Understanding Teachers' Perspectives on Professionalism, Summaries of Business Ethics

Download Understanding Teachers' Perspectives on Professionalism and more Summaries Business Ethics in PDF only on Docsity! Volume XXVII • Number 1 & 2 • Fall 2004 & Spring 2005 89 Understanding Teachers’ Perspectives on Professionalism Mercedes S. Tichenor John M. Tichenor Stetson University Stetson University Abstract What does it mean to be a professional and to exhibit professionalism? Depending on the context, these concepts may evoke many images and have multiple definitions. In this paper, we examine what it means to be a professional and to exhibit professionalism in the field of education. We go beyond theoretical definitions of teacher professionalism to explore what it means on a practical level. Specifically, we use focus group interviews to ask inservice teachers what they believe are the basic qualities of professional teachers and what aspects of professionalism ideal teachers exhibit. According to teachers in this study, professionalism is exhibited in many ways and encompasses both attitudes and behaviors. What does it mean to be a professional and to exhibit professionalism? Depending on the con- text, these concepts may evoke many images and have multiple definitions. In the world of sports, professionals are distinguished by the level of skill that competitively sets them apart from amateurs. Likewise in music, professionals have a level of skill that enables them to perform beyond the amateur level and often, as in sports, qualifies the professionals to be paid for their performance. In the business world, “professional” is often synon- ymous with “successful” or at least refers to behavior that is expected of individuals in specific occupations. Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and others are health care profes- sionals with clearly delineated roles, responsibili- ties, and limits on their occupational behaviors. Moreover, professionals in the “classic” fields of law, medicine and theology have codified rules and expectations for behavior developed over many centuries (Hart & Marshall, 1992). In these examples, there are many shared understandings regarding what it means to be “professional.” In the field of education, however, being a classroom teacher is not always associated with being a professional. That is, American society does not generally view teachers in the same way as they view other professionals; the belief that “anyone can teach” is not found in other professions (i.e., not just anyone can play professional baseball, or be an accountant or engineer, or practice law or medicine). While teachers may be viewed differently than other professionals, the importance of effective teachers in societal change cannot be underesti- mated. In fact, the classroom teacher is arguably the single most important individual in directing student success. Although authors such as Stronge and Tucker (2000) agree that the teacher is the most important school-based factor in student achievement, there remains an uncertainty of what comprises “effective” or “professional” teaching. By understanding and sharing a com- mon definition of “professional” and “effective,” perhaps we can improve teaching so that more students will benefit from successful educational experiences. In this paper, we examine what it means to be a professional and to exhibit profes- sionalism in the field of education from the per- spective of practicing teachers. While there are many descriptions of teacher as professionals and its importance, little research has examined what practicing teachers think about this subject. We go beyond theoretical definitions of teacher profes- sionalism to explore what it means on a practical level. Specifically, we use focus group interviews to ask inservice teachers what they believe are the Mercedes S. Tichenor & John M. Tichenor 90 The Professional Educator basic qualities of professional teachers and what aspects of professionalism ideal teachers exhibit. Teachers as Effective Professionals On the most basic level, the definition of “professional teacher” refers to the status of a person who is paid to teach. It can also, on a higher level, refer to teachers who represent the best in the profession and set the highest standard for best practice. For example, Wise (1989) de- scribes professional teachers as those: [who] have a firm grasp of the subjects they teach and are true to the intellectual demands of their disciplines. They are able to analyze the needs of the students for whom they are responsible. They know the standards of practice of their profession. They know that they are accountable for meeting the needs of their students (p. 304-305). This definition clearly illustrates that teaching at a professional level is an advanced and complex undertaking. Both Clement (2002) and Seifert (1999) point out that becoming a professional teacher is a process that takes time to master. Stronge (2002) categorized the attributes, behaviors, and attitudes of effective teachers into six major areas: prerequisites of effective teachers, the teacher as a person, classroom management and organization, organizing for instruction, implementing instruction, and monitoring student progress and potential. The first two areas exam- ine the teacher as an individual, while the remain- ing four explore the responsibilities and practices of teachers. He further summarizes the character- istics of effective teachers into three statements: the effective teacher recognizes complexity, com- municates clearly, and serves conscientiously. Hoyle (1980) portrays professionalism as the quality of one’s practice. In other words, the behaviors exhibited by a professional teacher are what identify a teacher’s professionalism. Simi- larly, Hurst and Reding (2000) associate specific behaviors with teacher professionalism, from appearance and punctuality to using proper