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Introduction
The teaching practice of newly employed teachers in NIS can be compared to the first years of teaching practice for several reasons. In this way, newly employed teachers can improve their understanding of the new assessment system and adjust their assessment practices.
Statement of problem
Thus, this study can assume that newly hired teachers in NES should familiarize themselves with all the changes in the evaluation system and implement them in their evaluation practices. Thus, this study investigated the challenges experienced by newly employed NIS teachers in adapting to changes in their assessment practices by considering their previous assessment practices.
Purpose Statement
Furthermore, conducting this research is justified by the fact that previous studies have investigated changes in the new assessment system, in particular, criteria-based assessment, teachers' perspectives on formative assessment and other types and methods of assessment or practices initial evaluation of teachers. However, there is no research on the evaluation practices of newly hired teachers, especially in the context of Kazakhstan.
Research questions
Moreover, there is a lack of such kind of research even around the world, because in most cases, newly appointed teachers are equal to beginning teachers, but in the frames of this research, newly appointed teachers are teachers who have changed their workplace from one. school to another school, in particular, NIS. What challenges and opportunities with the implementation of new assessment approaches in NIS do newly appointed teachers experience in practice.
Definition of the central phenomenon
The significance of this study
Research of this type in Kazakhstan would contribute to existing knowledge on the issues and challenges experienced by newly hired teachers while adapting to the new evaluation system. The results of the research can be used both by policy makers during the development of professional training programs for teachers of Kazakhstan, and for the school.
Organization of study
This part will summarize the final ideas and thoughts related to the researched issue and answer the research questions. Also, specific recommendations will be developed, obtained from the analysis of the findings, and related to the evaluation practices of new teachers employed in SHI.
Introduction
Definition of newly hired teachers
The classification includes four descriptive categories of newly hired teachers: newly prepared teachers, delayed teachers, transfers, and returning teachers (US Department of Education, 2016). In addition, new teachers' views on the teaching profession and their role in it directly depend on their motivation, as well as on the environment in which they start working (Bartell, 2004).
Definition of assessment practices
Changes in assessment practices
For example, in France (Brodfoot et al., 1996) and French Canada (Dassa, 1990), the implementation of the new assessment reform was sporadic and inconsistent. However, in the United Kingdom, changes in the assessment system resulted in different assessment practices that were at odds with the initial aims of the changes that created them (McCallum, McAlister, Brown & Gipps, 1993; Gipps, 1999).
Newly hired teachers’ assessment challenges
Thus, the above conditions result in challenges for the new teachers in their teaching practice, and in particular in assessment practice. Thus, to predict future actions, new teachers must provide feedback to meet the academic needs of each student.
Conceptual framework
Thus, because assessment is challenging for new teachers, the more experienced teacher should help new teachers in this area as well as new teachers to reflect on their practice and improve it themselves. The reviewed literature identifies challenges that new teachers experience, and most of them are related to their lack of assessment practices.
Conclusion
This study will examine how newly hired teachers adapt to the existing evaluation system in SHI and change their evaluation practices. Therefore, this study will shed light on the daily obstacles encountered in the implementation of assessment practices by newly hired teachers. In this chapter, all existing definitions related to the phenomenon of "newly employed teachers" were highlighted and discussed.
Introduction
Research design
In accordance with the qualitative research design, the case study method was used to investigate the issue of evaluation practices of newly employed teachers. As a result, within the framework of the case study method, I can investigate which factors influence the challenges in assessment practices faced by newly employed teachers in the selected NIS school. Finally, a case study is used because of its rich interpretive nature, which allowed me as the researcher to be flexible in using such data collection methods as individual semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and lesson observations.
Site and Sampling
Research Site
And what opportunities they have as a result of the implementation of new approaches to assessment. After working in this school for more than three years, I noticed that every year newly hired teachers face difficulties in implementing the new assessment system into their assessment practices, because NIS schools are pioneers in implementing changes in educational reforms in Kazakhstan . Both groups of teachers shared views on experiencing challenges with the new assessment approaches implemented in NIS, which justified my interest in exploring this issue.
Research Sampling
The first main participant is a woman who is an English teacher with 10 years of experience. Meanwhile, the second main participant is a man who is a biology teacher with 2 years of experience. The focus group of teachers with little experience has an English teacher with 1 year experience in a mainstream school, a physics teacher with 1 year experience in NIS, a mathematics teacher with no experience, and a teacher in biology with 1 year experience in NIS.
Data Collection Methods
Data Collection Instruments
The data collection instruments applied included three types: individual semi-structured interviews with the main participants, two focus group discussions with the groups of experienced teachers and novice teachers, and lesson observations of the main participants. The participants in the focus group discussion were therefore not introduced to their group mates in advance and only saw each other during the interview. Focus group discussions gave me the opportunity to ask a larger number of participants about the same topic.
