Challenges And Support For Secondary School Novice Teachers

The research project Challenges and Support for secondary School Novice Teachers: A Case Study of Beitbridge,Zimbabwe.In the quest to explore these challenges and their support,the researcher used Beitbridge Rural District as a case study in Zimbabwe.The researcher used a qualitative study.Participants were selected through purposive sampling.Fifteen participants made up this study,12 novice teachers and 3 School-heads.The research used the Community of Practice social theory(CoP)propounded by Wenger and Lave.The theory seeks to attach meaning on the challenges and a potential to facilitating on how novice teachers can be supported.The study was guided by three research questions: 1.What are challenges faced by novice teachers in Secondary Schools in Beitbridge?2.What are the effects of the challenges faced by novice teachers in Secondary schools? 3.What support strategies can be used to overcome challenges of novice teachers in secondary Schools? These questions helped to answer the study on the challenges and support.Results showed that novices faced organizational,social and personal challenges as they integrate into their new environments.Responses from both School Heads and novices were reflected on this study on how to deal with some of the challenges faced by novices as they integrate into their new educational environments.These included oriental workshops,managing the school environments,provision of resources.The results of the study also showed that Beitbridge schools may adopt the Community of practice Social theory into practice as a way to provide platforms for novices to share air out their concerns as they integrate into their new educational environments.