Home Elements for a Diagnosis of the Spanish Educational System
5 - The teaching profession (end)


anterior índice siguiente



Basic factors that configure the teaching profession

The basic factors of all professions in the strict sense are initial and ongoing training, the quality and demandingness of which depends on the social consideration of the professionals, in our case teachers. It is also necessary to provide them incentives to encourage improvement by teachers in their professional dedication and to up-date to keep up with the times and adapt to the changes introduced in the laws. We shall thus analyze these three factors.


INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

More than half of the teaching staff has quarter of a century left till retirement at the age of 65, so if we consider that the birth rate in Spain is far below the replacement rate, and the present high levels of schooling, one may conclude that there will be very few people whose initial teacher training need be attended to in the future. However, one must also bear two other ideas in mind. The first is that if there is a scarce increase in the number of teachers, there is even more reason to carefully consider what initial training they should be provided, as the training design will also have a great importance to attend to the emerging requirements of ongoing training of the present teachers. The second is that the body of teachers may perhaps increase slightly, but, on the contrary, the new demands on the educational system will make it necessary to seek other professionals to collaborate with the present teaching staff to respond to what society nowadays expects of the educational system.

The inherent competencies of secondary education teaching staff were perhaps described with certain passion by a member of the Debates called by this Committee, when he said: "secondary education teachers used education to teach a science and to select the best for that science. As High School teachers we were proud to send our students to University with the best possible preparation. We now have to use science to educate, and nobody teaches us to do that. We no longer educate to teach a science, we teach a science to educate. That is such a brutal change of perspective that, as you have all said, what we were taught at university is now absolutely useless to us. At university, we were taught a science to perform science and make science. Now we have to use our scientific knowledge to educate the young citizens of this country". One may discuss the detail of some of these expressions, but we consider them to be substantially very right: secondary teachers must be set into a scientific field in which they must ensure they teach efficiently, knowing that their objective is not merely to instruct youths, but to educate citizens.

The initial training model established in Spain in the General Education Act of 1970 was the result of adding a degree course, including the higher technical courses or conservatory diplomas, to a Course in Pedagogical Skill (CAP) with a minimum of 150 lecturing hours.

The model of pedagogical training the CAP matched has been negatively evaluated. As Marcelo (*) decisively states, that training was not long enough, was juxtaposed to the degree and set aside by the University, classified as a minor item, aimed at a public without professional identity, taught by a scarcely specialised Professor, with a markedly academic nature in which the practical element is underestimated, in addition to being limited to insufficient content, reduced to a few didactic and psychological concepts. This is a tough judgement, but one must recognise that the member of the Debates and the teachers surveyed coincide as to this, valuing it in a mainly negative way. Indeed, the teachers say they have not been taught about the ultimate aims of education (65% between "nothing and something", nor the type of citizen to be trained (76%), nor as to the essential demands of professional activity, such as the ability to make decisions independently and judge ones own efficiency (59%), nor have they spent the necessary time on practice. They consider they have not been taught enough pedagogy to be a good professional (60%), so that, detailing some fundamental aspects, they answered by expressing their insufficient training in selection and organisation of the contents of the cycles and courses (72% "none" or "some"), selection and design of the activities that contribute to development of the students’ skills (70%), treatment of the cross-curricular axes (86%), techniques to work in cooperative groups (81%), tutorial and student orientation skills (75%), procedures and strategies to evaluate student learning (69%) and practical research methods (82%).

(*) At the initiative of Committee IV of the Diagnosis, the INCE commissioned Carlos Marcelo, Professor of Didactics and School Organisation at the University of Seville, a study titled Sobre la formación inicial del profesorado de educación secundaria (On the initial training of secondary education teaching staff); this study was used by the Committee and will soon be published.

After obtaining the data, some suggestions may perhaps be made as to the four basic aspects that definitely must be covered by initial training: a) confirming a professional identity among those who aim to become teachers; b) teaching the set of necessary knowledge to correctly perform the specific teacher’s duties in teaching, as a tutor and as a member of the organisation; c) practical training; and d) care and supervision of the new teacher.

