The first year and the subsequent years of teaching are important for every teacher. As  Loughran, Brown and Doecke (2001) have noted, the first year of teaching can be considered as an important determinant in a teacher’s career. Teachers’ first years of experience in the profession seem essential for the acquisition of the skills that enable teachers to teach effectively, as stated by Ryan (1970) and many other researchers. The classroom environment may provide many opportunities in which the teacher is able to learn (Ryan, 1970). However, it is clear that teachers’ knowledge is further enhanced through increased teaching experience. The first year of teaching is a period in which teachers gain an understanding and a more informed sense of themselves, and they establish a better understanding of the students as well (Kyriacou, 1993). Some researchers have indicated that the first year of teaching can also be regarded as a challenging and testing time, as teachers may face numerous problems (e.g.Veenman, 1984). The related literature (Akyeampong & Lewin, 2002; Belay, Ghebreab, Ghebremichael, Ghebreselassie, Holmes & White, 2007; Gustafson, Guilbert and MacDonald, 2002; Huntly, 2008; Sanford, 1988; cited in Loughran et al., 2001) has indicated that novice teachers may face difficulties when they try to establish themselves as teachers in their initial years of practice. The problems encountered by new teachers start with the educational process; however, each novice teacher faces a  different set of problems, since individual experiences vary.

All this research indicates that novice teachers who begin the profession with enthusiasm may come across some problems in their first year of teaching and this can result in a change of attitude and loss of zeal for the teaching profession. Although this condition may have a positive impact on the novice teachers’ attitudes and behaviors, Cooke and Pang (1991) state that these teachers may need assistance in many respects in their initial years.

The above brief literature review mainly shows that when novice teachers begin teaching they encounter the complexity of the teaching task (Murshidi, Konting, Elias & Fooi, 2006). The literature also shows that problems experienced by new teachers are diverse but share some common points, which are time management, discipline and motivating students, as stated by several researchers (Carre, 1993; Talbert, 1994). In order to investigate this, the following sub-questions are addressed in the study: (1)What kinds of problems do novice teachers encounter related to teaching strategies in their teaching? (2) What are novice teachers’ positive experiences related to teaching strategies in the initial years of teaching? (3) What are novice teachers’ negative experiences related to teaching in the initial years of teaching?(4) What are novice teachers’ thoughts about the role of teacher education programs in using teaching strategies, in the initial years of teaching?

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