play in educational settings Teachers are expected to have proper training and qualifications due to the crucial responsibilities they play As a result, in this research, it is expected to have a closer look atall of the participants‘ professional challenges, as well as their attitudes towards not only their own obstacles but also their co-workers and peers Moreover, the focus of the study is also looking for particular suggestions or pieces of advice

or support to help the novice teachers in their own career of teaching

1.2 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the professional challenges of EFL teachers

in their initial years of teaching at high schools in Binh Dinh Province

To achieve this aim, the researcher tries to fulfill the following objectives:

- To identify the professional challenges experienced by novice teachers

- To examine how they respond to their challenges

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In order to achieve the aim and objectives, this study attempts to address the two subsequent questions:

1 What are the professional challenges in terms of knowledge,

skills and attitude experienced by novice teachers?

2 How do novice teachers respond to their challenges?

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study concentrates on particular professional challenges of English teachers as they need to continually search for distinctive approaches to cope with extra issues which will arise each day Besides, this paper also provides useful and pragmatic implications or suggestions which might partially assist novice teachers to beat these obstacles The study is conducted at some high schools in Binh Dinh Province The participants are fifty beginning teachers, who have been teaching English as a foreign language for almost five years

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Theoratically, there has been so far no investigations into the professional challenges faced by novice EFL teachers; it thus helps to provide valid data to tackle the difficulties

Pedogogically, three components that have had great influence on English teaching profession related to professional challenges consist of knowledge, skills and attitude

Practically, the study benefits for novice teacher to have a better understanding of the major challenges Besides, this research also provides encouragement at the start of their teaching careers As a result, novice teachers may obtain better approaches of individualizing learning and teaching processes; in working with students who have special educational needs; in cooperating with parents and in motivating students to learn and other

1.6 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS

The thesis is divided into five chapters:

Chapter 1 consists of the research rationale, the aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope, the significance of the study

Chapter 2 includes the information about some concepts relating to common problems that novice EFL teachers face

Chapter 3 comprises the research methods and procedures

Chapter 4 presents the findings and discussion

Chapter 5 concludes the study, informs some limitations of the study and gives some suggestions for future research

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses the theoretical background to the thesis and reviews the previous studies The former includes four main part: (1) Novice teacher professional development, (2) novice EFL teachers‘professional challenges in preparation stage and (3) types of support for EFL novice teachers and (4) related studies

2.1 NOVICE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2.1.1 Definition of Novice Teachers

In research on beginning teachers, the term "novice" has been often used, and as Farrell (2012) pointed out, there is no clear-cut definition of a novice teacher

in the literature Anyone teaching something new for the first time or entering a new cultural context for the first time is considered a novice (Farrel, 2012) There is also

no agreement on how many years of teaching are required to complete the novice stage A novice, according to some studies, is a teacher with less than five years of experience (Kim & Roth, 2011) Others referred to it as an instructor with no more than two years of experience (Haynes, 2011)

The phrase novice teachers, also known as beginning teachers, pre-service teachers, and neophytes, have been used in a variety of studies The word "novice teacher" is sometimes used in conjunction with the term "induction," which refers to the early phase of one's career or the system of support that may be available during that phase (Strong, 2009)

The majority of studies focus on the importance of the initial years of teaching in a teacher's career, as well as how teachers' experiences impact their identity and future practices Pitton (2006) argued that ―the success of new teachers

is critically linked to their first teaching experiences and the opportunities they are given to talk through issues they face in the classroom‖ (p 2) If they are left alone with their problems and begin to feel ineffective, they will conclude that they are unfit for the job and will quit Researchers have referred to the gap between pre-

service education and in-service development as one of the causes for the increase

in teachers leaving the profession Following their university education and employment, novice teachers lose contact with their teacher educators, and they face the same issues as their more experienced colleagues on the first day of school with little guidance from their new school (Farrell, 2012) When statistics on dropout rates are evaluated, it is clear how terrible the problem is ―25% to 50% of beginning teachers leave during their first three years of teaching, and nearly 10% leave in their first year‖ (Ozturk, 2008, p 20) These figures highlight the need of investigating the issues that novice teachers face and assisting them in overcoming their difficulties during their first years of teaching

In this study, I define a novice teacher as a teacher with less than five years

of experience in the classroom as suggested by Kim & Roth, (2011) I focus on the professional challenges of novice language teachers Furthermore, I explore the types of support needed and their availability

