Abstract:

The beginnings of a university career involve a number of difficulties as adaptation problems and lack of knowledge mainly in teaching methodology. Teachers training understood as a promoter of critical thinking and whose aim is a meaningful learning have traditionally been thought as an exclusive teacher´s responsibility.
This aspect is especially important in beginning teachers. In some universities there are mentoring programs, whose objective is to facilitate the integration of new teachers.
This paper tries to address this issue from the perspective of the new teachers.
The main objective of this study is to highlight the experiences, feelings and needs of university teachers along their first years of career and to reflect upon the possible consequences. This aim is based on the dependence of these topics with the quality of teaching.

Methodology:
Qualitative methodology was used with interviews to several new teachers at the University of Huelva (Spain). The sample was determined by the principle of theoretical saturation. Beginning teachers with less than five years of experience and teaching different subjects were selected. Once the interviews were completed, data were codified and grouped in a number of categories relevant for the aim of the study. Afterwards the data were shown on a table of internal strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities.

Results:
The following two variables were taking into account when the interviews were carried out: previous teaching training and years of experience as a teacher. According to that, 4 teachers of less than one year of experience, 2 ones with less than three but more than one and 4 ones with more than three years were found. On the other hand, 7 teachers had no previous teaching training. The main strengths shown were the high motivation and vocation helping them to overcome the difficulties. Main weaknesses found were the lack of knowledge about university organization and also the lack of training in teaching and didactic methodology.
The threat highlighted was the no possibility of choice the subject to teach that provokes stress and the main opportunities found were the training course offered by the university and also the help received from their colleagues.

Conclusions:
Both motivation and dedication help them to overcome the difficulties but it would be worth to consider a change in the way the teachers are contracted. Current way does not take into account the lack of teachers' training and should respect the time required to prepare the subject. Training courses for beginners currently offered by the University need a broader diffusion. Also a number of department meeting should be held.

Keywords:

Training of teachers, college teachers, induction process.