Title: Teachers for Slovakia : tensions in the profession
Source document: Studia paedagogica. 2020, vol. 25, iss. 2, pp. [97]-116
Extent
[97]-116
-
ISSN1803-7437 (print)2336-4521 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2020-2-5
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/142789
Type: Article
Language
License: Not specified license
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
The Slovak teaching profession is in a difficult situation. There are signs that the country is facing a teaching staff shortage and that the demand for new teachers will continue to grow. The data indicate that some subjects are being taught by unqualified teachers on a fairly wide scale. Finding quick, simple solutions to these problems is a challenge because teaching is not considered an attractive profession, mainly because of teachers' low salaries and social status. We will illustrate related uncertainties and complications in the teaching profession by looking at two extremes of these trends in the teaching profession. On the one side, we have Teach for Slovakia, which has opened potential for new teaching qualification models. It is an example of inclusive education in the sense that it only works when differences among teachers are accepted and the focus is on teachers' strong points and professional characteristics. On the other side, the introduction of national testing has made teachers accountable for student educational outcomes. Our qualitative interviews reveal that, in the (sometimes critical) views of teachers, accountability is now part of professionalism in Slovakia and is producing various tensions.
Note
This study was supported by the Slovak Scientific Grant Agency, project nos. VEGA 2/0134/18 and VEGA 1/0258/18, the Cultural and Educational Grant Agency, project no. KEGA 009TTU-4/2018 and The Slovak Research and Development Agency, project no. APVV-19-0314.
References
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[29] NÚCEM (2009). Správa o priebehu a výsledkoch certifikačného testovania žiakov 9. ročníka základných škôl v školskom roku 2008/2009 [Report on the organization and results of the certified testing of Year 9 primary students in the 2008/2009 school year]. Národný ústav certifikovaných meraní.
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[36] Rozkovcová, A., & Urbánek, P. (2017). Fluktuace učitelů: vybrané zahraniční teorie a výzkumné přístupy [Teacher turnover: selected theories and research approaches from abroad]. Studia paedagogica, 22(3), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2017-3-3 | DOI 10.5817/SP2017-3-3
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[40] Teach for Slovakia. (n.d.). Vízia a hodnoty Teach for Slovakia. https://teachforslovakia.sk/o-nas/vizia-a-hodnoty-teach-for-slovakia/
[41] Teach for Slovakia. (2019). Takýto Basecamp tu ešte nebol. Ako vyzerá príprava tých, ktorí sa rozhodli zlepšovať seba a náš vzdelávací systém? https://teachforslovakia.sk/2019/08/22/takytobasecamp-tu-este-nebol-ako-vyzera-priprava-tych-ktori-sa-rozhodli-zlepsovat-seba-a-nasvzdelavaci-system/
[42] UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2016). The World needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 Education goals. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000246124
[2] Act No. 138/2019 Coll. O pedagogických zamestnancoch a odborných zamestnanoch a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov [On education and professional staff and amending and supplementing certain acts as amended]. Slov-Lex, právny a informačný portál. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2019/138/20190901
[3] Au, W. (2007). High-stakes testing and curricular control: A qualitative metasynthesis. Educational Researcher, 36(5), 258–267 https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X07306523. | DOI 10.3102/0013189X07306523
[4] Blumenreich, M., & Gupta, A. (2015). The globalization of Teach for America: An analysis of the institutional discourses of Teach for America and Teach for India within local contexts. Teaching and Teacher Education, 48, 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.01.017 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2015.01.017
[5] Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa | DOI 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
[6] Burkert, M. (2019, February 17). Teach for Slovakia, alebo ako ešte viac ponížiť slovenské školstvo [Teach for Slovakia, or how to further degrade Slovak education]. SME blog. https://burkert.blog.sme.sk/c/502475/teach-for-slovakia-alebo-ako-este-viac-ponizit-slovenske-skolstvo.html
[7] Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher turnover: Why it matters and what we can do about it. Learning Policy Institute.
[8] Creswell, W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). SAGE.
[9] Commission of the European Communities (2007). Improving the quality of teacher education. Commission of the European Communities.
[10] Darling-Hammond, L., Chung, R., & Frelow, R. (2002). Variation in teacher preparation: How well do different pathways prepare teachers to teach? Journal of Teacher Education, 53(4), 286–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053004002 | DOI 10.1177/0022487102053004002
[11] Darling-Hammond, L., Holtzman, D. J., Gatlin, S. J., & Heilig, J. V. (2005). Does teacher preparation matter? Evidence about teacher certification, Teach for America, and teacher effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13(42), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v13n42.2005 | DOI 10.14507/epaa.v13n42.2005
[12] European Commission (2010). Teachers' professional development – Europe in international comparison. European Commission.
[13] European Commission (2012a). Assessment of key competences in initial education and training: Policy guidance. European Commission.
[14] European Commission (2012b). Rethinking education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes. European Commission.
[15] European Commission (2012c). Supporting the teaching professions for better learning outcomes. European Commission.
[16] European Commission (2018). European ideas for better learning: the governance of school education systems. European Commission.
[17] García, E., & Weiss, E. (2019). The teacher shortage is real, large and growing, and worse than we thought. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/files/pdf/163651.pdf
[18] Herich, J. (2019). Prognózy výkonov regionálneho školstva do roku 2025 [Prognosis of performance of regional education up to 2025]. Centrum vedecko-technických informácií SR.
