First-year teachers in selected South African primary schools : a study and analysis of teaching difficulties

The primary purpose of this investigation was to identify the perceived problems of beginning teachers in South African primary schools. It was also the purpose of the study to determine the concerns of beginning teachers and their report of the amount of help they received with respect to these concerns. Data were gathered on first-year teachers who graduated from Sohnge College of Education, Worcester, South Africa, in 1989 and who served as first-year teachers in various schools in 1990. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-X) to generate the needed statistical information for this descriptive study. The study revealed that the top ranking beginning teacher difficulties were; limited opportunity to interact with parents, lack of opportunity to discuss a child's behavior with his or her parents, limited parent contact, and difficulty with interpreting a child's ability to parents. Findings from the study also indicated that fellow teachers were the major source of assistance for beginning teachers. Participants in the study expressed a need for more pre-service training in the areas of teaching low ability and gifted students, parent-teacher-administrator relations, clerical duties, and promotion possibilities.