Data Collection Procedures
Finally, the interviews were recorded and transcribed manually so as not to lose or confuse any details of collected data. Lesson observations were conducted after interviews with the main participants to get used to participating in this research and feel comfortable with the researcher. Furthermore, I obtained prior permission from the main participants to observe their lessons according to their availability and at their convenience.
Data Analysis
I was a non-participant observer and sat at the end of the classroom so as not to distract the teacher and students. Furthermore, the thematic coding was used to identify the details regarding the central phenomenon of the research as a result of the ideas presented by participants. As a researcher, I therefore focused on understanding the implementation of the new assessment system, new approaches to assessment, changes and challenges in assessment practices that newly appointed teachers experienced to work in NIS.
Ethical Considerations
In addition, participants can leave the study at any time if they had decided to stop their participation without giving reasons. To reduce this risk, the researcher did not mention the original name of the school where the research was conducted, finding that the research site was “one NIS school”. First, the results of the research tend to support the newly employed teachers in adopting the assessment practices used in the NIS.
Conclusion
Introduction
Newly hired teachers’ prior assessment experience
So I didn't experience any problems because my grading practice was based on test preparation (Participant A). Thus, the experienced teachers' prior assessment practices were based on their personal perception of the understanding of traditional assessment. Their previous assessment practices are based on one year of experience in regular schools (participants F, G, H) before joining NIS, and two participants started working at NIS immediately after graduation (participants I and J).
Assessment practices applied in NIS
Consequently, new teachers may perceive new assessment practices applied in NIS as either effective or ineffective compared to previous assessment experience. Newly appointed teachers must adopt new assessment practices corresponding to new assessment functions. Consequently, it is not a one-day process, on the contrary it takes a lot of time to develop new assessment practice.
Challenges of new assessment practices
Participant H I will tell you the truth that although differentiation is an effective tool for assessing students' understanding and progress, I do not apply it to my every lesson because it takes a lot of time. Then the task must be designed to be suitable and effective (not too easy and not too difficult) for students' levels. The participants consider feedback as an effective tool to justify students' learning progress, which is the main feature of new assessment system.
The ways of positive changes of assessment practices
Professional development
Consequently, new teachers should attend practical training on how to implement new assessment approaches. The data collected indicated that newly hired teachers should attend more seminars and professional development workshops to improve their understanding of the new assessment. Furthermore, the difficulties experienced by newly employed teachers identified that new teachers should have training in implementing new assessment approaches, teacher reflective practice, differentiation and providing feedback, which were mentioned in the previous subsection.
Professional collaboration
Moreover, the experienced teachers were briefed on new approaches to assessment at the beginning of the academic year, but they implement new assessments through trial and error, regardless of team planning and teaching experience. I'm not shy about asking for help from more experienced colleagues because I don't have a mentor. Their responses therefore indicated that their assessment practices could be improved through professional development and effective collaboration with more experienced colleagues.
Conclusion
Introduction
Discussion related to RQ 1
Three out of five non-experienced teachers from this research worked with both traditional and new assessment. As a researcher, I think that non-experienced teacher's perception of new assessment is formed because of their university curriculum. So, in a case of implementation new assessment both experienced and non-experienced teachers are quite positive.
Discussion related to RQ 2
Discussion related to RQ 3
The third challenge that distinguished the participants in this study was the use of appropriate assessment strategies. The participants in this study implement forms of assessment such as self-assessment, peer assessment, group assessment and continuous assessment of teachers. Another issue that distinguished the participants in my study was that teachers do not always have confidence in the objectivity of assessment.
Discussion related to RQ 4
She thus concluded that new teachers must be supported through the organization of seminars and training as well as collaboration with more experienced colleagues (Elias, Fisher & Simon, 1980). In addition, Webster-Wright (2009) suggests that the professional development of new teachers should also include self-learning. Hargreaves and Fullan (2000) mention in their study that mentoring is important to improve teaching and assessment practices for new teachers.
Conclusion
Introduction
Addressing the Research Questions
Thus, new assessment practices help improve understanding of new assessment and address challenges faced by newly employed teachers. However, new teachers find the new assessment practices effective and try to implement the new assessment strategies into their current assessment practice. As a result, the findings of this research can contribute to improving the evaluation practices of newly hired teachers at the model school.
Limitations
Recommendations for further research
Research Implications
DESCRIPTION: You are invited to participate in a research study investigating the evaluation practices of newly hired teachers in NIS. Everything will be done for research purposes only and will remain confidential so as not to harm you as a participant. First, it will shed light on how to support newly recruited teachers to adopt the assessment practices used in the NIS.