The context and profile of teachers in developing countries in the last decade

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The aim of this paper is to examine the teacher's career in developing countries based on a review of studies published in refereed journals of comparative education and of teaching education, and to suggest further lines of research on teaching and teachers in these countries. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is based partially on a systematic review of 13 English-language papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals in educational administration, teaching education, and comparative education. Findings -The review shows that teaching seems to be a kind of default or a supplementary form of income, from which male members seek constantly to escape, and many teachers are described as holding low qualifications with limited opportunities to participate in in-service trainings. Teaching is characterised in terms of knowledge-transmission, adherence to prescribed curriculum and textbooks, summative assessment of student achievements, and conservativeness. Practical implications -Future directions for further exploration of this area of study are suggested (e.g. exploring teacher career in developing countries, understanding professional needs). Originality/value -Despite the central role of teachers in the social and economic development of their societies, our knowledge base of the career of teachers in developing countries is limited and inchoate. The paper, then, is an initial attempt to accumulate our knowledge about the life and work of schoolteachers in developing countries, and to suggest directions for future research on these issues.

Teachers’ Turnover: What Are The Explanatory Variables in Public Secondary Schools in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, Kenya?

“…According to Oplatka (2007) teaching profession was one of the few respected jobs open to Africans before independence; and thus it was considered to be a noble profession then in Kenya. In many respects, the teacher was regarded as a leader to be consulted on many issues as he was seen as a source of knowledge; thus a teacher was viewed as a dependable member of society and consequently commanded respect from students and the public.…”

“…However, Oplatka (2007), in a review of research, notes that for some teachers in developing countries, mainly female teachers, a career in teaching was viewed as an avenue to service, a noble profession to which people are called. The choice of teaching was often a tangled web of idealism, a love of children, or compliance to entrenched social roles concerning femininity and career indicated by Pakistani female teachers.…”

Relationship between University of Malawi Selection Policy and Entrance of Education Graduates into the Teaching Profession

“…This implies that entry into teacher education for the 54% of the education graduates in this study was not by design, rather it was an unintended happening. These are the type of education graduates or prospective teachers that the studies reviewed in this paper describe as having little or no initial motivation and commitment to the teaching profession and predict that they are less likely to enter the teaching profession after graduation (Chan, 2006;Oplatka, 2007).…”

Effect of English Language Competency on the Job Satisfaction and Motivation of Teacher Educators: A Narrative Analysis

“…School system, private schools, tuition centers, home tuition, parents' language skills and home environment effect positively to support their children to learn skills and competency. As, family members play a key role in the skill development and career choice of female teachers in Pakistan through parents' encouragement to attend teacher-training degree programs (Barrs, 2005;Oplatka, 2007) held at universities and colleges of education. The people who became teachers due to a lack of other opportunities and no personal choice were likely to have a lower level of commitment and dedication to teaching profession (Hedges, 2002) than those who choose this profession as their choice and always try to learn new things and improve their language skills too.…”