2.1.2 Definition of Teacher Professional Development

Professional development (PD) has been utilized in a variety of circumstances; in some ways, it emphasizes the idea that teaching is a profession, and it is thus defined in several ways Wong, M.S (2011) describes PD in the context of English teaching as "a lifetime endeavor, a way of being, and a perspective on how one practices as well as the practice itself." In other words, professional development raises instructors' working practices to a higher level PD can also be defined as "the engagement of individuals in any activity for the enhancement of their capacity at work and to gain, improve, and share a body of knowledge and skills that are relevant to perform particular duties in their workplace.", according to Alemu (2014) As a result, professional development that strives to improve teachers' knowledge, skills, and attitudes includes both formal and informal experiences such as reading professional publications, watching television documentaries relevant to an academic topic, and so on As a result, Richards, J.C., and Farrell, T.S.C (2005) noted that it has become more acknowledged in recent years that both EFL and ESL teachers require professional

Many researchers have defined and discussed teacher professional development under the terms teacher development and professional development (Castellano and Datnow, 2000; Pham, 2001; Kent, 2004) Lange (1990) defines teacher development as "a continual intellectual, experiential, and attitudinal growth

of teachers" (p 250) He believes the process begins before and continues throughout his teaching career Professional Development, according to Hassel (1999), is the process through which teachers develop both the skills and the competence required to achieve outstanding educational results

"Teacher development" is distinguished from "teacher training" by Head and Taylor (1997) In many ways, the two terms are implicitly different from each other Teacher development, on the one hand, is usually voluntary, holistic, long-term, bottom-up, and done with peers, whereas teacher training is, on the other hand, mandatory, competency-based, short-term, top-down, and done by specialists Teacher development is "an ongoing process which includes appropriate, well-thought-out training and individual follow-up," according to Kent (2004, p.428) The contrasts suggest that professional growth necessitate lifelong learning and personal knowledge of changes in the teaching profession for teachers

Teacher Professional Development can be characterized in terms of Teacher Development or Professional Development to some extent Some researchers also make a distinction between teacher development and professional development For instance, "teacher development" refers to a classroom focus, whereas "professional development" refers to a career focus (Duong, 2003)

Although researchers sometimes confuse the two terms, they share comparable concepts and assumptions about the tools and options that teachers might use to improve their teaching practices and advance their careers As a result, the terms Teacher Development and Professional Development will be used interchangeably in this thesis, and can be viewed as a change in a teacher's status as

a teacher

2.1.3 The Importance of Professional Development for EFL novice teachers

Several studies have demonstrated and supported the importance of teacher professional development With the impact of globalization, teaching tendencies are constantly updated If English teachers are not to be left behind in their careers, they must renew their pedagogical techniques and skills in order to satisfy the needs of educational institutions (Richard & Farrel, 2005) As a result, the development is likely to have an impact on perspectives and approaches, thus improving the quality

of the learning and teaching process (Day & Sachs, 2004) Professional development programs are designed to enable and support teachers, regardless of where they teach or their professional background, and to provide the best instructional support possible so that they can improve themselves by boosting competence, confidence, and commitment, as well as facilitating a sense of joy in teaching (Day & Sachs, 2004) Professional development for teachers benefits students' learning as well Researchers have discovered that when students study with teachers who have a better understanding of how pupils learn, they do a better job in learning Successful professional development of instructors, according to Falk (2001) and Guskey (2000), leads to learners making progress in their learning Changes in instructional strategies, classroom management, and teacher-student interaction may have a direct impact on student results Furthermore, professional

development can greatly help to the advancement of educational institutions by building professional strength and highly skilled teaching forces that can effectively meet the institution's requirements ( Richard & Farrel, 2005)

Professional development is vital to modifying teachers' teaching approaches, enhancing educators' prestige, and ensuring that these changes have a favorable influence on students' learning (Nunan, 2001) Professional development, according to Villegas – Reimers (2003), had a favorable impact on instructors' beliefs and practices, as well as on students' learning In other words, professional development had a significant impact on teachers' instructional objectives As a result, EFL teachers require a complete professional program at all phases of their careers, as their competency affects both their learning and teaching practice They can learn new concepts, skills, and attitudes, as well as investigate, debate, and reflect on new ideas, as well as test out new techniques and incorporate them into their profession That is why ongoing professional development is so important in the educational process, and the more professional knowledge teachers have, the greater the levels of achievement students achieve ( Falk, 2001)

2.2 NOVICE EFL TEACHERS‟PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES IN PREPARATION STAGE

2.2.1 Challenges in relation to foreign language teaching and learning for high school teachers

2.2.1.1 Academic Problems

Farrell (2009) defines novice teachers as ―teachers who have completed their teacher education program and have just commenced teaching in an institutional institution‖ (p.182) Research has shown that novice instructors confront worries and obstacles during their "learning to teach" process (Fuller & Brown, 1975), as they endeavor to create their teacher - self and formulate their identities (Miller, 2009) As a result, the first year of teaching is regarded as unpredictable, idiosyncratic, and anxiety-inducing (Johnson, 2002)

One of the foremost obvious problems is that the inability to improvise creatively, respectfully and with knowledge, because they are doing not have the

power to show and apply what they know—nor do they need the experience needed

to understand the difference between teaching and studying (Wilson and Ball, 2002) This concentrates the essence of educational problems involving everything associated with being answerable of a bunch of scholars

It has been found that novice teachers have difficulties in areas like controlling the group and maintaining discipline (Boreen and Niday, 2000; Zepeda and Mayers, 2001), which they lack adequate teaching strategies (Frieberg, 2002) Similarly, Reynolds (2005) assures us that inexperienced teachers lack the power to form opportunities for all students to be told In fact, Wilson and Ireton (2007) found in their study of beginning teachers‘ fears, that one amongst these fears involves not knowing a way to cope with students who have learning disabilities Additionally to the present, many beginning teachers lack sufficient knowledge about a way to plan the educational program and even about the content of the themes they teach

When stepping into a new organization, novice teachers easily get stressed and anxious to familiarize with its internal environment, their new duties and roles They must meet skill standards as well as exhibit socially acceptable and expected behavior in order to be competent members of the new workplace (Saks & Gruman, 2012) In the educational context, novice teachers are expected to equip themselves with professional knowledge, norms, values, manners of behavior, and the ability to adjust to new environments during the period of socialization (Eisenschmidt, Poom-Valickis, & Kamer 2011) Several prior studies have found that novice teachers face numerous problems throughout their first three years of teaching Time balance, assessing students, low ability to maintain positive relationships with coworkers, lack of time for paper work, establishing connections with students, issues in aligning instructional strategies to the teaching content, and assessment are all major challenges that Cakmak (2013, p.56) discovers Buchanan (2013) goes on to say that new teachers face a lot of solitude and a lot of work at work, which can have a big impact on their mental health if they don't get help right away Insufficient institutional support, a lack of teaching experience, a lack of

confidence, and apprehension about their capacity to handle a large number of duts were cited as some of the hurdles (Caspersen & Rasen, 2014) The majority of research have agreed that entering shock affects novice teachers in terms of psychology, self-confidence, and maintaining connections They must deal with these issues while building their own identities (Northfield & Gunstone, 1997) Lack of institutional support and unpleasant employment conditions, according to a study by Boser (2002) that looks at the causes of high attrition of novice teachers, leads to cases of quitting in the first few years

2.2.1.2 Organizational Problems

Stansbury (2001) proposes some suggestions that it is extremely vital to guard beginning teachers because of their own enthusiasm that they are supersaturated with responsibilities, like participation in extracurricular activities, clubs and committees Carter and Francis (2001) also stated young mentors are better at emphasizing and recalling what it is like to be a beginning teacher; the foremost difficult duties and tasks outside the classroom classes; the evaluations nobody wants to make; and moreover, nobody supports them or monitors their progress In relevance to this matter, and particularly in Spain, Acevedo and Hornos Castillo (cited by Carmen, 2003) investigate the workload of teachers at public schools These authors emphasize the issues of an organizational nature, relative to the support the college does or does not give to beginning teachers

Regarding this area, the inexperienced teachers indicate the dearth of adequate induction courses by the varsity (Johnson and Kardos, 2002) Vennman (cited in Bullough, 2009) adds at the college where they work there will be rules everyone knows and respects; but often they are doing not find this information; they describe this as ―the trauma of reality.‖ On the opposite hand, the principal‘s help, so important during the primary year (Brock and Grady, 2008), isnot always available

Efficacy and social acknowledgment are the two basic sources of affirmation (Kelchtermans and Ballet, 2002; Rots, Kelchtermans, and Aelterman, 2012) Efficacy refers to a novice teacher's ability to carry out his or her professional actions in accordance with his or her task perception and to achieve

self-success with students The validation of a novice's efficacy by "significant persons"

is referred to as social recognition The novice's good self-esteem is dependent on the feeling of efficacy and its social validation, which in turn affirms the teachers' professional self According to Kelchtermans (2009), vulnerability is a structural state that consists of three components Vulnerability occurs when teachers are unable to fully manage their desired working settings; second, vulnerable conditions arise when teachers find it difficult to demonstrate that students' outcomes are directly related to their teaching effectiveness Finally, vulnerability occurs whenever the teacher's decisions are based on shaky footing Whether or not one of the factors appears determines the appearance of vulnerability Furthermore, visibility relates to how others perceive the rookie instructor based on what they can see of him or her Novice teachers tend to put more time and effort into their professional acts to safeguard their self-image

