Economic and social barriers: Identifying and prioritising professional needs of Iranian novice teachers

Ehsan Zarei
University of Hormozgan, Iran
Sean Kearney
The University of Notre Dame Australia, Australia
Omid Mallahi
University of Hormozgan, Iran

This research aims to identify and prioritise the professional needs of novice teachers using the Delphi technique. This qualitative, emergent design employs semi-structured interviews to collect data and the Atride-Sterling style for thematic analysis. Twelve novice teachers with different educational qualifications were purposively selected, and the data were analysed using MAXQDA, which revealed five inclusive themes, 23 organising themes and 79 basic themes. The results indicated that the professional needs of novice teachers, based on their priority, include economic, social, administrative, emotional, and educational needs, which are interconnected. The results also indicate that the needs of novice teachers are in line with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. By capturing holistic data on needs rather than just professional needs, our study's approach has uncovered something obvious but missing from the extant literature on the needs of novice teachers: only when their basic needs are met can they focus on their role as teachers. In the West, where salaries may be lower than similar professions, teachers still make enough to meet their basic needs. In Iran, this is not always the case. This study suggests new priorities in novice teacher support that are essential before professional educational support can be effective.
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Authors: Dr Ehsan Zarei is an Assistant Professor of Educational Sciences in the Faculty of Human Sciences at Hormozgan University, Bandar Abbas, Iran. He teaches courses such as classroom management, teaching methods, educational design for teachers and students, and the use of qualitative data analysis software. His research fields include education, teaching, and designing and implementing teacher induction courses. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9048-8918 Email: ehsanzare_ee@yahoo.com Professor Sean Kearney, Faculty of Education and Philosophy & Theology, University of Notre Dame Australia lectures in educational psychology and general pedagogical methods. He has received multiple national citations for his work in service-learning and assessment reform in higher education. His research includes beginning teacher induction, assessment and service-learning. He is also the founder of the Dayamani Foundation, which educates at-risk and vulnerable children in Tenali, India. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6910-3372 Email: sean.kearney@nd.edu.au Omid Mallahi is an assistant professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at the University of Hormozgan, Iran. He teaches courses such as teaching methodology, language testing, materials development and advanced writing. His areas of research include educational psychology and L2 writing instruction and assessment. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0997-6299 Email: o.mallahi@hormozgan.ac.ir Please cite as: Zarei, E., Kearney, S. P. & Mallahi, O. (2024). Economic and social barriers: Identifying and prioritising professional needs of Iranian novice teachers. Issues in Educational Research, 34(3), 1202-1221. http://www.iier.org.au/iier34/zarei.pdf