Understanding the experiences of beginning secondary school teachers

This paper reports a study which sought to obtain deeper insights into the experiences of beginning secondary school teachers in Swaziland during 1997. Out of a sample of 48 beginning teachers, 28 participated in the study. They were invited to complete a questionnaire and were also visited in their schools where they were interviewed and observed during teaching practice. The paper describes the experiences of these teachers. The study found that, while there were several common concerns and experiences during the first year of teaching, there were also some significant different experiences. The paper discusses some implications of the study for teacher education.