Unit I

Professionalism and Social Science Teacher

Introduction

When we talk of education with special reference to the teaching –learning process we are reminded a person who can make  instruction easy for the students by making the learning material understandable and by guiding the learner at every step. Such a person is known as “The Guru or The Teacher”. There is a popular saying There is no salvation without the teacher”. The sociological investigation of the professions began in the 1930s with attempts to identify the defining characteristics or traits that distinguished the professions from other occupations.

PROFESSION MEANING

The word “ profession”  is defined in  any standard dictionary as a calling  requiring specialized knowledge, and often long and intensive academic preparation- a principle calling  vocation, or employment . “ Professional”  and  “ professionalism” are likewise defined by referring  to some aspect of the root word “ profession”.

A profession is something a little more than a job, it is a career for someone that wants to be part of society, who becomes competent in their chosen sector through training; maintains their skills through continuing professional development (CPD); and commits to behaving ethically, to protect the interests of the public.

DEFINITION

“‘Profession’ can be defined in sociological terminology as a cluster of occupational roles or roles in which incumbents perform certain functions valued in the society in general”  - Pearsons 1954

“ Profession is a concept that is used solely to achieve the successful mystification of a class interest” Dingwall 1976

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROFESSION

1. A professional makes deliberate choices where others have choices made for them or they simply react to what comes their way.
2. A professional is afforded the luxury of making deliberate choices because he has made deliberate preparations.
3. A professional can make deliberate preparations because his understanding of and familiarity with the relevant (professional) landscape informs him on how to prepare. Also, like the chess master, he is trained to understand the inevitable results of hundreds of different patterns; he has disciplined himself to observe the whole board and not just the most immediate features or the area with the most tension in the game.
4. A professional is seldom caught off-balance. The discipline for deliberate preparation and the understanding that comes with it allow that even when something unexpected or unfamiliar is introduced, a professional can quickly understand its basis and easily extrapolate the appropriate tactic, strategy, or process for ethically and successfully resolving issues.
5. In this capacity, and most fundamentally, a professional habitually makes the right choices because all of his choices are based on the integrity provided by his moral and ethical foundation. Any choice of expedience over integrity can quite easily be recognized by anyone as the wrong choice. Here, the professional simply acknowledges what is obvious, makes the right choice, and acts deliberately (and now we're back at the start of this list).

TEACHING PROFESSION DIFFERENCE WITH OTHER OCCUPATIONS

The following are the few key reasons  why teaching today is the greatest profession in the world.

1. Teachers have never been more qualified

If all about the letters after the name, teachers today are required to go through more training and ongoing professional learning than ever before. We may not have to go through as much as other professions – medical practitioners for example – but then again we don’t get paid at the same rate as our brothers and sister professionals in firms or practices. Despite this, most teachers today will be encouraged to gain additional postgraduate qualifications as soon as possible, once they are settled in the sector. This is both healthy for the individual and the profession as the whole, as new knowledge and new perspectives are constantly drawn into the ongoing conversation about how to cultivate the best environment for learning.

2. Teachers are, and have always been, extremely committed

Teaching is more than just a job. Teachers make daily connections with their students. Teaching is a vocation, a life choice, a personal commitment to contributing to society. Anyone can start an educational resource business or app or consulting firm (and there are many valuable, excellent ones out there) but to be anchored to a school and to have young minds and hearts in your hands is an extraordinary responsibility.

3. Teachers are creative, intelligent and passionate

Three very different, but interconnected aspects to a teacher’s persona. Creativity allows us to develop new ideas for our classroom and beyond. It helps us fashion a story out of a curriculum document and challenging tasks from syllabus outcomes. Intelligence helps us set standards, pushes us to understand our subjects, our craft and the people in our schools more deeply. Passion is the generator which propels us ever forwards to new heights.

4. Teachers are more connected than ever before

This is possibly the one thing that technology has actually, measurably, helped teachers do more effectively: connect. We have our associations, our social groups, our personal connections. But, now, with social media in particular, teachers are able to branch out their Personal Learning Network – breaking down national borders, system barriers and even those surrounding the profession itself. They enjoy interacting online with people outside the profession and having them peek in at what we do and how we do it, rather than them only seeing what the media present. Which, let’s be honest, is not always a flattering or accurate portrayal of what teachers do.

