In recent years, the prestige of teacher profession have been decreasing among young generation. Students of pedagogical universities are often those graduates who are not enrolled in a prestigious educational institutions, but later they go to work in other spheres. The main reason for this is the change of attitudes of society towards the teaching profession.
According to Hargreaves et al. (2007), there are domains which influence the teacher status: public opinion, national and international media, government, recent government policies and their relevance to teacher status. Many surveys show that public opinion is not high, i.e there exist stereotypes which state that to be a teacher is not prestigious. Teachers' salary is low compared to other prestigious professions. Moreover, society criticize teachers for low qualification and unprofessionalism. Here again, it flaws from dissatisfaction of teachers with profession and job. Media is "also undoubtedly an important
public arena for the articulation and contestation of teacher status" (Hargreaves et al., 2007, p.20). Likewise, government plays an essential role promoting the prestige of teacher profession, especially, recruitment and key policies address such education issues.
With respect to all
points mentioned above, some priority measures can be identified to improve teacher status in Kazakhstan as well as in other countries. First, most common solution is increasing teacher salary. Second, great attention must be drawn to the quality of education in pedagogical univeristies, and best school graduates who are ready to be real teachers have to be selected for admission. Third, all teachers, regardless of their age, should be supported with financial aids and opportunities for professional development.
P.S. What other possible steps should be taken in order to improve teacher status? What do you think?
References
Hargreaves, L. et al. (2007). The status of teachers and the teaching
profession in England: views from inside and outside the profession. Teacher
status project, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
and
*Department of Media and Communication, University of Leicester
retrieved from http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/teacherstatus/Summaryreport_25Jan07_print_ready_version.pdf
Almazhay, it was very interesting to read your post. I find your suggestions for increasing teacher status reasonable. Although finanicial support is really important, I would pay more attention to university students selection and educational work with prospective teachers. I absolutely agree that professional developement is also worth working on.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that teachers themselves are also responsible for their status in the society. This means they should be encouraged to develop their teaching competences and knowledge.
Thanks, Almazhay. You have done a nice job alternating between paraphrasing and quotations, and your quotation integration in para. 2 is especially effective. Some proofreading could help:
ReplyDelete1) In recent years, the prestige of teacher profession have been decreasing among young generation. (subject-verb)
2) Here again, it flaws from dissatisfaction of teachers with profession and job. (word choice: flaw?)
3) With respect to all points mentioned above... (very wordy style)
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ReplyDeleteHow to boost teachers' status especially if it is not in youngsters' job preference top-list? As many young people tend to opt for a major with a high salary, teacher profession usually stays apart from being selected. Thus, I totally agree with your idea of increasing salary and every kind of financial support for educators. One of other status-boosters are said to make university selection more complex, which I personally find on the current moment dubious. Perhaps, looking at such countries, like Finland, where "nine out of 10 applicants for teacher training being turned away" (BBC News, 2012) or Singapore with similar case,some people think that strict selection will help in increasing teacher status. The situation in Kazakhstan is different. There is a strong insufficiency of teachers of Russian language, literature and some other subjects. What happens if we now make the UNT score for admission equal, for example, to the score for entering faculty of International relationships? Necessary to admit also that most students currently studying at pedagogical faculty, are those who could not enter faculty of Journalism, International Relationships, and some other allegedly prestigious majors. Therefore, I think, the first and foremost goal is to make this profession attractive. For example, to create auspicious conditions for work,but more importantly,to change the attitudes towards teacher profession
ReplyDeleteThank you for raising this important issue, Almazhay. One should say that there is no more responsible and demandable profession like teaching. Having worked as a teacher of university, I notice that it is really so. The responsibility of the teachers is very huge. It starts from teaching and ends with mentoring and upbringing. Accordingly, everything depends on a teacher. If something goes wrong in educational process, it means something is wrong with a teacher’s strategy, more significantly with the teaching strategy. Therefore, as you mentioned much concentration should be paid on academic staff development and their professionalism which aim at changing pedagogical approach, and more importantly changing of a mindset.
