The teacher’s first sweet yearsas leader : A qualitative study of recent graduate teachers in grade 1-6 and theirconceptions of their leadership in the classroom

The purpose of this essay is to find out what new graduate teachers conceptions are of their own leadership in the classroom. The paper also aims to examine the different leadership styles the teachers perceive themselves to use. My study is based on qualitative data collected through interviews, where the informants are newly graduated teachers in grade 1 to 6. Using a qualitative approach has made it possible for me to get a deeper understanding of this study. I have also used previous research in this area where Arfwedson (1993), Franssons & Morbergs (2001) and Paulin (2007) presents a number of experiences that student teachers and recent graduate teachers has shared. My study shows that newly qualified teachers faces difficulties to conquer their newly acquired roles for different reasons. It is also shown that the newly qualified teachers have a tendency, at first to be too authoritarian in their leadership i.e. too hard or too laissez-faire in their leadership, which means that the leader is passive in the leading role. However, the informants from my study feel they have found themselves in their leading role today through practical experiences, and the balancing act required for the leadership in the classroom