Öğretmenliğe giriş: mesleğinin ilk yılındaki öğretmenlerin okullardaki deneyimlerine ilişkin çoklu durum çalışması.

The aim of this study was to examine the first year of four novice teachers in the teaching profession with regard to their perceptions and experiences about the classroom processes they undergo, professional development, relationships with students and colleagues, teaching performance, mentorship, personal life and the pre-service teacher education in addition to their mentors’ perceptions regarding the induction process. The study adopted a qualitative multiple-case study design and data were collected from four novice teachers and three mentors through semi-structured interviews. Additionally, 28-hour classroom observations were conducted and documents such as teachers’ materials, exam papers and group teachers’ meetings reports were analyzed to supplement the interview findings. The results of the study suggested that novice teachers suffered from the challenges of the first year in terms of classroom management, struggling with problematic student behaviors, relationships with colleagues, school principals and parents, using appropriate teaching learning methods and techniques, motivating students, consultancy issues and workload as well as the pressure of working in small towns. Moreover, the deficiency of effective mentoring and inadequacies of the pre-service teacher education turned out to be challenging to them. The results indicated that mentors were aware of the difficulties faced in the first year and shared the same perceptions about the inadequacies of the pre-service teacher education. Nevertheless, despite all the difficulties, it was noted that the participating teachers underwent a professional development process in many respects in their first year and they loved teaching and being with their students. Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra