Factors affecting the effectiveness of novice EFL teachers’ transition in Niger

The aim of this study is to understand the factors that cause obstacles to an effective transition for novice EFL teachers in Niger. It draws from socio-cultural perspectives to demonstrate the relationship between those factors and teachers’ previous education. Participants in this study consisted of 10 novice EFL teachers with a maximum of five years of teaching experience. Using a qualitative framework, semi-structured interview strategies were used to collect verbal data. The recorded data were coded to unravel the factors that negatively affect the transition of the 10 participants. Analyzed data showed that novice EFL teachers face multiple challenges, such as heavy workload, lack of teaching resources, constraints due to large classes, lack of skills or knowledge for managing certain classroom issues, and poor support from host institutions. While some of the factors reflect the economic status of the country, most of the remaining others are indicative of a poor teacher education system. Solutions to these reside in a sustainable reform of the teacher education system by integrating innovative approaches to professional development and by initiating trainees into procedures that foster teacher autonomy. Procedures such as lesson study, action research, and reflective practice could provide avenues to novice EFL teachers in terms of working collaboratively to establish ways for understanding their learners, developing materials that work, and making collaborative decisions on how to tackle classroom issues.