5. Teachers have the power to change the world

Mcgrath_chris who suggested through Twitter that “teachers have the power to change the world, one person at a time.” Teachers  have the power to change whole groups at the same time. Every person should, hopefully, have had a teacher at some point that truly inspired them. Teachers do indeed have the power to change the world.

6. Teachers aren’t in it for the money

Teachers, generally, don’t make that much money – especially if they divide their  salary into the actual number of hours they work. If a person in education field for the cash,  they  won’t last too long. The best financiers can make millions a year. Instead, the best teachers make a difference.

THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROFESSION

1. Great responsibility

Professionals deal in matters of vital importance to their clients and are therefore entrusted with grave responsibilities and obligations. Given these inherent obligations, professional work typically involves circumstances where carelessness, inadequate skill, or breach of ethics would be significantly damaging to the client and/or his fortunes.

2. Accountability
   Professionals hold themselves ultimately accountable for the quality of their work with the client. The profession may or may not have mechanisms in place to reinforce and ensure adherence to this principle among its members. If not, the individual professional will (e.g. guarantees and/or contractual provisions).
3. Based on specialized, theoretical knowledge

Professionals render specialized services based on theory, knowledge, and skills that are most often peculiar to their profession and generally beyond the understanding and/or capability of those outside of the profession. Sometimes, this specialization will extend to access to the tools and technologies used in the profession (e.g. medical equipment).

4. Institutional Preparation

Professions typically require a significant period of hands-on, practical experience in the protected company of senior members before aspirants are recognized as professionals. After this provisional period, ongoing education toward professional development is compulsory. A profession may or may not require formal credentials and/or other standards for admission.

5. Autonomy
   Professionals have control over and, correspondingly, ultimate responsibility for their own work. Professionals tend to define the terms, processes, and conditions of work to be performed for clients (either directly or as preconditions for their ongoing agency employment).
6. Clients rather than customers

Members of a profession exercise discrimination in choosing clients rather than simply accepting any interested party as a customer (as merchants do).

7. Direct Working relationships

Professionals habitually work directly with their clients rather than through intermediaries or proxies.

8. Ethical Constraints

Due to the other characteristics on this list, there is a clear requirement for ethical constraints in the professions. Professionals are bound to a code of conduct or ethics specific to the distinct profession (and sometimes the individual). Professionals also aspire toward a general body of core values, which are centered upon an uncompromising and unconflicted regard for the client's benefit and best interests.

9. Merit-based
   In a profession, members achieve employment and success based on merit and corresponding voluntary relationships rather than on corrupted ideals such as social principle, mandated support, or extortion (e.g. union members are not professionals). Therefore, a professional is one who must attract clients and profits due to the merits of his work. In the absence of this characteristic, issues of responsibility, accountability, and ethical constraints become irrelevant, negating any otherwise-professional characteristics.
10. Capitalist Morality

The responsibilities inherent to the practice of a profession are impossible to rationally maintain without a moral foundation that flows from a recognition of the singular right of the individual to his own life, along with all of its inherent and potential sovereign value; a concept that only capitalism recognizes, upholds and protects.

QUALITIES AND COMPETENCIES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER

These may be categorized as

1. Scholarship
2. Professional Training
3. Personality
4. Teaching Skills
5. Human Relations

1.Scholarship

a. Acquaintance with problems of present day life and awareness about social issues.

b.Back ground of a liberal education

c. Constant reading of newspaper, magazines and other materials

d. Wide reading of books on the subject taught.

e. Sound knowledge of the subject taught

II. Professional Training

1. Creating interest
2. Development of positive professional attitude
3. Engaging elaborate reading and study of professional books
4. Creating interest in reading educational magazines.
5. Mastering Professional skills

III. Personality

1. Physical aspects
2. Inner Virtues
3. Executive abilities

1. Physical Aspects

• Personal appearance including dress, body language social expression mannerism and personal cleanliness.
• Etiquette including good manners: observance of social norms courtesy and refinement
• Voice, rich and mellow
• Good language command including excellence in pronunciation , enunciation and correct grammar.
• Health and hygiene

