TY - JOUR
T1 - The learning needs of beginning teachers in the United Arab Emirates
AU - Ibrahim, Ali S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the United Arab Emirates University Internal Grant # 1499-03 -01-10.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Beginning teachers have legitimate learning needs that cannot be grasped in advance or outside the school context. These needs are documented in Western literature, but the skills required by beginning teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not been investigated. The present study responds to this research gap. Data were collected through a self-administered survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions completed by beginning teachers. Then focus group meetings with selected participants were conducted. Classroom management, creating attractive learning environments, motivating pupils to learn and using different teaching strategies are the most critical learning needs of beginning teachers in the UAE. Interestingly, being responsive to the diverse cultural and social backgrounds of pupils, creating extra-curricular activities and teaching in overpopulated classrooms were considered less crucial. These findings are significant for improving pre-service teacher education programmes and in-service teacher training and mentoring programmes in the country.
AB - Beginning teachers have legitimate learning needs that cannot be grasped in advance or outside the school context. These needs are documented in Western literature, but the skills required by beginning teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not been investigated. The present study responds to this research gap. Data were collected through a self-administered survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions completed by beginning teachers. Then focus group meetings with selected participants were conducted. Classroom management, creating attractive learning environments, motivating pupils to learn and using different teaching strategies are the most critical learning needs of beginning teachers in the UAE. Interestingly, being responsive to the diverse cultural and social backgrounds of pupils, creating extra-curricular activities and teaching in overpopulated classrooms were considered less crucial. These findings are significant for improving pre-service teacher education programmes and in-service teacher training and mentoring programmes in the country.
KW - United Arab Emirates
KW - beginning teachers
KW - teachers' concerns
KW - teachers' needs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84869888186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/02607476.2013.739791
DO - 10.1080/02607476.2013.739791
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84869888186
SN - 0260-7476
VL - 38
SP - 539
EP - 549
JO - Journal of Education for Teaching
JF - Journal of Education for Teaching
IS - 5
ER -