Considering the present possibilities provided in the optional and freely configured subjects, it is very possible that the candidate to become a secondary school teacher may find positive help in initial training at University. It would be sufficient for the schools which are most related to the areas of secondary education to provide subjects that may be of great interest in establishing a professional identity among those aiming to become teachers. The possible subjects may include the following three: 1) the teaching profession; 2) biography of the specific science of each Faculty; and 3) the central content to teach the specific science of each Faculty.

The second aspect the initial training must cover is transmission of the knowledge required to be a good teacher nowadays. A teacher who feels satisfied in his duties and provides his students significant help is not one who only knows certain techniques, but also someone, as Ryan (**) points out, who has discovered that teaching is not merely conduct, but rather a vocation to develop the potential of the students one has a personal relation with, knowing oneself to be responsible for forming their character. When one aims to forget the ethical objectives of education, teachers feel their roots dry up and they cease to have any sort of moral authority in the classroom, which sooner or later leads to severe problems of discipline that are difficult to solve.

(**) At the initiative of Committee IV of the Diagnosis, the INCE commissioned K. Ryan, at the University of Boston, to perform a study called Reflexiones en torno a la formación de profesores en los Estados Unidos (Reflections about teacher training in the United States); this study has been used by the Committee and will soon be published.

The third dimension required in initial training is practice. The time spent on this must not be short. During that period, the candidates must obtain a knowledge of the real problems that arise and consider to what extent they may manage to attain the qualities and capacities required to become a good teacher.

Lastly, the initial training must also include supervision and care, by an expert teacher, during the first year of work by new teachers, supervision that is even more necessary if the candidate has not been monitored during the practice prior to appointment.

There is no doubt that implementation of a system such as that suggested requires a great effort in seeking the most adequate schools and selecting the expert teachers to guide and supervise those taking their first steps in teaching. However, as the problems of large numbers have already been solved, it now seems the moment to seek quality with greater determination.


ONGOING TRAINING OF THE TEACHING STAFF

Article 56.2 of the LOGSE affirms: "ongoing training is a right and an obligation for all the teaching staff and a responsibility for the Educational Administrations and the actual schools". It is not only an obligation - for fulfilment of which each person is responsible - but also a right, "all the teaching staff" has, without any distinction whatsoever, that the educational authorities and the actual schools are responsible for fulfilling. One must thus see that ongoing training is the process of continual reconstruction of professional knowledge required to respond to the demands of the students, institutions, society and the personal and social challenge each teacher undertakes to for increasing personal fulfilment, in an ethical lifestyle and commitment to the task of education.

The experts consulted consider, from different points of view, that an ongoing training programme must provide full autonomy in individual training; facilitate and stimulate shared training, on terms that make it possible; be integrated in a line of action by the public and private institutions and training services; respond to the demands of teaching practice in the classroom as well as in teaching the specific subjects; impress upon the teaching staff the importance of shared work in the departments and cycle teams; integrate the theoretical reflection and practical application of the principles of teaching and methodological action; diagnose and value what the teaching staff applies with mastery and invite them to replace obsolete forms operation; to analyze the identity, requisites and complexity of the students of ESO and the most adequate styles of educational intervention; to impress upon the teaching staff the importance of integrating the tutorial, educational and academic functions in their professional activity; to encourage individual and collective initiative, as well as the will to overcome and innovative forms; to qualify to design, implement and evaluate the individual and team teaching actions; to provide teachers with new values, societies and intercultural settings in Spain and Europe.


ONGOING TRAINING OFFERED AND RECEIVED

According to the answers to the questionnaire, up to present the training offers for teachers have concentrated on the needs of the educational system and the reform (45% and 58% respectively), on professional development (36%) and on the diverse needs and expectations of the students (39%). Table 1 provides more ample information on this point.



