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Abstract
The dissertation includes three studies that all contribute to understanding the experiences of beginning science teachers. The first chapter provides an overview of the context of the studies. In Chapter 2, a qualitative study of three first-year science teachers without their own classrooms is presented through a cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) perspective. This study shows how components of school context can influence beginning science teachers enactments of standards-based science teaching. In Chapter 3, a qualitative, cross-national, and comparative study of 12 beginning science teachers in South Africa and the United States is explored through an institutional theory perspective. This study shows the influence of macro, meso, and micro policies on beginning teachers actions in a cycle of instruction. In Chapter 4, an extensive literature review on beginning science teachers is described through an international framework. The review synthesizes the research on beginning teachers over the past 30 years, and provides suggestions for future research. The last chapter summarizes the findings and implications of the three studies, and elaborates on the overall contributions of the dissertation to science education.