Comparative Analysis of North and South Cyprus’ Teachers’ Perceptions of Teachers’ Unions

Abstract

This study aims to examine the views of primary school teachers from North and South Cyprus on Teachers’ Unions. Qualitative research and a comparative case study method were used for the study. Thirty-seven primary school teachers from North and South Cyprus participated in this study. The data were obtained through interviews and analyzed by the content analysis method. The comparison of the findings of the research suggests that the functions of trade unions are related to the pressing issues of education, teachers, and the nation in both regions. Turkish Cypriots placed emphasis on education-related functions, while for Greek Cypriots teachers-related functions mattered more. Turkish Cypriot teachers assessed the functions of their unions to be more unsatisfactory than their Greek Cypriot counterparts’.

Chilean Early Childhood Teachers’ Discourses on Professional Associations Building Professionalism: Cohesions and Tensions of an Ecosystem

“…Also, we exceed deductive case studies that simplify participation in ECEPAs to the confirmation of structural variables such as affiliation, organizational structure, and salary improvement (Bascia, 2015; McCollow, 2017). By contrast, this abductive holistic design moves to producing the best explanatory hypotheses and conclusions (Bryant & Charmaz, 2019; DePoy & Gitlin, 2016), showing nuances and tensions on ECE teachers’ discourses of participation in ECEPAs and the building of professionalism (Bascia, 2015; Carter et al, 2009; Mitchell, 2019; Silman et al, 2021).…”

“…Research on teachers' participation in professional associations and ECEPAs has tended to focus on portraying specific cases' achievements (Mitchell, 2019) and reporting their members' strong cohesion (Bascia, 2019;McCollow, 2017), shared purposes or positions (Fitzgerald, 2011;Weiner & Asselin, 2020), and strategies for collective action (Mitchell, 2019). Even the historical (Fitzgerald, 2011) and comparative research (Finger & Gindin, 2015;Silman et al, 2021) depict teachers' professional associations having shared struggles against education reform and active unified roles in education policymaking.…”

“…Likewise, McCollow (2017) posits that teacher associations do not only operate individually as narrow self-interest groups but also engage with other entities to advocate for professionalism. Research is starting to show a relational landscape where ECEPAs connect to build professionalism advocating for status, economic sufficiency, participation in public decision-making, professional development, and learning opportunities (Bascia, 2008; Silman et al, 2021). In doing so, ECEPAs have the State, employers, and policymakers as their prime counterparts (Bascia & Osmond, 2013; Carter et al, 2009; Finger & Gindin, 2015; Ginsburg & Kamat, 2009).…”

Formando profesionalismo desde las asociaciones de Educación Infantil: discursos de su profesorado en Chile

“…La investigación sobre la participación del profesorado en las APEI ha tendido a centrarse en retratar triunfos de casos específicos de acción colectiva (Mitchell, 2019) y en describir la cohesión y sentidos compartidos de sus miembros (Gavin, 2021;Weiner & Asselin, 2020). Incluso las investigaciones históricas y en perspectiva comparada (Finger & Gindin, 2015;Silman et al, 2021) describen las luchas exitosas del profesorado a través las APEI, contra las reformas educativas neoliberales. Resulta muy escasa la investigación sobre las tensiones profesionales que el profesorado vivencia al participar en las APEI y cómo desde esas dificultades se construyen diversos profesionalismos.…”

“…Asimismo, no se encuentran análisis más amplios de cómo las APEI se relacionan entre ellas, en una ecología crítica de la profesión (Dalli et al, 2012) más allá de su acción individual. Peor aún, es la investigación sobre la participación del profesorado escolar en asociaciones profesionales la que argumenta su complejidad, evidenciando que congrega diversas prioridades y agendas (Bascia, 2015) y que opera con diversos agentes que abogan y definen el profesionalismo del profesorado y sus condiciones de trabajo (McCollow, 2017;Monarca & Thoilliez, 2017;Silman et al, 2021).…”