School Climate and Professional Self-Efficacy among Novice English Teachers in Soweto Secondary Schools

Abstract

Teaching English in Soweto’s multilingual secondary schools presents significant challenges for novice teachers transitioning from university preparation to classroom practice. While previous studies have explored teacher induction and classroom challenges, limited research has examined how school climate shapes the professional self-efficacy of novice English teachers in township schools, located in historically under-resourced Black urban communities established during apartheid in South Africa. Grounded in an interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative study adopted narrative inquiry to explore the experiences of six novice English teachers in Soweto secondary schools. Data were generated through life history interviews and were analysed thematically using Social Capital Theory alongside narrative inquiry. The findings revealed that supportive leadership, collegial mentoring, and positive staff relationships strengthened novice teachers’ classroom management, professional self-efficacy in teaching English, and ability to navigate multilingual classrooms. Conversely, overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, heavy workloads, and language barriers among learners weakened their professional self-efficacy. The study further found that professional self-efficacy developed primarily through classroom interactions and peer support rather than through pre-service teacher education alone. The study recommends mentoring-focused induction programmes and context-responsive teacher preparation. Further research should examine novice teacher self-efficacy across diverse township school contexts.