language and building strong relationships with colleagues. Morrow (1988) believes professional- ism is the degree to which one is committed to the profession and notes that individuals vary in their identification with their profession and in their support of the profession’s values—i.e., teachers have varying levels of professionalism. Kramer (2003) contends the most critical elements of teacher professionalism can be classified into three categories: attitude, behavior, and communication. These three broad areas cover a wide range of behaviors and characteristics that should be demonstrated in the professional lives of teachers, from being on time and dressing neatly to under- standing learning theories to clearly communicat- ing with colleagues, parents, and students (Kra- mer 2003). Additionally, Cruikshank and Haefele (2001) categorize “good teachers” in multiple areas including being analytic, dutiful, expert, reflective, and respected. In The Moral Base for Teacher Professionalism, Hugh Sockett (1993) lays out a broad theory of the moral foundations of teacher professionalism. He describes professionalism as the “manner of conduct within an occupation, how members integrate their obligations with their knowledge and skill in a context of collegiality, and their contractual and ethical relations with clients” (p. 9). Using composite descriptions of idealized teachers in three classrooms, he identifies five major aspects of professionalism for teachers: character, commitment to change and continuous improvement, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and obligations and working relation- ships beyond the classroom. A teacher’s character refers to personal virtues such as patience, determination, courage, and respect for children. Sockett (1993) claims that we often overlook the importance of character by focusing on performance of the teaching act. However, he believes that it is impossible to separate the character of the individual teacher from the act of teaching. Sockett’s (1993) second category of teacher professionalism is commit- ment to change and continuous improvement. He states (p. 7), “Striving to adjust to change seems inevitable for a professional if teaching is to be good, since children in classrooms are never Understanding Teachers’ Perspectives on Professionalism Volume XXVII • Number 1 & 2 • Fall 2004 & Spring 2005 93 their work, have good morals, are ethical in and out of school, adhere to code of conduct/ethical behavior, set high standards for self and students, go above and beyond to do the job, and are open to new ideas/receptive to suggestions. They dress neat and clean and appropriate for teaching situation, have positive attitudes, respect children and their thinking, have a passion for teaching, are dedicated to students, and put the child’s welfare first. They are risk takers, eager to learn new things, view teaching as a career, not just a job, look forward to coming to school, and are enthusiastic about teaching. Clearly, the many features of “character” identified by the focus group participants define an ideal type not found in any single teacher on any given day. Further, there will not be agreement among all educators that each of these examples is a necessary charac- ter trait for professional teachers. However, the long list of “character” characterizations illustrates the importance of these traits for the teachers we interviewed. Commitment to change and continuous improve- ment. Teachers in the focus group interviews made comments that indicate their awareness of attrib- utes related to the commitment to change and continuous improvement. For example, one teacher said, “Professional teachers are reflective and constantly evaluating their choices and ac- tions to improve instruction.” An examination of the teacher comments clearly indicates that they recognize the necessity to change and continually seek to improve their classroom practices. One teacher summarized this by stating that profes- sional teachers always ask, “How does what I’m doing help my students?” Comments coded in this category of professionalism also include: continues education, reads journals and attends conferences, stays current in the field with latest research and changes in best practices, not satis- fied with the status-quo, attends workshops to help classroom practice, looks for resources to aid in lessons. Further, participants described “pro- fessional teachers” as those who understand current trends in education, actively seek opportu- nities to grow professionally, participate in mean- ingful professional development activities, initiate changes if appropriate/necessary (new programs), and are lifelong learners. Subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. Through responses such as “have a knowledge of curriculum,” “possess content knowledge,” and “be knowledgeable in all areas of certification,” teachers in this study recognized the importance of subject knowledge as a component of profes- sionalism. However, they seem to emphasize pedagogical knowledge more than subject knowl- edge. The emphasis on pedagogical knowledge may be in part due to the fact that teachers in this study all taught at the elementary school level, many of them responsible for teaching a broad spectrum of the curriculum—e.g., math, reading, science, social studies, etc. On the other hand, the heavier weighting of comments regarding peda- gogical over subject knowledge may lend support to Sockett’s contention that modern education emphasizes the pedagogical aspects of profession- alism to the detriment of the other areas. Other teacher comments about subject and pedagogical knowledge were coded as: innovative teaching, reflective, effective implementation of curriculum, participates in action research, motivates students to learn, knows how to assess learning and plan lessons accordingly, applies learning theories, addressees needs of children, uses