Challenges Faced by Novice English Language Instructors in the application of their Teaching Strategies: A Case Study of University A

Abstract

This qualitative research study used the semi-structured interviews and classroom observations in exploring the challenges faced by novice English language instructors in University A. These qualitative methods have provided the author the means of capturing the participants’ experiences and actual teaching performance. Participants were chosen from among five newly employed English instructors. The findings revealed that majority of the participants used constructivist, communicative language teaching, and performance-based strategies in their classes. This can be explained by their educational background, as the majority of them have a master's degree. This is also attributed to their previous teaching experience and the pedagogical seminars and training they have attended. Four primary challenges surfaced as having an effect on the participants’ efficiency to teach. These factors include leaners’ individual differences, availability of instructional materials, class size, and various school activities, which disrupt classes. More specifically, the participants disclosed that the learners’ attitudes toward the subject and their studies interests and capacity to learn greatly affect their instructional strategy. They also revealed that having big class size (40 or more students) is not desirable for language courses.