2. Inner Virtue

• Enthusiasm
• Fairness
• Friendliness
• Optimism
• Patience
• Self-control
• Sincerity
• Sympathy
• Tactfulness
• Understanding

3. Executive Abilities

• Adaptability
• Directive Ability
• Industry
• Initiative
• Organising Ability
• Resourcefulness
• Self confidence
• Self-reliance

IV. Teaching Skills

The core training package of NCERT (1979) aiming at enabling the teachers to acquire mastery of manipulative skills for enhancing their teaching effectiveness includes the skills of

1.Class Management

2. Communication (Teachers Act)

3. Interaction (Teacher pupil act)

4.The use of teaching aids

5.Attitude and behaviour

1. Skills of class management

• Control and modulation of facial expression
• Greetings and taking up proper positions in the class
• Movements
• Use of appropriate gestures in various situations

2.Skills of Communication

This comprises of five skills

1.Naarration

2. Recitation

3. Dramatization

4. Explanation

5. Demonstration

3. Skills of Interaction

• Questions and feedback
• Discussions
• Problem solving

4.Skills in the use of teaching aids

• Selection of teaching aids, appropriate to the situation and needs
• Preparation of charts, models, maps and diagrams
• Operation of mechanical devices
• Maintaining the correct position while writing on the black board and explaining on the basis of BB work
• Writing on the blackboard maintain neatness and system using bold letters and shapes and using appropriate colours
• Drawing figures sketches, graphs, tables,  etc on the blackboard.

5.Skills related to attitude

• Patient listening
• Suggesting
• Guiding
• Counselling

V. Human Relations

The comprises of relations with

• students
• Colleagues
• Parents
• School personnel
• Administrators, inspectors, supervisors etc
• Community
• Publishers, dealers of sport articles etc
• Professional organisations and workers.

PRE-SERVICE PROGRAMMES

Pre-service teacher education, meaning

                  Pre-service education of teacher means, education of teachers before they enter into service as teacher. During this period of teacher education programmes, teaching practice goes side by side, while they are getting knowledge about theory papers. 
A good deal of improvement in the teacher education programme is needed. Pre-service education is carried on for preparing different types of teachers. Pre-service teacher preparation is a collection of unrelated courses and field experience. Research based curriculum development of pre-service teacher education is yet to take roots. These programmes are intended to support and enhance teacher learning instill in them a greater degree of self confidence. The beginning teachers in this case learn from their practice and from the culture and norms of the unique school settings where in they have been placed and interact with these cultures.

                It is important for teacher educators to learn the methodology of how to get in touch with the core qualities of a good teacher and how they can stimulate these qualities in student teachers. This will lead to a deeper involvement in the learning process of teacher educators as well as student teachers. The inclusion of appropriate content knowledge about essential qualities of a good teacher in relevant theory papers and practice of effective domain related traits in school situation for a longer duration could help promote these traits in student teachers. The teacher education programme needs to allow the space where in a teacher’s personality could be developed as someone who is reflective, introspective and capable of analyzing his or her own life and the process of education at school so that after becoming a teacher, he becomes an agent of change

IN-SERVICE PROGRAMMES

In-service teacher education – meaning

                The moment a teacher has completed his training in a college of education, it does not mean that he is now trained for all times to come. A teaching degree, like B.Ed makes him enter into service as a teacher. Thereafter his job continues well only if he continues his studies everyday in the classroom situations and outside the classroom, he comes across problems and side by side he is a expected to sort them out. There is need of more and more knowledge, more and more education for making him a better teacher.

                 There are formal an informal programmes of in-service education organized from time to time. The higher authorities concerned with education want to ensure that the standards of education are properly maintained. That is possible only if the teachers refresh their knowledge and keep it up to the mark. The different agencies, therefore keep on organizing teacher education programmes for enriching the knowledge of teachers and also for over all proficiency and betterment.

             According to Lawrence, “In-service education is the education a teacher receives after he has entered to teaching profession and after he has had his education in a teacher’s college. It includes all the programmes – educational, social and others in which the teacher takes a virtual part, all the extra education which he receives at different institutions by way of refresher and other professional courses and travels and visits which he undertakes.