Table 1: The offer of ongoing training available to you is for ...
  None Some Fairly A lot Mean No
answer
The set of needs of the educational system 10% 46% 39% 6% 2,41 7%
The specific reforms and innovations introduced in the educational system 6% 36% 49% 9% 2,60 7%
Planning for professional self-development by teachers 19% 45% 31% 5% 2,22 8%
The demands of the current syllabuses 9% 42% 42% 7% 2,48 8%
The possibilities of the Teacher Training Centres 12% 38% 39% 11% 2,49 9%
The need to provide a response to the diverse needs of the students 17% 44% 30% 9% 2,30 8%


The training received, as may be seen from table 2, has concentrated on "selection and organisation of contents, activities and cross-curricular axes", at 46%, 47 and 25% respectively. In these matters it reaches 12% in the former two aspects and 24% in the third among respondents who state that they have never received training ever. In "tutorial, orientation and educational diversity", the percentages of teachers who state they have never received training amount to 45% and 35% respectively, and more than 20% declare they have not received training in this field. The most accepted scope is that of selection and design of activities that contribute to development of the student’s capacities (47%).



Table 2: State to what extent you have received ongoing training during your career on the following aspects related to work in the classroom
  None Some Fairly A lot Mean No
answer
Selection and organisation of the contents of the cycles and courses 12% 42% 40% 6% 2,41 2%
Selection, design and management of the activities that contribute to development of the student’s capacities 12% 41% 41% 6% 2,40 2%
Treatment of the cross-curricular axes 24% 48% 24% 4% 2,08 2%
Attention to diversity: syllabus adaptations and syllabus diversification 20% 45% 28% 7% 2,22 2%
Work techniques in cooperative groups 24% 45% 27% 5% 2,12 3%
Tutorial and student orientation 18% 38% 34% 11% 2,38 2%
Procedures and strategies to evaluate student learning 13% 41% 39% 8% 2,42 2%
Methods of practical research 32% 44% 20% 4% 1,96 3%


47% declared they had received training in "evaluation of learning" and 13% stated they had not received this. Finally, in "research in practice" the figure of those who declared they had received training hardly reached 24%.

The analysis of the answers given in the questionnaires shows that the differences encountered are significant in favour of private schools as to training received in such matters as organisation and selection of contents, activities and treatment of the cross-curricular axes, tutorials, orientation and attention to diversity, as well as in the evaluation and research procedures in practice. One must emphasise that teachers over 50 are more involved in refresher courses, or have received them to a greater extent.


MODES OF TRAINING

The answers given to the questionnaire to assess the usefulness (see table 3) and frequency of the training received in the different modes show that:

  • Courses of less than 50 hours have been those most requested and performed by the teaching staff. 28% have participated in less than two courses a year, on average, and these have been assessed positively as to usefulness by 64%.
     
  • Courses of more than 50 hours are those the least teachers have performed; in this case 8% of the teaching staff in secondary education carried out an average of at least two per annum. Long modular courses with a practice phase are valued positively by 57% of the teachers, although those of the same length of a purely theoretical length are only acceptable to 14%.
     
  • Attendance at seminars and congresses, with an average of at least two per academic year, is performed by 16% of the teaching staff. Considering only the values given by teachers who have attended to some extent, 75% consider them useful on the two high grades of the scale.
     
  • 12% of the teaching staff has participated in training groups at the schools, at least two per academic year. This mode of self-training at schools through reflection with colleagues, taking advantage of the space and time at work to facilitate reflection on practice, is considered useful by 78% of the teachers who participated.
     
  • 8% of the teaching staff stated it had carried out innovation projects with an average frequency of at least two activities of this kind per annum. 74% of the teachers participating valued this mode of training positively.

To sum up, low participation by the teaching staff is noted in all the training modes asked about, except courses of less than 50 hours. As to usefulness, the most highly valued training activities were: self-training at schools, attending subsidised seminars and congresses and innovation and research projects at the school carried out by teacher teams.



Table 3: State your opinion of the usefulness of the following training modes
  None Some Fairly A lot Mean No
answer
Short, specific courses of less than 50 hours 4% 32% 51% 13% 2,72 1%
Innovation and research projects at the school or schools, carried out by the teaching teams of the same or different areas 4% 22% 55% 19% 2,89 1%
Self-training at schools, allowing adequate space and time within the working day, to facilitate reflection on practice 5% 17% 46% 32% 3,06 2%
Long, extensive courses of a theoretical nature 41% 45% 12% 2% 1,75 5%
Long modular courses with a lecturer to make the class phase dynamic and which have a practice phase 10% 34% 45% 12% 2,58 6%
Sabbatical leave 11% 1% 40% 28% 2,86 2%
Attending subsidised teacher seminars and conferences 5% 20% 46% 29% 2,99 1%
Correspondence courses 22% 44% 28% 7% 2,20 1%


The training offer must integrate the diverse modes, be very flexible, respecting the personal and institutional situations, although linked to the needs of a reflection and creational practice and a committed institutional context. The proposals must concentrate on the plans for self-development and joint professional development, on the demands by schools and the specific needs of the teaching task. The methodology preferred is that which conjugates theory and practice, presents successful experiences and their grounds, provoking the initiative and creative spirit of each teacher.

For the innovative mode of ongoing training at schools, Villar Angulo (***) provides a set of strategies which we sum up as follows:

(***) At the initiative of Committee IV of the Diagnosis, the INCE commissioned L.M. Villar Angulo, a Professor of Didactics and School Organisation at the University of Seville a study titled Formación permanente del profesorado (Teacher ongoing training), which has been used by the Committee and will shortly be published.

  • Describe the knowledge, beliefs and principles of the practice.
     
  • Train from theories with explanatory-comprehensive potential.
     
  • Compare ideas, experiences and values, characteristics of several social contexts.
     
  • Reconstruct, criticising and emphasising the existing theories in the practice work and with the contexts.
     
  • Present a written or recorded version of the practices evaluated.

Vaniscotte (****) presents other modes:

(****) La formación continua del profesorado (Ongoing teacher training), a Report also prepared at the initiative of Committee IV on Diagnosis, which the INCE commissioned to Francine Vaniscotte, a researcher at the Centre National pour la Recherche Pédagogique, Paris, France.

  • Theoretical university orientation, long term on specialisation courses.
     
  • School type orientation, taught by a recognised institution, adapted to the political changes, linked to public institutions, or which recognise the training given.
     
  • Contractual orientation, given by the training institution, according to the type of training.
     
  • Interactive-reflection training, linked to solving a problem and to professional practice.
     
  • There is a trend for ongoing training to be provided outside the University, at specialised centres, very much linked to practice.

CONTENTS, INSTITUTIONS, TIMING

The contents cover the different fields of teaching and professional activity, and they must contribute to the teaching staff learning to be and to feel like such, to share their feelings and to find satisfaction in their task. Specifically, training should be provided for:

  • the function of diagnosing prior student knowledge;
     
  • individual attention to the students and educational integration of the students in a climate of equality;
     
  • application of cross-curricular and interdisciplinary factors;
     
  • student orientation to integrate and apply the contents learnt;
     
  • utilization of innovating resources in teaching;
     
  • personalisation of values according to the student groups and achievement of coherent behaviour by them;
     
  • development of curiosity, creativity, spirit of dialogue and careful critical listening to arguments;
     
  • achievement of habits and attitudes where will, the ability to make an effort and the spirit of personal and academic striving are positively valued.

As to the institutions, one must remember that ongoing training is a responsibility shared by the Educational Authorities, the University, schools and teachers.

The Educational Authorities are competent and responsible for the design of the training plans, after consulting and valuing the parties involved, and in removing the existing administrative and financial obstacles. Development of these plans shall be due to the actual Administration and to all public and private institutions and bodies recognised such capacity. On the other hand, the Administration itself is asked to ensure that the schools decide what training they need, and on what basis they require it, according to items lacking, expectations and projects, to articulate the necessary measures to put all this into practice.

The University carries out ongoing training through the ICEs and the respective Faculties, which act in parallel and sometimes divergent to the Teacher Training Schools. A thorough review of teacher training is required, especially of the teaching staff in middle education.

Teacher Training Schools, as a support to performance of teaching activity, have been positively valued by 28% of the teachers, and very negatively by 24%. The management team and board of teachers have been more positively valued than Teacher Training Schools in this sense.

The experts consider that it a greater problem in determining the times when training may be carried out. This matter was raised by the participants in the Debates. "One of the most important problems is not finding common times and spaces with the rest of the colleagues, as we have proposed ongoing, collaborative training and reflection on practice, but it must be taken from leisure time and this makes it very difficult for colleagues to accept". The moment must be "at least in working hours, because many do not dare to say in teaching hours".


THE TRAINERS

Someone who trains trainers must have a profile in which the most important feature is to cause self-confidence and autonomy in updating the potentials trained, and to deal with the matters raised combining practical and theoretical aspects.

The role of trainers is to create space for dialogue, reflection and personal, professional and institutional innovation, so the teachers may be fulfilled as human beings and committed professionals, while the teaching work and educational task, overall, is shared, improved and turned into yet another hope for social progress.

In general, teachers with consolidated, creative experience, knowledge of classroom dynamics, practical training in adolescent psychology, ease of communication, mastery of general techniques and teaching resources, as well as the specific ones of their subject, may be trainers. Moreover, for particular, specific aspects, support must be provided by prestigious experts from other fields (sociologists, company owners, researchers, etc.).


INCENTIVES TO IMPROVE PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION AND UPDATING

To research to what extent the teaching profession is attractive, the first thing one must analyze is the social consideration of education in general nowadays, the image of the teaching staff, and that which the teaching staff has of itself. As, moreover, the aim is to reflect on the initiatives that encourage it to improve exercise of actual teaching, one would also have to see what incentives are available at present, concluding with a proposals for incentives that especially take into account the results obtained through the Questionnaire and the Debates. We shall begin with the first section.


SOCIAL CONSIDERATION AND IMAGE OF THE TEACHING STAFF

Diverse surveys performed recently by the Centre for Social Research (CIS) has shown that citizens value education highly. 87% of them show that study is fairly or very important in their life, and there is also a majority opinion that investment in education must be high. The image of Spanish education is not, however, very positive, as less than half of the citizens classify it is good or very good, although more than half consider that its quality has increased in recent years.

According to data collected in chapter 6 of this Report, 88% of parents consider the professional work by their children’s teachers fairly satisfactory or very satisfactory. This data coincides, in general terms, with that previously obtained in the evaluation of primary education performed by the INCE in 1995, according to which 80% of the parents had a fair or high appraisal of the professional work by their children’s teachers. In the same sense of good assessment of the teacher’s work, in chapter three of the Spain Report 1996 by the Encuentro Foundation, on family and school, parents classify several aspects of the educational activities by the teaching staff on a scale from 1 to 10, all valued above 7, with a variation between 8.2 for academic preparation and 7.4 for individual treatment.

However, as J.M. Esteve (*****) concludes in his analysis of the social image of teachers in the press, "when speaking of teachers and teaching, two strongly contradictory, equally stereotyped discourses overlap: in the first discourse (...) an ideal image is used, which I prefer to classify as idyllic, of the teacher and education. (...) To sum up, they are required to be perfect, or more specifically, to match the current social stereotype of all the qualities considered positive. The second discourse, which it easy to find in the daily media, reproduces a disastrous - equally stereotyped - image of the reality of teaching and the action of numerous teachers: statistics of academic failure, situations of physical violence in class, etc.".

(*****) J.M. ESTEVE. «Las expectivas de la sociedad y la imagen social de los profesores» (Society's expectations and the social image of teachers), Psicología Educativa, I (1995), p. 46.

The image the teacher has of himself is perhaps somewhere between both stereotypes: feeling that his teaching and social role is important, while considering himself undervalued by society. Thus, the Debates gave rise to such expressions as, for example, "appreciation of the teaching role is low in society", or rather, "the Administration does not value teachers enough". In any case, the deprofessionalised view some citizens have is regretted, specifically that some parents seem to have of their children’s teacher, considering in fact that what he does is "something everyone could do".


PROFESSIONAL INCENTIVES AT PRESENT

As may be seen in table 4, the measures the civil servant teaching staff members consider affect them to a fairly or to a great degree are as follows: introduction of six year periods in remunerations (60%), transfer selection (46%) and sabbatical leave (45%); on the contrary, what would affect them to a lesser extent is accreditation to act as principal (22%). However, there is a very significantly high percentage of teachers in private education who have answered that some of these administrative measures effect them "fairly" or "a lot"; thus, 30% in the case of the six year periods and 28% in the case of sabbatical leave. A possible explanation of these answer percentages lies in that these teachers have answered according to what they would like to happen rather than what really happens.



Table 4: To what extent is your professional life positively affected by the following administrative decisions? (civil servant teachers)
  None Fairly
A lot
Mean No
answer
Sabbatical leave 56% 45% 2,25 6%
Introduction of six year periods in the retributions 41% 60% 2,71 4%
Restructuring the school staff 63% 36% 2,13 7%
Transfer selection 54% 46% 2,38 5%
Assignment of ESO teachers 61% 39% 2,19 9%
Access to Professorship 74% 26% 1,83 10%
Reorganisation of the teaching bodies 68% 32% 2,04 11%
Teaching "similar" subjects 73% 28% 1,85 12%
Accreditation to act as principal 79% 22% 1,74 9%
Accreditation of linguistic profiles according to the by-laws of some Autonomous Regions * 60% 41% 2,40 4%
*  Only civil servant teachers in Autonomous Regions with their own language


After performing the relevant factorial analyses for this question, two associated factors or groups of variables were obtained: on one hand, the aspects that would influence a more academic professionalisation, with clear economic compensations, such as sabbatical leave, six year periods and access to Professorship; on the other hand, the aspects of a more administrative nature: restructuring staff at the schools, reorganisation of the teaching bodies, assignment to ESO, transfer selection and teaching similar subjects. Both types of factors, or groups of variables, crossed with the independent variables (age, habitat and group) show a significant difference in averages. Thus, the first factor has a greater acceptance among secondary education teachers, among the younger teachers and among those who live in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. On the contrary, the second factor is more accepted among primary education teachers.


SOME SUGGESTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL INCENTIVES

The Organic Act 9/1995 of 20th November, on participation, evaluation and government of teaching centres (LOPEG), articles 27, 30 and 31, discuses the scope of evaluation, valuation of the public teaching front and professional development of teachers at state schools. Specifically, article 31.2 expressly states that "the educational authorities shall pay priority attention o classification and training of the teaching staff, to improvement of their working conditions and stimulation of a growing consideration and social recognition of the teaching role".

The opinion of the teaching staff and the experts consulted coincide as to the convenience of articulating a teaching career that includes the appropriate professional incentives and ongoing training of the teaching staff. Thus, professional incentive schemes, the fundamental objective of which is to support greater and better professionalisation, seems to be a recurring factor as one of the possibilities and conditions to improve the quality of education.

As on other occasions, it has been considered important to know the teaching staff’s opinion as to this. Firstly, their opinion has been obtained as to how it considers the teachers could be compensated to recognise their special dedication and professional quality. As may be seen on table 5, the possible incentives that were most accepted are: improvement of the student/teacher ratio (89% of the teachers answered "fairly" or "a lot"), followed by improvement in retribution (83%) and by the opportunity of personal training on courses (77%). The least valued are: national awards (8%) and honourary local or higher level prizes (14%).



Table 5: How would one consider the teacher could be compensated to recognise special dedication?
  None
Some
Fairly
A lot
I prefer
not to
answer
Mean No
answer
Decrease in number of class hours 32% 61% 7% 2,89 6%
Improve the student/teacher ratio 8% 89% 3% 3,59 5%
Increase the teaching career 48% 40% 13% 2,35 10%
Points for transfer selection * 39% 52% 9% 2,67 4%
Honourary prizes at local or higher level 73% 15% 12% 1,66 11%
National awards 79% 8% 13% 1,43 12%
Opportunity for personal training on courses 19% 77% 4% 3,16 7%
Improvement in retributions 12% 83% 5% 3,43 5%
Recognition of administrative seniority for the purposes of triennials 28% 61% 11% 2,96 10%
*  Only for civil servant teachers


Secondly, as to what aspects of their work the teaching staff consider would be the most adequate to value the quality of their task with a view to an incentives scheme, they were asked about the following: teaching-learning strategies, student performance, improvement of the atmosphere in class, initiative in relations with families, the innovative and creative spirit and availability for demands by the school. Perhaps the most significant result is that all of them were considered most important, the average assessment lying between 2.72 and 3.32 from a total of 4. Table 6 shows that the three most accepted are teaching-learning strategies (answered with "a lot" or "fairly" by 92 respondents), improvement of the atmosphere in class (90%) and innovative and creative spirit (85%).



