Professionalization of Teaching in America: Two Case Studies Using Educational Research Experiences to Explore the Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers/Researchers

Abstract

In 2013-2015, two

Examining the relationship of teacher perception of accountability and assessment policies on teacher turnover during NCLB

“…Teacher perception of de-professionalization. Teacher professionalization is broadly important for maintaining high standards of quality and keeping the integrity of the mission of teachers intact (Benveniste, 1986;Carter Andrews, Bartell, & Ruchmond, 2016;Gentry, Baker, Lamb, & Pate, 2016;Heid & Leak, 1991;Nelson, 1949Nelson, , 2009Popkewitz, 1994). It has also been hypothesized that professionalization will help to attract the best and brightest to teaching, will improve teacher motivation, job satisfaction, teacher retention, and will improve overall teacher performance and innovativeness which would, in turn, lead to improved student learning (Heid & Leak, 1991;Ingersoll & Perda, 2008).…”

“…The mechanisms by which teacher professionalization would improve teacher performance and innovativeness have been explored to a lesser extent, and there is a call for more work in this area. Gentry et al (2016) describe this mechanism, suggesting that the professionalized teacher is able to use complex student data to make curricular and instructional decisions, leading to both improved student outcomes and, in some cases, instructional innovation. This mechanism suggests that professionalization of the teacher corps would require increasing teacher autonomy over the ways in which they collect and interpret data related to students and how they respond to this data in nuanced ways.…”