History of in-service teacher education

              In-service education and training of teachers has its own historical roots. Its journey from pre-independence to post independence period is characterized by numerous policy statements recommendations of different commissions regarding its content and strategies for implementation it has grown from a concept to a process and gained its importance for preparing teachers towards professional growth and development. The root of in-service education can be traced back to pre-independent period of 1904 in Lord Curzon’s resolution of educational policy which stated, “The trained students whom the college was sent out should be occasionally brought together again in seeing that the influence of the college makes itself felt in the school.” Hartorg committee and sergeant committee referred to in-service education as refresher courses and recommended for their organization on a continuing basis. The secondary education commission was more specific in recommending the programme of extension services for secondary teachers.

Need and importance of in-service teacher education

                 In our country, the trend is that once a teacher has joined service as a teacher, he continues to be so, through he may or may not study. It is not like that in countries like U.S.A. There the teacher has to face the screening committee to his re-appointment as a teacher after two or three years. In-service education is badly needed for all types of teachers in India. The following points indicate its need and importance. 

1. Education- a lifelong process

The teacher who does not study side by side can’t remain a good teacher. Training of a teacher is a lifelong process. He should continue making efforts in this direction for the whole life. Rabindra Nath Tagore has rightly stated, “A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its flame. “ According to secondary education commission “However, excellent the programme of teacher training may be, it does not by itself produce an excellent teacher. Increased efficiency will come through experience critically analyzed and through individual and group effort and improvement.

2. Professional growth

        Every teacher is a expected to be professionally bound, for the professional growth, he always needs the guidance and help of others. The efficiency of the teachers must be covered up. So the teacher need be up to the mark in every way.

3. Education is dynamic

         Education is very dynamic. It depends upon the society which is fast changing.  Due to the advancement in the field of science and technology, there is explosion of knowledge. Accordingly the curriculum and syllabus are also being changed with a good speed. Continuous in-service education of the teacher can save the teacher from facing dire consequences.

4. Makes democratic

            In-service education helps the teacher in becoming fully democratic. By in-service education programmes, the teacher is able to meet people of all types and he is also able to share his experience with others.

Programmes of in-service teacher education

 Seminar- In a seminar some problems of education are taken up and there is collective thinking. Discussions are held and conclusions are arrived at all under the guidance of some experts.

Refresher courses -A refresher course means an educational programme organized for refreshing the knowledge of in-service teacher. Generally they acquire the teachers with the new development in the field of education. With the coming up of new education policy, refresher courses were arranged all around for teachers of different categories.

Workshops - Workshops are organized for giving in-service education to teachers. They involve more of practical work and less theoretical discussion. These types of programmes are more useful for the teachers. The teachers have to work practically and come out with final materials to be seen by others. Organization of workshops consumes more time than a seminar or conference.

Conference - In a conference, there is a broad discussion of subjects of practical interest. Generally there is a central theme around which several sub topics are given. Teachers as per their interest, present paper at the time of conference. The session ends with the concluding remarks of the president

 Study groups: - Forming study groups and using them as a technique for in-service education for teachers can work wonders. A group of teachers of the same subject and a subject expert in the college of education are combined and start working. They choose some topics of common interest (or) it may be a problem related to their teaching subject. Discussion is started under guidance and they continue thinking, studying and discussing that subject. If need arises, someone may be invited for extension lecture. The study groups may be meeting once in a week or even once in a month.

A study centre of professional writings: - Generally the materials are not under the reach of teachers. The college of education, the extension service departments can help in this direction. Various publications of N.C.E.R.T, some good books, materials produced by different centers of education may be produced in the college library.  The study of reading materials will help the teacher to acquire sufficient knowledge in their subjects.

Experimental schools: - The College of education should have their demonstration school and experimental school. These are actually practicing schools where some experiences can be performed. Whatever is taught in theory, which is put into practice by carrying out experiments?

             The experimental schools become centers of learning for in-service teachers. Innovations done in these schools may be advocated among the teaching staffs of other schools.

              Regional colleges of education affiliated to N.C.E.R.T have their experimental schools where those colleges are showing leadership to the working teachers of other schools in their areas. Other colleges have their practicing schools but they don’t have any experimental schools or demonstration schools.

