The status of teaching as a profession
Raising the status of teaching should be preceded with asking the question as to where we stand in the present scenario so that we are making this effort to raise its status. The next question that can be asked in the similar context is that what makes teaching different from any other professional career choice. Darling-Hammond (1997) has contemplated upon these two questions thoroughly using mixed method approach to find out that it’s the policy structure of the state (referring here to America), which in turn keeps the things in control by deciding the supply and demand of the teachers, their salaries and working condition, repetitive reforms in the education of the teachers to induce them in the society and even access to their professional development. In contrast to a developed nation like America, China and Japan well recognized that it’s not the generally designed national curriculum that could serve to improve the teaching status and methods but the direct involvement of the teachers through participatory research on their specific methodologies of teaching that can achieve the same.Since 1997, a lot can be assumed to have changed in the status of teaching, in developing as well as developed countries.
Although teaching as a professional, is greatly recognized as a profession that holds high social standing and prestige in the society, without whom the existence of school is not possible, but due to relatively low compensation received by the teachers and factors such as less time that one needs to devote in the profession, shave contributed in recognizing it as an unprofessional career choice.By comparing across seven distinct features, which also involves the requirement of individuals to be specialized and proficient in the subject they teach, Ingersoll &Perda (2008) have categorized teachers as semiprofessionals.
(I.C. RS 7911)