Voices from the Field: Perspectives of First-year Teachers on the Disconnect between Teacher Preparation Programs and the Realities of the Classroom

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore common themes emerging from lived experiences of first-year secondary school teachers regarding their expectations of teaching prior to entering the teaching profession, as well as the realities in the classroom environment. In addition, factors influencing their decision to stay or leave the profession of teaching were also explored. A modified van Kaam method by Moustakas (1994) with in-depth, semi-structured interviews was employed to explore the lived experiences of 20 first-year teachers in the Delta, North Okanagan-Shuswap, and Kelowna school districts in British Columbia, Canada. The implications derived from this study suggest that curriculum developers of preparation programs and school district leaders can help improve retention and lessen disconnect by providing first-year teachers with the survival skills necessary to meet the demands of the classroom. The knowledge gained from this study may offer a clear understanding of reasons first-year teachers experience disparities between expectations of teaching and realities of the classroom, and how such disparities affect retention rate