EFL teachers’ professional experiences in the southeastern Türkiye

Although a number of English language teachers commence their professional careers in under-resourced and underprivileged regions, far too little attention has been paid to their experiences as an area of research, particularly in Türkiye. This qualitative study investigates the concerns and challenges that English language teachers experience in the southeastern region of Türkiye. The participants consisted of nine novice English language teachers in different school grades in state schools. Interviews were used as a data collection tool. Participants’ reflections and comments revealed teachers’ sociological and pedagogical negative or positive experiences after their appointment to Şırnak in the southeastern region of Türkiye. The findings of the study revealed context-specific challenges these teachers experience and how they deal with these challanges. Implications are presented in line with the findings to guide administrators, teacher educators, and policymakers