2.2.1.3 Issues of Material and Technology

A problem that's lived day by day - one that will not seem very important is that of the event of teaching materials and also the decoration of the space, likewise because of the lack of appropriate materials for teaching According

to Eilerman and Stanley (2004), precisely this is often an issue in his first year of teaching "The availability of and teachers' access to material facilities at the school" is what material interests refers to Kelchtermans & Ballet (2002) Specific amenities, such as computer rooms, libraries, photocopiers, and overhead projectors, are included in the materials Time is also included in Kelchtermans and Ballet's (2002) in terms of definition of material

Similarly, Brock and Grady (2008) find a scarcity of data among novice teachers regarding preparation and development of teaching materials

2.2.2 Challenges in relation to forms of professional support

The varsity culture is characterized by a high value of autonomy and privacy The inexperienced teachers quickly become tuned in to this aspect, and are hesitant to hunt help for fear that they will be catalogued negatively (cited by

Babinski, Jones and DeWert, 2001) This suggests an issue of relationship between colleagues, and leads some beginning teachers to experience a way of isolation (Williams and Williamson, 2006, Wilson and Ball, 2006), to feel demoralized (National Education Association, 2000)

The term "social-professional interests" refers to the interpersonal ties that exist within the school as a whole (Kelchtermans & Ballet, 2002) As Rots et al (2012) claims, ―Social-professional relationships can be an essential source of recognition, but reversely also constitute potential threats to this self-esteem.‖ (p.6)

In addition to problems in relating with colleagues, new teachers also experience problems in relating with their supeviors: they feel they're scarcely heard

by these, and lack their support, as Weasmer and Woods (2000) suggest This example, in addition to organizational problems, logically leads to emotional exhaustion and stress (Futrell, 2009) In Spain, the latter has generated some programs; as an example, Calvete and Villa (2007) work on the Deusto project,which is predicated on the stress-inoculation paradigm, and aims to develop effective coping skills in high-school teachers

On the other hand, social problems are also related to the changes today‘s society is experiencing, and which affect teaching In this sense, Wilson and Ireton (2006) hold that changes in society such as migration and immigration (which result

in a more heterogeneous school population), the change and emphasis on the issue

of values, together with today‘s violence, certainly must be involved in the problems faced by teachers

Furthermore, these authors find that beginning teachers express fear about their relationship withstudents‘parents/guardians During this regard, Love (2006) and Johnson (2001) agree that the connection established with parents/guardians causes distress and anxiety for the novice teachers, since they are not doing understand how to handle situations that arise Research on the identity construction

of preservice and rookie EFL instructors has increased in recent years as more focus has been paid to the unpredictability and idiosyncrasy of the first year of teaching During practicums, teachers improve classroom performance, positive changes in

relationships with pupils, changing image in pupils' eyes, and a clearer sense of being a language teacher, according to Liu and Fisher's (2006) research on the conceptions of self of student teachers of modern languages in a postgraduate program in the UK Kanno and Stuart's (2011) findings in their study of starting ESL teachers, which argue that a language teacher's identity is formed through actual teaching practice and ongoing reflection on one's teaching, back up this claim According to Cooper and Olson (1996), "identity development is constantly informed, established, and modified through self-evaluation and interaction with other individuals." According to Kelchtermans and Ballet (2002), the rookie teacher's personal interpretative framework is dominated by self-interests The personal interests of a beginner teacher pertain to his or her perceptions of himself

or herself as a teacher, which are intimately linked to self-esteem and task perception The teacher's views are critical in helping him or her deal with difficult conditions on the job and grow professionally Self-interests become critical when one's self-esteem and task perception are endangered In other circumstances, the new teacher protects his or her professional integrity through his or her own professional activities

Interactions with other staff are beneficial and crucial for inexperienced teachers, according to a study conducted by Mann and Tang (2012) Surprisingly, the actual environment of the staffroom, such as furniture and seating arrangements, was said to influence these interactions Because of the physical boundary between

a more senior group and the novices, it is difficult for one of the novice teachers to disregard the hierarchy and approach the mentor Clearly, if there is a barrier between rookie and experienced teachers, novice teachers may find it difficult to approach experienced teachers Brannan and Bleistein (2012) discover that novice teachers get helps from their colleagues Although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two, there are two basic sorts of support supplied to beginner teachers: pragmatic and affective In the practical domain, collegial assistance included "exchanging ideas regarding teaching, classroom management, school policies, or logistics, as well as peer observation and resource sharing" (p

531) Teachers report being able to listen, share experiences, and offer encouragement in the affective realm Participants express gratitude for the emotional assistance they received and expressed a need for more These new teachers also request "unsolicited assistance," claiming that they are hesitant to ask for aid and hence desired to obtain assistance without having to ask (p 532) Farrel (2012) also stresses the importance of peers in the early stages of a rookie teacher's career In a retrospective study of his own beginner teaching experience, he reveals how a director stood up and told him he wasn't doing it right while monitoring his class Farrel said he considered quitting his profession since he didn't think he was cut out to be a language teacher However, with the help of several of his colleagues, he was able to continue teaching "Thank heavens," he writes, "that a few colleagues decided to act as my "guides and guardians" at the start of my career These colleagues bolstered my morale and provided excellent guidance" (Zeichner, 1983, as cited in Farrell, 2012, p.436)