ReplyDeleteEducational institutions play a considerable role, especially higher education level. Being the institutions of higher learning, they are supposed to guide the nation and the role of teachers thus is of great importance in making the future generation able to serve the nation. These educational institutions should, first of all, prepare their academic staff in order to provide quality education. In one of the course readings, I have found that according to OECD, Finnish universities are considered as one of the top universities in the world. It raised my interest why Finnish students show high results and what makes Finland's education system so special than other countries. I looked for the official websites of Finnish universities, some scholarly articles about Finnish education and was surprised with the findings. There is no special curricula, special technologies in teaching. The only thing they concentrate on is a teacher preparation and development. The selection and admission criteria for teachers are very strong. Hence, teachers become high-status professionals and institituons provide high quality education.
Almazhay, thanks a lot for rising the issue of teacher status. I have a fear that it is almost impossible to realize the our ambitious reforms in education until we rise teacher status. Before the break I attended the lecture launched by Graduate School of Business. Unfortunately I do not remember his name, but Professor did brilliant lecture about the Power of, measurement and numbers, how it influences to the quality of life and consequently, to the perception and quality of outcome that we get from any individual. To say that i was amazed, is nothing. I was so impressed, because i suddenly realized that actually our Kazakhstani teachers, assistants, principals are ready to challenge the education, to rise as professionals, to accompany young generation to the knowledge, to the bright future. They are READY, they do want but doesn't have good enough opportunity, motivation, condition. They have low salary and kilograms of papers and reports. I was so disappointed, when come up with idea that until we make for them comfortable and motivational condition it will not be possible to talk about making 70 % schools inclusive or to develop ICT in rural places. It is simply impossible... we need teachers to be satisfied, to enjoy their responsible job not to push them to survive from day to day and ask them to be a high quality professional....
ReplyDeleteDear Almazhay, I do agree with the point about selection of teachers for admission. However, I think it could be even more effective if students will be selected too (before the enrollment to university). As we discussed, in our course "Professional Identity", apart the UNT, those who are willing to apply for pedagogical institutions have to pass creativity examination. For example, writing an essay about teacher profession and the reasons why do you want to become a teacher. If such procedures will be added in the admission process, probably, pedagogical insitutions will prepare good or excellent professionals for the future carrer.
ReplyDeleteThis post looks like you've been attending Duishon's Professional Identity Course! I was pleasantly surprised the students of other cohorts are interested in the issues of professional status and prestige. At first glance, it may seem like the status of teaching could be easily improved through the increased compensation. This might be true, however the amount of salary is rarely in our hands and the national budget is unfortunately limited. Some people also advocate for the change of public perceptions. This idea is interesting, yet idealistic and premature. To challenge public opinions cultivated for decades requires systematic approach and regular interventions. Regarding teacher candidate selectivity, it must be noted the introduction of creative examination may act as a repelling rather than attracting tool, especially if other graduates won't be required to pass this exam. To improve the status, it is significant to primarily work with the existing dissatisfied school personnel. Regrettably, even basic improvements of working conditions are rather burdensome financially.
ReplyDeleteRaising the status of teachers is one of the essential aspects that government needs to tackle urgently. This couldn’t be solved by raising salary only. Perhaps, it is possible to raise the status of teachers if there is a systematic improvement of working conditions, releasing of workload of teachers, introduction of jobs as teaching assistant and tutor. Another option is to introduce payment for learning in the mainstream schools. This approach will make all interested stakeholders to be accountable and help to increase learning and teaching process for the better. If additional amount of money will be supplemented to the existing salary of teachers, then schools have an opportunity to hire more qualified teachers for the respectable salary.
ReplyDeleteLow status of a teacher is one of the reasons for teacher’s quitting the profession. Among other reasons, we can find the workload of teaching, no discipline in the class, poor working conditions. The list is endless. To increase the teacher status and make them to remain in the profession, it is necessary to motivate them, show financial and moral support, provide with all necessities for working, and make their working places comfortable. There are no unqualified teachers, but only those who have no enough trainings. If the government provide such trainings and courses in Kazakhstan as well as abroad, teachers will get new experience and knowledge to become more competent. And this, in turn, will contribute to increasing their status.
ReplyDeleteThank you, it is quite interesting topic!
ReplyDeleteYou touched different issues as salary, working conditions, to pay deep attention on quality but not quantity of teachers’ hours, but about ideology? We have different movies and TV shows which used to promote stars, celebrities, actors and showmen but what about life of educators, doctors or even drivers? Our government cuts the number of Higher institutions and promote VET education. Still the role of status and prestige plays an pivotal part in our Kazakh blood. That is why I suggest start promotion such majors through media, internet and others.