Första tiden i yrket - från student till lärare : en studie av de svårigheter nyblivna lärare möter under sin första tid i yrket

Sammanfattning: “How do they manage when left alone in their schools as newly qualified teachers?” Reflections like these evoked an interest to explore how the students become teachers, how their occupational learning processes go on and what difficulties they meet during their first terms in service. In my study I use a narrative concept and it consists of notes from 29 meetings with 25 newly qualified teachers in three different groups during three years. The notes have been analysed by means of using qualitative method.Becoming a teacher is a process where the newly qualified teachers move from legitimate peripheral participation to full scale participation. In this process they mainly work with enactive representations that have to be supported by iconic and symbolic representations (Bruner).They are also influenced by the social practise in their schools. The process is influenced by mutual integration of their previous experiences of school, their education and the context and culture of their school. They have difficulties understanding and handling problematic pupils, with discipline, with relations and co-operation with colleagues and parents. During the process there are some changes in the focus for their main concern. First it is the class room situations and their social dimensions that dominate greatly. During the second term the focus is moved to the pupils and their learning processes, as well as the relations with colleagues and parents and co-operation with them becomes important. Finally the teachers become aware of their own situation in an organisation with opportunities and difficulties. Causes to the difficulties experienced by the newly qualified teachers can be found both in the contents of education and in the introduction of beginners in the school domains, where the newly qualified teachers are left alone without the support they badly need. The conclusions that can be drawn from the results have consequences both for education of teachers and the introduction of them in the context of school domains.