Also catalogued as a social problem can be described the shortage of a vocation for teaching in members of the profession, as described by Heck and Wolcott (2007) All in all, the voices of reference indicate that there are academic, organizational, and social problems, in addition to as problems of fabric and technology

2 3 THE TYPES OF SUPPORT FOR EFL NOVICE TEACHERS

In their study, Lipton and Wellman (2001) identify four sorts of assistance that new teachers require in their early years of teaching Boogren (2012) researched techniques to support new teachers and found that these four types of support were consolidated and strengthened In Chapters 3,4,5, and 6 of her book named the Classroom Strategies Series, she thoroughly introduces the concept of mentee supports Physical support, emotional support, instructional support and institutional support are the four sorts of support mentioned

2.3.1 Physical Support

When new teachers are confronted with a new teaching environment, according to Boogren (2012), they frequently experience resource, material, and

logistical issues They may be unsure about how to set up a classroom or where to obtain the necessary instructional materials for the first meeting Physical support is considered to constitute aid in connection to these aspects It entails assisting new instructors with school procedures such as familiarizing themselves with the paperwork system, arranging furniture, and managing instructional materials provided, among other things Novice teachers only require this type of assistance for a limited time when they are adjusting to a new environment However, unless they are given this kind of assistance, they may become confused and spend a lot of time in the beginning Physical support is likely to help new teachers deal with day-to-day concerns and familiarize them with the operation and function of the new educational environment According to Moir (1999), novice instructors require physical support at the anticipation stage at the start of the first year, which means that new teachers should be given proper physical support as soon as they enter a new workplace Novice teachers can provide physical support while designing materials and preparing supplies for their own courses, as well as adjusting classroom arrangements, at a later stage in their careers Boorgen (2012) also suggests a few ways for assisting novice teachers Mentors should offer new teachers a tour of the new school to acquaint them with the atmosphere, introduce them to the physical structure of the school, and explain how to accomplish their duties and obligations Another exercise is to assist in the description of a normal day in a classroom, including school time, regulations, typical classroom size and capacity, and how to arrange facilities and resources in the classroom Furthermore, the author suggests that mentees should betaught how to use technology devices provided by the school such as projection, televisions or CD players

2.3.2 Emotional Support

Moir (1999) believes that beginner instructors require a lot of emotional support during the survival and disillusionment stages Emotional support has been studied extensively, with the majority of findings indicating that it has numerous benefits for novice teachers, ranging from strengthening their psychology during the period of socialization in teaching to increasing teachers' level of confidence in their

teaching abilities (Koballa et al , 2008; Tan, 2013) During the first few years of a profession, feelings of exhaustion, solitude, and self-doubt contribute to pressure and stress It can be challenging for new teachers to strike a balance between work and personal life They begin to doubt their capacity to handle their task, causing them to consider whether or not to leave teaching Emotional support, according to Nora and Crisp (2007), primarily entails psychological issues such as listening, moral support, and a type of interaction in which common understanding, the link between mentors and mentees, and problem recognition are readily apparent Mentors who provide newbie instructors with the necessary help to overcome emotional barriers are referred to as their life savers (Boorgen, 2012) During the adaption process, mentors ensure that rookie instructors have a sense of security and protection, as well as a sense of trust and attention from the mentors (Jonson, 2008; Tan, 2013) Novice teachers who experience these emotions are more likely to lessen stress and anxiety while maintaining their drive Mentor teachers, according

to Boogren (2012), should speak honestly, listen supportively, and spend more time assisting with planning, time management, and work-life balance in order to provide emotional support Boogren (2012) also suggested several techniques to improve emotional support Active and supportive listening, utilizing a lot of eye contact and intention, actively asking questions, and communicating with respect and high appreciation regarding what mentees share are all critical ways to effectively help mentees with their psychology Mentors can also do daily cheek-ins by having informal conversations with students after each lesson to inquire about their feelings, call or contact them on the phone, and send positive notes via email or social media, according to the author These strategies are likely to make mentees feel safe and like they are valuable members of the mentoring team

