Abstract:
This is a qualitative study, grounded in the professional experience of secondary teachers recommended by their principals as 'excellent teachers'. A cohort of twenty teachers was selected from four co-educational schools in suburban Perth.
The study has included classroom observation and four separate, in-depth, semi-structured interviews over two years. Teachers varied in age, experience and teaching subject, while the schools varied in socio-economic status. Each interviewee has addressed a number of topics centred around self perception of teacher's role, function within the school, abilities and talents developed to this stage of their career. Issues of personal failure, challenges to personal and professional development, the core or 'heart' of professional teaching in today's secondary system, and their stance towards current and anticipated demands of the evolving education system have also been explored. While the accounts are interesting as personal stories of teachers, the unanimity of the constructions of teaching role and personal responses to daily challenges of the profession is striking. Furthermore, the perspectives offered by these experienced teachers of schooling, education, teachers and students are remarkable in their optimism, belief in the future of education and high levels of personal commitment. Each interviewee has addressed a number of topics that have centred around the person's self perception of their role, function within the school, abilities and talents that have been developed to this stage of their career. Issues of personal failure, challenges to personal and professional development, the central core or 'heart' of being a professional teacher in today's secondary education system, and their stance towards current and anticipated demands of the evolving education system have also been explored.
While the accounts are interesting as personal stories of teachers, the unanimity of the constructions of teaching role and personal responses to the daily challenges of the profession is striking. Furthermore, the perspectives offered by these experienced teachers of schooling, education, teachers and students are remarkable in their optimism, belief in the future of education and high levels of personal commitment.
The study has included classroom observation and four separate, in-depth, semi-structured interviews over two years. Teachers varied in age, experience and teaching subject, while the schools varied in socio-economic status. Each interviewee has addressed a number of topics centred around self perception of teacher's role, function within the school, abilities and talents developed to this stage of their career. Issues of personal failure, challenges to personal and professional development, the core or 'heart' of professional teaching in today's secondary system, and their stance towards current and anticipated demands of the evolving education system have also been explored. While the accounts are interesting as personal stories of teachers, the unanimity of the constructions of teaching role and personal responses to daily challenges of the profession is striking. Furthermore, the perspectives offered by these experienced teachers of schooling, education, teachers and students are remarkable in their optimism, belief in the future of education and high levels of personal commitment. Each interviewee has addressed a number of topics that have centred around the person's self perception of their role, function within the school, abilities and talents that have been developed to this stage of their career. Issues of personal failure, challenges to personal and professional development, the central core or 'heart' of being a professional teacher in today's secondary education system, and their stance towards current and anticipated demands of the evolving education system have also been explored.
While the accounts are interesting as personal stories of teachers, the unanimity of the constructions of teaching role and personal responses to the daily challenges of the profession is striking. Furthermore, the perspectives offered by these experienced teachers of schooling, education, teachers and students are remarkable in their optimism, belief in the future of education and high levels of personal commitment.