proper English and is articulate, uses appropriate learning strate- gies for discipline (varies them according to needs of students and subject), and has various teaching strategies and knows when to use them. Beyond the Classroom Although there was less discussion on this aspect of teacher professionalism, teachers in the study recognize that professionalism involves more than simply their actions inside the class- room. They understand that professional teachers have a responsibility to collaborate and cooperate with faculty, staff, administration, parents, and community members. One teacher’s comment that “professional teachers are involved in developing and changing policies and rules” illustrates that professionalism should impact many educational settings. Comments from teachers in the focus Mercedes S. Tichenor & John M. Tichenor 94 The Professional Educator group interviews illustrating the “beyond the classroom” aspect of professionalism also include: effective communication with parents, colleagues, community members; role model for other teach- ers in and out of the classroom; mentors other teachers when appropriate; participates in school decisions; cooperative with faculty, staff, adminis- tration, parents, community members; shows respect for colleagues and parents; engages in collaborative efforts; concerned about fellow teachers; and participates in professional organi- zations. Conclusion Because the foundation of an educated society relies on the teachers who daily interact with students from early childhood to young adult- hood, it is important to understand what it means to be a professional teacher. Linda Darling-Ham- mond (1996, p. 5) states, “The invention of 21st century schools that can educate all children well rests, first and foremost, upon the development of a highly qualified and committed teaching force.” These kinds of schools demand that teachers understand how children learn and make teaching decisions based on that knowledge. However, it would be misguided to simply state that the educational system needs professional teachers without understanding what is meant by “profes- sional.” In this paper, we examined what “profes- sional” means to practicing teachers and found that their conceptualization matches many of the descriptions in the literature on teacher profes- sionalism and effectiveness. A close look at the teachers’ responses reveals interesting conclusions and raises several questions for further investiga- tion. First, the findings in this study indicate that teachers have high standards, ideals, and expecta- tions for themselves and other teachers. The findings also suggest that teachers believe there are qualities and characteristics of teachers that separate “professionals” from others. In other words, they do not believe all teachers exhibit the behaviors and characteristics of being a profes- sional. Hence, it is important for the educational community to determine ways to enhance the professionalism of all teachers. Stronge (2002) maintains that these behaviors and characteristics can be fostered for veteran teachers through high- quality and appropriate professional development activities and beginning teachers through “ob- serving other teachers, receiving peer feedback, cultivating collegial relationships, and participat- ing in lifelong learning experiences” (p. 64). Interestingly, teachers discussed the “charac- ter” component of professionalism more than any other aspect. It is apparent that this is an impor- tant part of being a professional teacher. This coincides with Wong and Wong’s (1998) conten- tion that, “A professional is defined not by the business a person is in but by the way that person does his or her business” (p. 293). The emphasis on the character aspect of professionalism raises an important question: can “character” be taught or is this simply something individuals bring with them to the teaching profession? Finally, the results of this study indicate the importance of communicating what it means to be a professional teacher to a wider audience. Al- though there may be a general agreement among educators regarding what it means to exhibit professionalism, it is important to communicate this outside the field to combat the widely held notion that anyone can teach. Teachers in this study concurred by mentioning the importance of communicating what they do to the public. This supports Sockett’s (1993) emphasis on the impor- tance of communicating to the public the values and practices of the teaching profession. He also believes that standards of professionalism need to be clarified in order to guide novice teachers, develop appropriate evaluation structures for teachers, and improve teaching. Therefore, it is important to continue research in this area. As mentioned above, this research was the first part of a multi-stage study examining teacher professionalism. The results from the focus group interviews have been used to develop a survey instrument that has been administered to more than two hundred practicing teachers, from both PDS and non-PDS sites. Using the results from the survey research, we hope to answer several addi- Understanding Teachers’ Perspectives on Professionalism Volume XXVII • Number 1 & 2 • Fall 2004 & Spring 2005 95 tional research questions. First, are the characteris- tics of teacher professionalism primarily idealized or do teachers typically behave in these ways? What aspects of professionalism do teachers deem as most important and why? Further, does teach- ing at PDS sites impact the professionalism of teachers? As we continue to examine teachers’ understanding of what it means to a professional, we need to learn how to best utilize this informa- tion in order to cultivate and enhance the profes- sionalism of all teachers. References Clement, L. (2002). Welcome to a profession. New Teacher Advocate, 10(2), 4. 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