Correspondence courses:

Correspondence courses can be designed for giving in-service education to teachers. A few universities have already started working in the area of in-service teacher education programmes. Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages at Hyderabad provides post graduate certificate course and diploma course through correspondence.

Other Programmes: - A few programmes for in-service education of teachers are suggested below:-

·         Educational tours

·         Radio broadcast

·         Film shows

·         T.V programmes

·         Extension lecture for teachers

·         Exhibitions

·         Exchange of teachers

Provision of in-service education: - Different institutions are functioning where there is a provision of in-service education of teachers.  Some of them are doing commendable work in this field.

State Institute Of Education (SIE):- In different states, SIE have been set up which cater to the need of in-service education only. They organize seminars, workshops, etc.

State Institute Of Science: - In some states, they have set up institutes for in-service education of science teachers. They make efforts for developing scientific attitudes among the teachers. Science exhibitions are also conducted there which attract large number of children from the state. Thus it’s a great source of inspiration for teachers and their students.

Regional Institute of English: -

Regional institute of English has been set up in different regions of the country. They have their affiliation with Central Institute of English and Foreign languages; Hyderabad. These institutes impact four month certificate course in teaching English to in-service teachers. The institutes gives scholarship to the trainees and the teachers are paid full salary by the schools were they are employed. These institutes are working for efficiency and improvement of English teachers educators all throughout their careers. 

ORIENTATION PROGRAMMES

The Orientation Programme is designed in such a way that it will enable the teachers to discover their own potentialities and role. These programmes are expected to equip the teacher not simply with professional know-how, but also with a certain outlook and deep social commitment. These programmes are different from the traditional programmes. They have certain specific objectives. They are to enable the newly appointed lecturer to :

• Understand the significance of education in general and higher education in particular, in the global and Indian contexts.
• Understand the linkages between education and the socio-economic and cultural development with particular reference to Indian polity where secularism and egalitarianism are the tenets of society.
• Understand the role of a College/University teacher in the national goal of achieving a secular and egalitarian society.
• Acquire and improve skills of teaching at the College / University level.
• Be aware of developments in his / her specific subject
• Understand the organisation and management of a College/University and to
• improve the role of a teacher in the total system.
• Utilise opportunities for the development of personality, initiative and creativity.

REFRESHER COURSES

There has been knowledge explosion in every discipline. Hence a school/ College / University teacher has to continuously update his knowledge in his chosen field of expertise. The Refresher Courses are meant to :

• Provide opportunities for teachers in service to exchange experience with their peers and to mutually learn from each other.
• Provide a forum for serving teachers to keep themselves abreast of the latest advances in various subjects.
• Create the culture of learning and self-improvement among the teachers.
• Provide opportunities to further widen their knowledge and to pursue research studies, and
• Given an introduction to new methods and innovations in higher education and enlighten them so that the participants can in turn develop their own innovative method of instructions.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Teaching quality has been defined as "instruction that enables a wide range of students to learn" and it is the strongest school-related factor that can improve student learning and achievement. Knowing this, what is the best way to foster and provide ongoing support for good teaching practices? While every school is unique, research has identified several elements that can almost universally increase the chances for successful teacher development and create a powerful and positive school community. The following three sections detail the range of best practices found by researchers to be critical for ensuring educator growth and success:

• Effective Administrator and Teacher Leadership
• Job-Embedded Professional Development
• Professional Learning Communities

Effective Administrator and Teacher Leadership

Leadership is second only to teaching among school-related factors that can improve student achievement, and it tends to show greatest impact in traditionally underserved schools. Superintendents, principals, and others in positions of authority in school systems are instrumental in providing the vision, time, and resources to support continual professional learning, a positive school climate, and success for all students. Research shows that the following features of effective leadership can improve student achievement.

• A vision of academic success for all students based on high expectations
• A safe and cooperative climate for learning
• Support and training to promote continual professional learning
• Data to track and promote collaborative inquiry and practices that improve student learning
• Cultivating leadership in staff, parents, and community partners

Great leaders focus on developing people's capacities rather than their limitations . Schools that foster trust among parents, teachers, and school leaders are more likely to see academic improvement than schools that do little or fail to foster trust .