2.3.3 Instructional Support

After a period of adjustment in which new teachers require physical and mental care, they begin to settle into their most important role: instructing High-quality instructional support becomes a critical requirement at this point This stage,

according to Boorgen (2012), is an ideal time to ensure that new teachers are employing effective instructional strategies in the classroom, to provide facilities for their existing skills in these strategies, and to guide them toward increasing their expertise level Without appropriate help in regard to instructional concerns, beginner teachers are forced to build their skills through trial and error, which may take a few years before yielding good teaching (Feirberg, 2002) Teachers, on the other hand, who are unable to get past this stage are more prone to consider abandoning the profession As a result, according to Boorgen (2012), mentees should be given timely instructional support in order to improve their professional skills and level of knowledge with an eye toward future performance Mentor instructors are expected to

be well-versed in pegagogical knowledge and abilities as a result of this (Alhija & Fresko, 2014; Aspfors & Franson, 2015) Boogren (2012) suggested a number of approaches to assisting mentors in providing suitable instructional support Mentors are valued for teaching their mentees how to develop acceptable career growth goals and use a scale to track success Mentors take on the task of advancing the professional development of starting teachers Mentors can assist them in keeping up with current teaching trends, research, theoretical knowledge, and instructional practices related to the components of effective teaching They should also provide targeted and helpful feedback, encourage new instructors to reflect, and provide opportunity for them to witness and discuss excellent teaching

2.3.4 Institutional Support

When new teachers have spent a certain amount of time dealing with psychological concerns, building confidence in their teaching, and strengthening their instructional practices, they may begin to think about their chances for growth and development on a larger scale They start to look for ways to strengthen their connections and relationships with their coworkers, as well as with their school, district, and educational systems (Boogren, 2012) Mentors should provide them with institutional support at this stage This type of assistance aids novice teachers

in finding their footing in the classroom Teachers in their early years, according to Long et al (2012), rely on interpersonal connections They require additional help

beyond mentoring and induction in order to encourage and strengthen these bonds Beginning teachers, according to Birkeland and Johnson (2002), feel successful in their first year of teaching because of their responsibilities in the faculty, strong relationships with colleagues, and the availability of supportive institutions The social atmosphere provides a firm foundation for novices to establish their personal identities while also allowing teachers to grow (Uusimaki, 2013) Mentoring training should include a contextual dimension and a grasp of the institution's culture and setting in order for the connection to work effectively (Aspford & Franson, 2015) Mentors would be able to comprehend and grasp a high level of sensitivity to contextual and cultural differences in the school in this manner (Aspford & Franson, 2015) Mentors can help new teachers gain institutional support by encouraging them to participate in extracurricular activities that will help them build relationships with coworkers and broaden their social network Mentees should also be offered opportunity to engage in training seminars and conferences hosted by the school or local groups, according to the author This may provide opportunities for them to share educational research and teaching ideas in order to advance their careers Giving mentees collaborative time with other colleagues who teach the same levels is another good method They can spend time developing lesson plans, debating ideas, and sharing educational research

2.4 RELATED STUDIES

Novice teachers have been the subject of numerous studies, the majority of which looked into the challenges and recommendations faced by novice EFL teachers in various educational contexts Phuong (2015), Ngoc (2018), Alhamad (2018), Amin &Rahimi (2018), Sali &Kecik (2018), Hayati (2018), and Sang (2020) provide a brief review of similar works undertaken by diverse researchers from various countries

Phuong (2015) conducted a study that aims to investigate the construction

of a novice EFL teacher's professional identity in Vietnam, to identify the factors that influence this process, and to examine how these factors interact to construct and complicate the teacher's professional identity Narrative inquiry and semi-

structured interview are the data gathering tools used to achieve the research's goals The study reveals that teachers' professional identity creation is highly complicated and influenced by a variety of elements, including personal, contextual, and sociocultural factors, after a long period of collecting and evaluating data These elements interact and are so closely linked that it is nearly impossible to isolate them The research findings are predicted to be crucial in offering valuable insights into the process of EFL teachers forming and reconstructing their identities in relation to a specific working environment In terms of limitation, choosing only one person to participate in the study was highly dangerous because this person could withdraw from the study at any time for any reason without prior notice Second, observations of the teacher in her local community were not possible because to the great distance between the two cities where the participant and the researcher were stationed.Finally, while identity is a shifting concept that changes over time, nine months of conducting the study could be insufficient

