Att överleva det första året. En intervjustudie om biologilärares upplevelser av det första året som verksamma gymnasielärare

Abstract

Transition from student teacher to professional teacher is filled with challenges, expectations and curiosity. Extensive research has been made on teachers’ professional start, but despite this research, there is still a gap when it comes to high school teachers, and specifically on high school biology teachers. The purpose of this study is therefore to explore high school biology teachers' experience and challenges during their first professional year, with the goal to identify factors that can make this period more positive. This study has been conducted as a qualitative interview study of these teachers, and their experiences have then been analyzed thematically. All the interviews in this study are done with new biology teachers at high schools. The results of the study shows that these new teachers have encountered diverse working cultures at schools, which in turn have varying impact on their experience during their first year. However, common for all teachers in the study, is their feeling of overwhelm and experience of heavy workload. New teachers tend to experience a lack of support, which makes their professional start particularly difficult. They also tend to have an idealized view of the teaching roles, which often clashes with reality. This can result in stress, and feelings of anxiousness and despair. Many of these challenges for new teachers can be mitigated by implementing strategies for support during their first time as professionals. The results of this interview study indicates that an introduction period with received mentoring has a major impact on how the newly graduated teacher perceives their career start, and how well they integrated into the school organization.