Examining the first year teaching experiences of beginning teachers with Hammerness, darling-Hammond and Bransford teacher education model: A multi-case study

The present study examines both the changes in beginning teachers' visions with regard to Hammerness, Darling-Hammond and Bransford's teacher education model and the sources of challenges they faced with during their first year of teaching. The research design of the study was a multi-case study. Three beginning teachers who started teaching in public schools in Eskisehir, Turkey at the beginning of 2014-2015 schooling year was selected as participants through purposeful sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured and unstructured individual interviews, participant observations, and a questionnaire that included open-ended questions during 2014-2015 schooling year. In addition, research logs were also kept by the researcher throughout the study. Inductive analysis was used to analyse the collected data. After the data from each participant were analysed independently, they were compared with each other. The study revealed several changes in beginning teachers' visions. The changes vary in their overall teacher visions, understandings, conceptual and practical tools, practices and dispositions. Moreover, the study revealed that the beginning teachers faced with a lot of challenges based on classroom management, pre-service teacher education, organizational procedures, curriculum/instructional materials, students' characteristics, and personal/professional development during their first year of teaching.