Teacher leadership is also critical for school improvement efforts to succeed. Accomplished teachers are most knowledgeable about how students in their school or district learn, and thus they are ideal candidates to lead professional-learning and curriculum development efforts .Teacher-advancement systems that effectively identify and support quality teaching include the following features Professional standards, such as those of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards(NBPTS). Research has found that the National Board certification is a way to identify teachers who are more effective in increasing student engagement, learning, and achievement, and a variety of evidence shows that NBPTS-certified teachers may be more likely to stay in the profession, as compared to teachers who have not achieved certification . Additionally, the standards themselves influence teacher mentoring, leadership, team building, professional development and evaluation, curriculum development, efficacy, and overall school leadership

• Performance assessments that integrate evidence of teaching practices and student learning measured in a variety of ways (such as student work, lesson plans, assignments, in-person or video observations based on standards, and/or National Board assessment)
• Consideration of practice and performance for teacher teams and individual teachers to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Expert evaluations, with experts who include teachers who are trained in evaluation criteria and have demonstrated expertise in teaching the content and working with their peers
• Useful feedback connected to professional-learning opportunities and reviewed by an oversight committee to ensure fairness and consistency

To promote student learning and achievement, research indicates that teacher advancement systems should compensate teachers for their expert contributions, particularly in economically disadvantaged schools where teaching challenges tend to be greater. Finally, researchers discourage the use of value-added modeling in teacher evaluation practices due to their low levels of statistical reliability across years and limited validity for detecting individual teacher effects .

Job-Embedded Professional Development

When teachers receive well-designed professional development, an average of 49 hours spread over six to 12 months, they can increase student achievement by as much as 21 percentile points. On the other hand, one-shot, "drive-by," or fragmented, "spray-and-pray" workshops lasting 14 hours or less show no statistically significant effect on student learning . Above all, it is most important to remember that effective professional-development programs are job-embedded and provide teachers with five critical elements (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009):

• Collaborative learning: Teachers have opportunities to learn in a supportive community that organizes curriculum across grade levels and subjects.
• Links between curriculum, assessment, and professional-learning decisions in the context of teaching specific content: Particularly for math and science professional-development programs, research has emphasized the importance of developing math and science content knowledge, as well as pedagogical techniques for the content area..
• Active learning: Teachers apply new knowledge and receive feedback, with ongoing data to reflect how teaching practices influence student learning over time.
• Deeper knowledge of content and how to teach it: Training teachers solely in new techniques and behaviors will not work.
• Sustained learning, over multiple days and weeks: Professional-development efforts that engage teachers in 30 to 100 hours of learning over six months to one year have been shown to increase student achievement.

Research on professional development for teachers has shifted in the last decade from delivering and evaluating professional-development programs to focusing more on authentic teacher learning and the conditions that support it.

Professional Learning Communities

Professional learning communities (PLCs) or networks (PLNs) are groups of teachers that share and critically interrogate their practices in an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, and growth-promoting way to mutually enhance teacher and student learning .PLCs go a step beyond professional development by providing teachers with not just skills and knowledge to improve their teaching practices but also an ongoing community that values each teacher's experiences in their own classrooms and uses those experiences to guide teaching practices and improve student learning. Research shows that when professional learning communities demonstrate four key characteristics, they can improve teaching practice and student achievement in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies subject tests:

• Successful Collaboration
• Focus on Student Learning
• Continuous Teacher Learning
• Teacher authority to make decisions regarding curriculum, the processes of their own learning, and aspects of school governance.

Conclusion

Every subject teacher occupies a peculiar and specific role to play in his own area of study. In the teaching of social science the teacher occupies a pivote role. The teacher of social science deals with attitudes, values, ideals and appreciation to a large extent than teachers of other branches of study

References

http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-research-keys-success

http://educational-system.blogspot.in/2012/07/pre-service-and-in-service-training-for.html

Dr. K. Sivarajan, Dr. T.V. Thulasidharan, Dr. N.K. Vijayaan “ Social Science Education: Methodology of Taching and Pedagogic Analysis” Calicut University,2008.

http://mesterman.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/teaching-the-greatest-profession-in-the-world/