Novice teachers in primary education: difficulties of teaching in diverse school’s contexts

Abstract

This article presents a selection of findings obtained in two investigations from a research which studies the first period of working practice of recently graduated teachers. Both qualitative studies focus on the difficulties perceived by teachers from primary education during their first years as professionals, and explore the way how school contexts receive young new teachers facilitating or holding up their performance in a critical period of identity construction and strengthening of the vocation. Results show variations rather than a developmental and homogeneous pattern; this is associated with the opportunities offered by the teaching formation in terms of questioning the classroom and the teaching performance, and the schools as either flexible or bureaucratic supporting or putting pressure. The study concludes by posing the need to design induction and mentoring programs from a contextualized and diversified perspective, avoiding the homogenization of teachers’ needs.