Table 6: In your opinion, what importance should be given to the following aspects to value the quality of the teacher’s work?
  None
Some
Fairly
A lot
Mean No
answer
Teaching-learning strategies used 8% 92% 3,32 5%
Student performance 25% 75% 2,93 4%
Improvement in the classroom atmosphere 10% 91% 3,23 5%
Initiative in relations with the families 37% 63% 2,72 6%
Innovative, creative spirit 15% 86% 3,17 5%
Availability to deal with demands at the school 27% 72% 2,89 6%


Thirdly, they were asked who should perform the evaluation of each one of these aspects: the Educational Authorities, the School Council, the School Management, the Department for that subject, the Orientation Department, external examiners, the families and parents, or the studies and students associations. The three instances which, in average percentage values, are most accepted by the teaching staff to value diverse aspects of their work are: the School Management (79%), the Department for the subject (78%) and the Orientation Department (75%). Then, there were students and student associations (64%), the School Council (55%) and the families and parents associations (47%) followed, lastly by the Educational Authorities (43%) and external examiners (28%). Thus, the nearest three instances to the teacher are formed by their professional colleagues: the Management, the Departments for the subject and Orientation, are the most acceptable to them; secondly, the instances of social participation: school council, students and families and, lastly, the instances furthest from the teacher, such as educational administration and external examiners.

By type of school, the teachers at private schools, in general, are more favourable than state schools as to whether these instances should intervene in the matters raised, especially the School Management. By ages, teachers under 30 are generally more favourable, in general, than the teachers who are older than them to participation by the instances we have called participative (always in the case of the students, almost always in the case of families and on occasions the School Council). On the contrary, teachers over 40, and to a great extent, if the cut-off point is located 50, would support intervention by the Educational Authorities, the School Management and Department for the subject, in some aspects. By habitat, the teachers in larger areas were more willing than the small ones to accept participation by some instances, mainly by the School Management, when evaluating their work. One must bear in mind that this aspect is correlated to greater presence of private schools in these areas which, as we have seen, are the ones that would most accept intervention by the School Management.

As a general suggestion, that covers and articulates the results of the analyses carried out, one would have to arrange a teaching career within the framework established by the LOPEG, that has its axis formed by the aspects considered most important to determine the quality of the teacher’s work.

To be able to carry out this task, it is fundamental on one hand to know what instances the teaching staff consider the most appropriate to value the most important aspects; thus, the Department for the subject concerned and the Orientation Department should participate in evaluation of teaching-learning strategies; the students and Orientation Department in evaluation of the classroom atmosphere; and the Department for the subject and the School Management in evaluation of innovative and creative spirit. On the other hand, it seems reasonable that there be external evaluation to objectivise and complete the above data.

Finally, the incentives the teachers prefer would be those that improve the conditions under which they carry out their teaching duties, such as reduction of the student-teacher ratio, an increase in training opportunities in school hours and sabbatical leave as well as, obviously, those related to their retributions. One would have to articulate the latter with the possibilities of promotion through the teaching career to integrate such aspects as appraisal of the most difficult tasks (among them appointment as mentor-tutor to teachers in training or during their first year of professional practice), access to Professorship and encouragement of the possibilities of access to university teaching.

It would be convenient to carry out a campaign aimed at the teaching staff and at society which would emphasise, among others, the following aspects:

  • the importance of education for personal and social development;
  • the globally positive appraisal by society of education in general, and the teacher’s work specifically;
  • the satisfaction the teaching staff obtain from their profession; and
  • the willingness shown by the teaching staff to be trained.

This may all form a good starting point for a global policy of promotion of the figure of the teaching staff, that will be of use to attract the most capable youths to the teaching profession as well as to encourage the present teachers to continue to do their best in their work.


anterior índice siguiente


© Instituto Nacional de Calidad y Evaluación (INCE)
calle San Fernando del Jarama, 14
E28002 MADRID
Tel: +34 91.745.9200
Fax: +34 91.745.9249
email: info@ince.mec.es