In the context of teaching English at secondary school in Hue City in 2018, Ngoc conducted a study that aims to look into common professional development activities from the perspective of EFL teachers It is critical to choose the most appropriate design for attaining the study's goals in order to satisfy the study's aims and objectives This research was aimed to be descriptive In this study, a quantitative and a qualitative method were used.A survey questionnaire was distributed to fifty EFL teachers from Hue's lower secondary schools in order to obtain replies Twenty teachers took part in the second interview instrument, which

was used to qualify data collected from the questionnaire The findings show that

most EFL teachers believe that common professional development (PD) activities are important, but they have differing views on how common PD activities are implemented in their lower secondary schools Team teaching activities including peer observations, in particular, were given more emphasis than the others It was also found that standard PD activities including maintaining diaries or recording lessons, participating in academic activities or participating in discussion groups, and mentoring were used frequently Furthermore, the study found that a number of

reasons hampered the implementation of common PD activities, including a lack of knowledge, motivation, inadequate educational technology, and lack of

collaboration among EFL teachers, with time being the most significant factor

Further studies should focus on other aspects of PD activity and lifelong PD

Next, Alhamad carried out a study in 2018 to examine the challenges that Saudi Arabian EFL novice teachers face as they transit into their first teaching jobs and to see if they receive adequate support or if they might benefit from a formal induction process In this study, mixed-methods approach was adopted, in which quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to obtain the individualized perspectives of Saudi novice teachers regarding the challenges of their first years of teaching, the efficacy of existing workplace support mechanisms, and the induction practices that would be most beneficial to them in mitigating the challenges they face 150 novice teachers were surveyed and 5 teachers were selected for semi-structured interviews 150 novice teachers were contacted in this mixed methods study, and 5 teachers were chosen for semi-structured interviews To answer the research question, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to conduct a quantitative analysis of the data The qualitative analysis of the data was carried out

by evaluating the answers to the interview questions The findings indicated that the challenges surrounding novice teachers hinder them in their development as new teachers Dealing with students with low English proficiency and managing students' negative attitudes about studying English were the most prominent obstacles mentioned by participants The adoption of various teaching methods and the construction of a student-centered approach, student behavior management, course planning, dealing with individual differences, and contact with parents were all identified as further perceptible obstacles in this research This research revealed that these teachers had extremely limited knowledge and abilities for dealing with the realities of teaching when they completed their pre-service training The two most helpful techniques for developing a teacher induction program that could reduce the obstacles they confront in their first few years were identified by novice teachers as mentoring and observing experienced teachers It is suggested that this

study be reproduced in studies conducted at specific school levels, such as elementary, intermediate, and high school, to see if the needs and challenges of new teachers at each level differ from those of new teachers at other levels Besides, a future study should aim to recruit a greater number of participants from rural sections of the country to explore if teaching in rural versus urban areas affects views of problems in the early years of teaching An additional recommendation for further research involves using in-depth interviews with regional education directors, administrators, and veteran teachers, in order to gather more detailed information about the needs of beginning teachers and more effective ways of helping them to successfully adjust during their first year of teaching

In the context of teaching English in four province across Kurdistan, Amin

&Rahimi (2018) conducted a study that aims to to investigate challenges of novice EFL teachers during induction period in Iraqi Kurdistan The data was acquired from 20 beginner EFL teachers teaching in four provinces across Kurdistan using a cross-sectional descriptive design questionnaire Out of 20 participants, 8 were female (n=20) They graduated from colleges of Education, Language, and Arts and all of them participated in pre-service training course by Ministry of Education from one to three months With the objective of looking at the internal consistency of the items in the data collection instrument, Cronbach‘s alpha level was calculated as 89 for the 66-item questionnaire The data were analyzed through SPSS 16.0 to get the results In connection to the whole research question, the general concerns of the novice teachers were investigated under two classifications: job-related and social challenges.The study's findings revealed that new EFL teachers faced both professional and social challenges he most frequent adaptation challenges were related to (1) relationship with students, (2) social status and identity, (3) supervisors (school principals and inspectors), and (4) classroom management All

of the adaption issues highlighted in their study could be due to a variety of factors, including the school context in which the rookie EFL instructors in Iraqi Kurdistan began teaching and their past experiences from their pre-service years These factors could have direct or indirect influence on the adaption processes of rookie

EFL teachers, which is an issue that needs to be researched further

In a study conducted in 2018 in Turkey, Sali &Kecik investigated the challenges as perceived by novice teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) The participants of the study were seven (7) novice EFL teachers in public primary and secondary schools in Turkey The data sources include semi-structured interviews, diary entries, video-recorded classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews The results, discussed in relation to pre-service and in-service teacher education, suggested that the novice EFL teachers started out their pedagogical journey amid competing and interacting challenges The cross-case analysis of the qualitative data revealed the following themes and sub-themes of challenges in relation to foreign language pedagogy Providing and maintaining classroom discipline was one of the repeatedly mentioned challenges, and the participants reported it as a problem (n=7) Disruptive learner behaviour seemed to be a great challenge for all the participants It was either in the form of bullying, excessive talk, talking out of turn, being noisy, being out of seat without good cause, bad language, disobedience, or disrespect to the teacher The present study did not focus on the relationship between those difficulties and the teachers‘ previous language learning experiences, types of the schools where they were teaching, amount of teaching experience, teacher education programmes that they graduated from, and teacher characteristics Further studies might thus be conducted on these aspects Moreover, some other studies might compare novice and experienced EFL teachers‘ experiences to better understand the challenges that novice teachers are faced with and to see how novice and experienced teachers deal with different challenges of classroom practice

