University teacher's professional development has been in reserachers' focus of interest for a long time. Thus, various researchers have created different models of professional development, and the predominant ones are the so-called stage-based development models. Authors examining the models of  teacher's professional development  often refer to Fuller's (1969) concerns-based development model. The main idea of the concerns-based model is that teachers identify and express teaching through concerns.

Fuller's (1969) concerns-based  model has three stages:

1) pre-teaching phase  – there are no teaching-related concerns

2) early-teaching phase  – novice teacher  has concerns about himself/herself

3) late teaching phase  – teacher has concerns about students.

Similar approaces of professional development can also be found in studies about university teachers.

Kugel (1993) distinguishes five stages in university teacher's professional development, based on his observations and discussions with colleagues: 1) focus on self, 2) focus on subject, 3) focus on student. If the focus has reached the student, then subsequent development takes place towards 4) student as active and 5) student as independent. Kugel (1993) is of the view that university teacher goes through all these stages in his/her development and the change in univesrity teacher's professionalism takes place exactly in that order.  Åkerlind (2003), in her study,  brings out university teachers' experiences of their development as university teachers, in the following categories: 1. Teaching development as a change within the university teacher  – the feelings of comfort and confidence about one's teaching skills grows. In this category, the focus lies on the university teacher himself/herself. University teacher's aspiration is to become more effective as a university teacher. There is also an emotional aspect against this backround,  – the feeling that over time teaching becomes more pleasant/enjoyable for the university teacher. 2. Teaching development – changes in teaching practice: university teacher's skills, teaching stretegies and  knowledge of the area  increase with experience. 3. Teaching development as a change in outcomes for learners – supporting the development of learners' learning becomes important.

The present study focuses on novice university teacher in higher education. The aim of the study was to analyse the development of novice university teachers' teaching practice through their descriptions.

The research questions were:

• How have their teaching practice changed during the first years of employment and which factors have impacted the changes the most?
• Which support systems  novice teachers value in their teaching skills development?
• Which are the concerns and expectations that novice university teachers have, and how do these change with increasing teaching practice?

Åkerlind, G. (2003). Growing and Developing as a University Teacher – Variation in Meaning. Studies in Higher Education, 28(4), 375-390. Fuller, F. (1969). Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. Americal Educational Research Journal, 6 (2), 207-226. Huberman, M. & Miles, M. (2002). The Qualitative Researcher's Companion. Sage Publications: London. Kugel, P. (1993). How Professors Develop as Teachers. Studies in Higher Education, 18(3), 315-28.