Challenges encountered by novice teachers of English in Mongolian school settings

There has been an increased demand for teachers of English in Mongolia in recent years and a disparity exists in access to high-quality English education across the country. Thus, it is imperative to prepare highly qualified teachers of English and to implement strategies aimed at mitigating further attrition among educators. Such initiatives should be informed by studies examining the challenges faced by teachers throughout their careers to facilitate the development of effective solutions. However, there exists a scarcity of internationally available empirical research pertaining to the realities of novice teachers in Mongolian educational institutions. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the challenges and opportunities they face during their first year of teaching. Drawing on the interviews with seven novice teachers, the findings indicate that they encounter multifaceted challenges such as managing pupils’ behaviour, navigating resource constraints and collegial support, heavy workload and low remuneration. These provide further insight into the broader systemic and institutional factors that influence teachers’ well-being and career aspirations. This study serves as both a lens into the Mongolian context and a call to action for stakeholders worldwide to address the systemic and institutional barriers novice teachers face while recognising and leveraging the opportunities for their growth and success.