[19] Ingersoll, R. (2001a). A different approach to solving the teacher shortage problem. CPRE policy briefs. https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_policybriefs/21
[20] Ingersoll, R. (2001b). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499–534. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038003499 | DOI 10.3102/00028312038003499
[21] Kascak, O., Pupala, B., & Petrova, Z. (2011). Humanism and autonomy in the neoliberal reform of teacher training. Education, Knowledge and Economy, 5(1–2), 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/17496896.2011.574508 | DOI 10.1080/17496896.2011.574508
[22] Kiska, A. (2017, February 13). Teach for Slovakia očami Andreja Kisku [Teach for Slovakia through the eyes of Andrej Kiska] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dltSH_ENf5s&feature=youtu.be
[23] Kurtz, M. D. (2018). Value-added and student growth percentile models: What drives differences in estimated classroom effects? Statistics and Public Policy, 5(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/2330443X.2018.1438938 | DOI 10.1080/2330443X.2018.1438938
[24] Maier, A. (2012). Credentialism and Teach for America. Journal of Teacher Education, 63(1), 10–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487111422071 | DOI 10.1177/0022487111422071
[25] Matkovská, Z. (2015, July 17). Zakladateľ projektu Teach for Slovakia: Sme úplne odtrhnutí od reality [Teach for Slovakia founder: We're completely cut off from reality]. SME Domov. https://domov.sme.sk/c/7919418/zakladatel-projektu-teach-for-slovakia-sme-uplneodtrhnuti-od-reality.html
[26] Macdonald, D. (1999). Teacher attrition: A review of literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15(8), 835–848. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(99)00031-1 | DOI 10.1016/S0742-051X(99)00031-1
[27] Ministry of Finance. (2018). Revízia výdavkov zamestnanosti a odmeňovania vo verejnej správe [Revised expenditure on employment and pay in public administration]. (2018). Bratislava: Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, Útvar hodnoty za peniaze. https://www.finance.gov.sk/files/archiv/5/priebezna_sprava_zamestnanost_odmenovanie.pdf
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[29] NÚCEM (2009). Správa o priebehu a výsledkoch certifikačného testovania žiakov 9. ročníka základných škôl v školskom roku 2008/2009 [Report on the organization and results of the certified testing of Year 9 primary students in the 2008/2009 school year]. Národný ústav certifikovaných meraní.
[30] NÚCEM (2019). Výsledky medzinárodného výskumu o vyučovaní a vzdelávaní OECD TALIS 2018 [OECD TALIS Results of international testing on teaching and education]. Národný ústav certifikovaných meraní vzdelávania.
[31] OECD. (2019a). TALIS 2018 results (Volume I): Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. OECD Publishing.
[32] OECD. (2019b). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.
[33] Perignáthová, M. (2019). Atraktivita učiteľského povolania. Inštitút vzdelávacej politiky. https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/15376.pdf
[34] Profesia.sk. (2019, August 27). Situácia je vážna: Dopyt po nových ľuďoch v školstve sa tento rok opäť zvýšil, záujem uchádzačov však neustále klesá [The situation is serious: Demand for new school staff has again risen this year, but applicant numbers continue to fall] [Press release]. https://firma.profesia.sk/situacia-je-vazna-dopyt-po-novych-ludoch-v-skolstve-sa-tento-rok-opat-zvysil-zaujemuchadzacov-vsak-neustale-klesa/
[35] Rehúš, M., & Toman, J. (2015). Možnosti zvyšovania platov učiteľov [Potential for raising teacher salaries]. Inštitút vzdelávacej politiky. https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/9207.pdf
[36] Rozkovcová, A., & Urbánek, P. (2017). Fluktuace učitelů: vybrané zahraniční teorie a výzkumné přístupy [Teacher turnover: selected theories and research approaches from abroad]. Studia paedagogica, 22(3), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2017-3-3 | DOI 10.5817/SP2017-3-3
[37] Sibieta, L. (2018). The teacher labour market in England: shortages, subject expertise and incentives. Education Policy Institute. https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/EPI-TeacherLabour-Market_2018.pdf
[38] State School Inspectorate. (2017). Správa o stave a úrovni výchovy a vzdelávania v školách a školských zariadeniach v Slovenskej republike v školskom roku 2016/2017 [Report on the state and level of teaching and education in schools and education facilities in the Slovak Republic in the 2016/2017 school year]. http://www.ssiba.sk/admin/fckeditor/editor/userfiles/file/Dokumenty/velka_sprava/sprava_16_17_2.pdf
[39] State School Inspectorate. (2018). Správa o stave a úrovni výchovy a vzdelávania v školách a školských zariadeniach v Slovenskej republike v školskom roku 2017/2018 [Report on the state and level of teaching and education in schools and education facilities in the Slovak Republic in the 2017/2018 school year]. http://www.ssiba.sk/admin/fckeditor/editor/userfiles/file/Dokumenty/velka_sprava/sprava_17_18_1.pdf
[40] Teach for Slovakia. (n.d.). Vízia a hodnoty Teach for Slovakia. https://teachforslovakia.sk/o-nas/vizia-a-hodnoty-teach-for-slovakia/
[41] Teach for Slovakia. (2019). Takýto Basecamp tu ešte nebol. Ako vyzerá príprava tých, ktorí sa rozhodli zlepšovať seba a náš vzdelávací systém? https://teachforslovakia.sk/2019/08/22/takytobasecamp-tu-este-nebol-ako-vyzera-priprava-tych-ktori-sa-rozhodli-zlepsovat-seba-a-nasvzdelavaci-system/
[42] UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2016). The World needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 Education goals. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000246124