Every voice matters: A case study on the factors affecting the professional development and identity (RE)construction of novice English language teachers

The initial years of teaching are very crucial and challenging for novice teachers fresh from their education programs. It plays a key role in reshaping the meaning of teaching, in reconstructing their professional identities and in promoting their professional development. Novice teacher's identity and future practices are (re)built and (re)constructed by their experiences. Therefore, during their journey of finding meaning in being a language teacher, they fall under the influence of many factors. The present qualitative study aims to explore the factors that affect the professional development and identity formation of four (4) Turkish novice EFL teachers who work at public primary and secondary schools in Gaziantep, a big city in eastern Turkey, as well as to document their voices. The data sources include semi-structured interviews, observations and reflexive autobiographical journaling. The results suggested that teachers' teaching context, their prior and current experiences and biography, their perceptions of job satisfaction, motivation, commitment and self-efficacy are often in interaction with each other and influence the way teachers think and react. In recognition of the struggles that novice EFL teachers inescapably encounter, along with the shock they experience due to the transition from pre-service to real teaching, novice teacher will need some kind of support and more carefully considerate plans and programs that will ease the transition process. Key Words: Novice teachers, language teacher education, professional identity and professional identity, Turkey