Supporting novice language teachers: Perceptions of a tutor-moderated online community of practice

Abstract

The struggle of novice language teachers (NLTs) transitioning from supportive training environments to their first teaching posts is well documented. In extreme cases, where appropriate support is not available, teachers often leave the profession because they cannot cope with the high demands of their job and the associated emotional stress.

Online communities of teachers have become a growing source of much-needed professional peer support. Through online interactions, teachers can connect with like-minded
peers for practical tips, resource-sharing and emotional support. Social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook are increasingly seen as valuable hosting platforms for these
communities. While there is growing research on how informal networks (created by teachers themselves) evolve in SNS spaces, little attention has been paid to formal online spaces, purposefully established by teacher educators to bridge the gap between training and initial teaching.

The study was organised in two phases. Phase 1 used an online survey and collected data from 43 NLTs who described the challenges they faced in their initial teaching posts. In Phase 2, ten NLTs participated in an online community of practice using a private Facebook group to share experiences, offer advice and provide support while teaching. The group was set up by their teacher educators (also the authors of this paper) to examine the participants’ perceptions of the value of this kind of support mechanism.

Results firstly showed that classroom behaviour and heavy workloads, for instance, are still a major cause of teacher concern. Secondly, and more encouragingly, the opportunity
to engage with like-minded others in an online professional community, moderated by their tutors, was found to be highly valued. Primarily, the community benefited most from the giving and receiving of emotional support and sharing practical teaching ideas. Findings suggest that tutor-moderated online communities of practice may offer additional benefits to work-based, informal, or large-scale communities of practice.