Being a "Stepmother"—The Narrative Inquiry of a Junior High School Teacher’s Taking over a Class from the previous homeroom teacher

• Main Authors: Hsu, Wei-Chen, 許瑋真
• Other Authors: Yuh-Yin Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2fxb44

碩士 === 國立臺北教育大學 === 心理與諮商學系碩士班 === 102 === The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of a junior high school teacher in taking over other teachers’ classes as homeroom teacher halfway before students’ graduation. The current study aimed to make inquiry about the challenges encountered, the strategies adopted, the conviction (beliefs, values etc.) held by, and the source of supports available to the participant. Narrative inquiry was adopted. The study was taken place during the third time that the participant had taken over another teacher’s class. The researcher has conducted 5 interviews and field observations in the classroom for 10 times over two semesters. Data were analyzed using the “holistic – content” approach. The results were as follows: 1. Challenges faced by the participant in classroom include: personal issues such as her anxiety as a newcomer, adjustment due to role shifts from a subject teacher to a homeroom teacher; influences from the attitudes and perceptions of others including her students, parents, and colleagues; characteristics of classroom school cultures, e.g. different styles in class management between the participant and her predecessors, possible needs to reestablish the classroom rules, as well as pressures from academic competition in school. 2. The distinctive strategies useful in taking over classes include: fostering shared goals with students to restart and build a bright future; valuing the concept of fairness by teaching students the rules rather than punishing them for not obeying them; incorporating creative teaching techniques into cultivation of gratitude and forgiveness; encouraging students to communicate with the teachers with an open attitude. 3. Convictions important for teachers in taking over classes halfway: every student has their own unique strengths as long as you have a positive regard for them; efforts and devotion paid will eventually be appreciated by the students; students can be moved and changed if the teacher is genuine and persistent in encountering with them. Suggestions based on the final results were provided to researchers for future studies and practitioners in education and school settings.