International Survey in Eight Countries about Teachers and Teaching Profession

• Authors: Sandra Chistolini
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

An international team of experts from Belgium, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and the USA employed a questionnaire to identify the deontology of teachers from infant to secondary school in eight countries. The survey was implemented between 2004 and 2007. The socio-cultural concept of Verstehen (understanding) as described in the work of Max Weber, points to the clear significance of being a teacher at this time in history. Qualitative and quantitative analysis allow for an understanding that the teacher is exactly that, in any context. The ideal typology of the teacher is the result of training at a university level and working in the school system. Phenomenal differentiations characterise the various situations and broaden the perspective of the study, including an identification of the shared features of the profession. The strong, common core is the responsibility towards fellow teachers balanced out by a weak, yet common note of regret regarding the scant social prestige of being a teacher. There seems to be a lack of communication between the personal and social aspects involved in shaping the professional identity. The social image of teachers weighs heavily on their professional status due to the inevitable political implications it results in and the considerable effect on institutional behaviour. Teachers listen, but they are not heard; teachers are committed, but remain unrecognised; teachers evaluate, but are evaluated in turn. The issue of the social importance of the profession of teachers in our societies emerges as a crucial point in the perspective of educating young generations.

Keywords

EN

Teachers; deontology; professional status; social prestige; identity

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Journal of Pedagogy
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 67-86

Dates

published

2010-01-01

online

2011-02-14

Contributors

author

Sandra Chistolini

• Faculty of Formation, Department of Educational Sciences, Universitá degli studi Roma Tre, Via Manin, 53 I-00185 Roma, Italy

References

• Aypay, A., Kalayci, S. S. 2008. Assessing Institutionalization of Educational Reforms. In International Journal of Educational Development, 28: 723-736.
• Ballet, K., Kelchtermans, G. 2005. Meer dan perceptie. Over de ervaring van geinten-sifieerde werkcondities. In Tÿdschrift voor Onderwÿsrecht en Onderwijsbeleid, 16 (2/3): 206-207.
• Burggraeve, R. 1985. From Self-Development to Solidarity. An Ethical Reading of Human.
• Gołębniak, D. B. 1998. Zmiany edukacji nauczycieli. Wiedza-biegłość-refleksyjność. Wydawnictwo "Edytor". In Toruń-Poznań.
• Grossman, G. M., Sands, M. K. 2008. Restructuring reforms in Turkish teacher education: Modernisation and development in a dynamic environment. In International Journal of Educational Development, 28: 70-80.[WoS]
• Harwell, M. et al. 2000. The effects of teachers' professional development on student achievement in community school district: 2. Paper for the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
• Hirsch, E. D. 1996. The school we need and why we don't have them. New York, Doubleday.
• Kwiatkowska, H. 1997. Edukacja nauczycieli. Konteksty-kategorie-praktyki, IBE, Warszawa.
• Miller, R. J., Rowan B. 2006. Effects of organic management on student achievement. In American Educational Research Journal, 43 (2): 219-253.
• Mizerek, H. 1999. Dyskursy współczesnej edukacji nauczycielskiej. Między tradycjonalizmem a ponowoczesnością. Wydawnictwo UWM, Olsztyn.
• Randi, J., Zeichner, K. M. 2004. New visions of teacher professional development. In Smylie, M. S., Miretzky, D. (eds.). Developing the teacher workforce. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education, 180-227.
• Tienken, C. H., Achilles, C. M. 2003. Changing teacher behavior and improving student writing. In Planning and Changing, 34(3-4): 153-168.
• Verkest, H. 2003. Hector Defoort. Godsdienstig leven tijdens het Interbellum (1919-1939). In Heus, J. (Ed.), Jaarboek 2002.(10) Spaenhiers. Koekelare, 121-134.
• Weber, M. 1922. Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Wissenschaftslehre, Tübingen, Mohr.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10159-010-0010-9