Learning to Follow: Adaptation of Novice Teachers to Leadership Practices of School Heads

New teachers often face a range of difficulties as they adjust to the leadership practices and expectations in their schools. Their followership experiences significantly shape their transition, professional development, and long-term engagement. This study explored the lived experiences of new teachers in adapting to school leadership. This study employed a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach. Data were gathered from 10 newly hired teachers with no more than one year of teaching experience in their current school. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted using an interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and key themes from the participants' narratives. The findings revealed six major challenges experienced by new teachers: lack of clear communication, limited mentoring support, unfamiliarity with school policies, role ambiguity and confusion, pressure to conform to established norms, and inconsistent administrative feedback. In response to these, teachers employed six key coping mechanisms: seeking clarification through peer consultations, initiating self-directed learning and observation, reviewing documents and asking senior colleagues, clarifying responsibilities through regular follow-ups, adapting behavior while preserving personal teaching style, and requesting specific and timely input from supervisors. From these experiences, teachers derived six important insights: peer support helps clarify unclear communication, self-learning builds independence, consulting seniors prevents policy errors, clarifying tasks reduces confusion, balancing norms and style maintains authenticity, and clear feedback improves performance.