Research Problem and Objectives
The study’s problem is related to its importance in the context of novice teachers facing issues in Saudi Arabia. The first years of teaching present enormous difficulties that cause new teachers to leave the profession (Alhamad, 2018). School communities sometimes fail to provide new teachers with the necessary support to adjust to their new professional contexts (Alhamad, 2018). The attrition of new teachers in Saudi Arabia is a significant issue that hinders the growth of the education system (Alhamad, 2018).
The study aims to identify specific issues novice female teachers face in Saudi Arabia and the solutions adopted in other countries. This will enable us to develop recommendations on what is necessary to address the problems faced by these teachers.
Literature Review
Various studies in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries, and the Middle East have discussed and researched the issues novice teachers face in their practice. According to the findings, the development of new teachers is hampered by the difficulties they face (Alhamad, 2018). According to participants in another study, the mentorship program helped foster an environment where helpful connections could develop, allowing teachers to learn from one another (Shukhri & Leil, 2017). Additionally, the mentorship program helped participants develop their teaching skills, which increased their sense of security. They learned more about teaching methods and how to handle challenging situations by observing more experienced mentor teachers in the classroom.
The effect of mentoring is also crucial for novice teachers. The study notes that, in terms of creating and implementing educational programs, beginner teachers would greatly benefit from working with more experienced educators (Alghamdi, 2017). According to a study on the use of information and communication technologies by novice female teachers in Saudi Arabia, significant issues arise from such implementation (Al Mulhim, 2014a).
Regarding ICT use, another study’s findings showed that the key features of related education for novice teachers must include technical and pedagogical content (Al Mulhim, 2014b). Researching the issues that contribute to poor ICT implementation revealed that they are related to numerous barriers and challenges that novice teachers face, including insufficient access to technology, training, and time (Al Mulhim, 2013a, 2013b). A study assessing the assessment skills of these teachers revealed that they are inadequate (Alsamaani, 2014). The reason is that their workplace development is prioritized over education.
The issues related to the satisfaction of the pedagogical abilities are significant for teaching efficacy. A study on how novice teachers position themselves regarding this topic revealed that politics and power influence the problems (Aljehani, 2020). The study on methodological approaches of novice teachers showed that they still tend to work in traditional forms of education, rather than centering it around students and making it collaborative and cooperative (Hussain et al., 2019).
The lack of mentoring and induction of novice teachers leads many of them to leave (Ibrahim, 2012). Significant gaps in teacher preparation programs result in low subjective teaching competencies, necessitating changes (Qadhi et al., 2020). Certification requirements do not affect teaching quality, so there is no need to make them stricter (Wiseman & Al-bakr, 2013). The effectiveness and need for induction of novice teachers are also common in the UAE (Gallagher, 2019; Dickson et al., 2014). This is related to the issues of many novice teachers.
Novice teachers face instructional, relational, infrastructural, and adaptational challenges. Such classification enables further modifications of work conditions for novices (Kozikoglu, 2017; Öztürk & Yildirim, 2013; Çakmak et al., 2019). Many attributes of novice teachers are common to both European and Middle Eastern countries, which allows for the implementation of methods to improve the work environment from other cultures (Klassen et al., 2019). It has been identified that addressing the sense of belonging among novice teachers is necessary (Al Seyabi, 2020). This significantly impacts the effectiveness of teachers and the likelihood of them staying in the profession.
Recommendations for Teachers
Considering the findings in the literature, the recommendations should primarily address the issues related to mentoring and induction of novice teachers, assessment, ICT, and methodological training. Providing suitable, pre-service education programs grounded in their teaching reality is crucial for training. According to experiences adopted earlier in Gulf and Middle Eastern countries, implementing such programs is possible by providing additional qualifications at the workplace and incorporating these areas into learning (Klassen et al., 2019). Equipping all remote public schools with the necessary resources to support teaching and learning is necessary.
