ABSTRACT

This article explores the agency of novice New Zealand language teachers in the multi-level class. While the experiences of novice teachers have been widely reported, the field of language teacher agency is in its infancy as is research on how novice teachers respond to an increasingly diverse range of learners’ needs from the outset of their teaching career. Data from semi-structured interviews revealed that novice teachers felt constrained by the amount of time needed to understand the curriculum requirements and to develop resources. Teachers felt that there was a lack of professional development available to support them with their teaching, although they did not actively seek guidance, thus reinforcing a sense of isolation. However, alongside these challenges, the novice teachers in this study took pedagogical risks in their teaching and did so in highly individualised ways. Teachers trialled different approaches aligned with their personal teaching philosophies, and in response to their students’ needs, in ways that are typically seen with more experienced teachers. This study raises important implications for teacher education programmes and highlights the need for ongoing mentoring and support for novice teachers, as well as supporting them in articulating their needs and in seeking support from others.

摘要

本文探讨了新西兰语言教师在多层次课堂中的代理问题。虽然新手教师的经验已被广泛报道，但语言教师代理领域还处于起步阶段，关于新手教师如何从教学生涯一开始就应对日益多样化的学习者需求的研究也处于起步阶段。半结构化访谈的数据显示，新手教师感到受限于理解课程要求和开发资源所需的时间。教师们觉得缺乏专业发展来支持他们的教学，尽管他们没有积极寻求指导，从而加强了孤立感。然而，伴随着这些挑战，本研究中的新手教师在教学中承担了教学风险，并以高度个性化的方式这样做。教师们尝试了符合他们个人教学理念的不同方法，并以更有经验的教师通常看到的方式回应学生的需求。这项研究对教师教育计划提出了重要意义，并强调了对新手教师的持续指导和支持的必要性，以及支持他们表达自己的需求和寻求他人支持的必要性。