Futhermore, Hayati (2018) conducted a study that aims to identify the obstacles that Indonesian beginner English instructors have in terms of lesson preparation and implementation, classroom management, and professional development It also looks into the teachers' pre-service teacher education experience and the school's support structure, both of which could be related to their difficulties The study is a qualitative case study including eleven English teachers

from Malang secondary schools (junior and senior high schools, as well as vocational institutions) who have fewer than five years of experience in the classroom Open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data, which were then followed up with semi-structured interviews to explain and elaborate what respondents had written in the questionnaires The study reveals that these new teachers face a variety of challenges, including planning and implementing a lesson based on the 2013 Curriculum, designing and implementing motivating learning strategies and assessment procedures appropriate for a class of students with a low level of ability, and managing a large class It finishes with some suggestions for bridging the gap between pre-service teacher education and professional development and in-service teacher education and professional development

In a recent study carried out in 2020 by Sang, the implementation of a mentoring program for EFL novice t

eacher

in the program provided Additionally, it aimed at exploring the level of satisfaction and expectation of EFL novice teachers about the types of support in the program This study was designed as a mixed-method study, using a questionnaire and interviews as data collection intruments The study involved the participation of twenty-two EFL novice teachers who have less than three-year experience in teaching and took part in a mentoring program held by a private English center in

Meking delta The finding showed that all types of support in the program,

including intructional support, emotional support, physical support and institutional support were provided with high extent The participants hold high level of satisfaction towards these types of support The results also revealed that EFL novice teachers had high expactation about maintaning support after the program, especially instructionall support Based on the findings, some recommendations were suggested to promote the quality of the program and meet participants ‗s need and expectation

From these studies, it can be concluded that novice EFL teachers‘challenges have been taken into consideration in various context Educatoes and researchers

have had greater concern in attrition rale and how to maintain effective teachers in their early stage of profession The major of researchers investigated the challenges faced by novice EFL teachers Nevertheless, they tended to focus on various aspect rather than on a specific type of challenge In this study, the researcher aims to study the novice EFL teachers‘ professional challenges This study also gives a more comprehensive view on the issues that novice teachers need to do to overcome their challenges

2.5 SUMMARY

This chapter reviews the literature on novice EFL teachers‘challenges in general and novice EFL teachers‘professional challenges in particular, which helps

me understand and decide on the appropriate theoretical frameworks for this study

In order to answer the stated research questions, this research was framed based on Kim & Roth (2011) conception of novice teacher Moreover, the theoretical framworks related to academic problems (Wilson and Ireton 2007), organization problems (Brock and Grady, 2008), issues of material and technology (Kelchtermans & Ballet, 2002) and challenges in relation to forms of professional support (Weasmer and Woods (2000) also contributed toward the process of making sense of the research issue Also, the four sorts of assistance that new teachers require in their early years of teaching (Lipton and Wellman, 2001) is also taken into adequate consideration

I discuss the main research methodology and approach of the study in the following chapter, chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODS

This chapter presents the methodology with which the procedures of data collection and data analysis were conducted for this study The chapter focuses on six following parts: (1) Research methods, (2) Participants, (3) Research procedure, (4) Data collection, (5) Data analysis, and (6) Validity and Reliability

3.1 DESIGN OF THE STUDY

3.1.1 Research Design

To meet the aims and objectives of the study, it is vital to determine the most appropriate design for achieving the aims of the study Therefore, this study was designed as a descriptive one In this study, mixed-methods approach was adopted, in which quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to obtain the individualized perspectives of novice EFL teachers who are teaching English at high schools in Binh Dinh Province regarding the professional challenges of their first years of teaching and the induction practices that would be most beneficial to them in imitigating the challenges they face The quantitative analysis was undertaken by use of a survey through questionnaires, while the qualitative analysis was informed by a semi-structured interview

The quantitative element of this techniques approach is represented by scale questions and analysis of the online survey in this study, while the qualitative portion is represented by closed-ended survey questions and a semi-structured interview in that sequence The goal of using this strategy to data collection is to add value to the study's research findings in a way that isn't only supported by one type of data (Brewer & Hunter, 1989; Tashakkori & Teddie, 1998)

likert-According to Merten (2003) and Punch (1998), one of the viable reasons for conducting mixed methods research is to use quantitative data to feed a subsequent qualitative study, allowing the former's findings to be extended This study used a mixed methods investigational approach to data collection in order to collect statistical, quantitative data and information from a sample population of new