The lack of access to technology is a reason for the issues related to the inadequate implementation of ICT by novice teachers. In terms of training, providing teachers with sustainable learning opportunities through various means, such as courses, conferences, and workshops, is also necessary. Addressing mentoring and induction has been successful in terms of results, as effective communication with experienced colleagues has helped novices adapt more quickly and fill the knowledge gaps (Gallagher, 2019; Dickson et al., 2014). This should be done through encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing between novice and experienced teachers.
References
Al Mulhim, E. (2013b). The current use of ICT by novice female teachers in Saudi primary schools and their perceived training needs. In ASCILITE-Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Annual Conference (pp. 597-601). Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education.
Al Mulhim, E. (2013c). ICT by Novice Female Teachers in Saudi Arabian Primary Schools: The Current Use and the Perceived Training Needs. In E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 1455-1459). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Al Mulhim, E. (2014a). Designing, piloting and evaluating an ICT training programme for novice female primary teachers in Saudi Arabia (Doctoral dissertation, University of Plymouth).
Al Mulhim, E. (2014b). Why novice female teachers in Saudi Arabia do not use ICT in their teaching? In Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 2353-2358). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Al Seyabi, F. (2020). Values and Dispositions of Omani Novice Teachers as Perceived by School Principals and Assistant Principals. Higher Education Studies, 10(4), 25-35.
Alghamdi, A. K. (2017). The effects of an integrated curriculum on student achievement in Saudi Arabia. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(9), 6079-6100.
Alhamad, R. (2018). Challenges and induction needs of novice English as a foreign language teachers in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(1), 50-63.
Aljehani, K. (2020). Novice English Language Saudi Teachers Building Professional Identity. (Doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Alsamaani, A. (2014). Evaluating classroom assessment techniques of novice Saudi EFL teachers. Journal of Arabic and Human Sciences, 270(1687), 1-40.
Çakmak, M., Gündüz, M., & Emstad, A. B. (2019). Challenging moments of novice teachers: Survival strategies developed through experiences. Cambridge Journal of Education, 49(2), 147-162.
Dickson, M., Riddlebarger, J., Stringer, P., Tennant, L., & Kennetz, K. (2014). Challenges faced by Emirati novice teachers. Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, 2014(1), 4.
Gallagher, K. (2019). Challenges and opportunities in sourcing, preparing and developing a teaching force for the UAE. Education in the United Arab Emirates, 127-145.
Hussain, M. O. A., Iqbal, M., & Khan, I. (2019). Efficacy of methodological practices undertaken by Saudi English teachers in public schools during their formative phase. English Review: Journal of English Education, 7(2), 47-54.
Ibrahim, A. S. (2012). Induction and Mentoring of novice teachers: a scheme for the United Arab Emirates. Teacher Development, 16(2), 235-253.
Klassen, R. M., Durksen, T. L., Al Hashmi, W., Kim, L. E., Longden, K., Metsäpelto, R. L.,… & Györi, J. G. (2018). National context and teacher characteristics: Exploring the critical non-cognitive attributes of novice teachers in four countries. Teaching and Teacher Education, 72, 64-74.
Kozikoglu, I. (2017). A content analysis concerning the studies on challenges faced by novice teachers. KıbrıslıEğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 12(2), 91-106.
Öztürk, M., & Yildirim, A. (2013). Adaptation challenges of novice teachers. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim FakültesiDergisi, 28(28-1), 294-307.
Qadhi, S., Hendawi, M., Mohammad, E. G., Ghazi, I., Al-Dosari, N., & Du, X. (2020). The impact of a teacher preparation programs on professional teaching competencies–female novice teachers’ perspectives. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(1), 118-135.
Shukri, N., & Leil, A. A. (2017). Female Mentees’ Perspectives of a Mentoring program in the Saudi context. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 4, 3888-3899.
Wiseman, A. W., & Al-Bakr, F. (2013). The elusiveness of teacher quality: A comparative analysis of teacher certification and student achievement in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Prospects, 43(3), 289-309.