THE STATUS OF TEACHERS AND THE TEACHING ...

[Pages:387]THE STATUS OF TEACHERS AND THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN ENGLAND: VIEWS FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE PROFESSION

EVIDENCE BASE for the

TEACHER STATUS PROJECT

Linda Hargreaves, Mark Cunningham, Tim Everton, Anders Hansen*, Bev Hopper, Donald McIntyre, Caroline Oliver, Tony Pell, Martyn Rouse, and Penny Turner

University of Cambridge Faculty of Education and

*Department of Media and Communication, University of Leicester

CONTENTS

TABLE OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ VII

TABLE OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ VIII

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... X

GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................................... XII

CHAPTER 1: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS AND THE TEACHING PROFESSION: THE EVIDENCE BASE...................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1 The concept of `status' ..................................................................................................................... 2 Recent policies relevant to teacher status ........................................................................................ 3 The Teacher Status Project: research design .................................................................................. 5

PART ONE: THE SURVEYS: PUBLIC OPINION, MEDIA, TEACHERS AND ASSOCIATED GROUPS IN 2003 AND 2006 ................................................................................................................. 9

CHAPTER 2: THE PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY ............................................................................ 10

OVERVIEW AND MAIN FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 10 Is Teaching an Attractive Career?.................................................................................................11 Comparisons of the status of teachers with other occupational groups ........................................ 17 Perceptions of the activity of teaching ........................................................................................... 22

CHAPTER 3: THE MEDIA SURVEY................................................................................................25

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................... 25 I. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NEWSPAPER COVERAGE: 2003 AND 2005 .............................................. 27

Types of Newspaper Articles..........................................................................................................28 Themes/Issues................................................................................................................................. 30 Class strugglers: New thinking needed on failing schools ............................................................ 32 Key definers of teachers and education issues...............................................................................38 II. NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF TEACHERS AND EDUCATION 1991-2002...............................................41 Teacher/education-relevant coverage............................................................................................42 Types of newspaper articles ........................................................................................................... 44 Themes/issues and `status'.............................................................................................................45 Key definers of teachers and education issues...............................................................................52 III. THE IMAGE OF TEACHERS IN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES, 1991-2003/2005......................................55 Teacher/Teachers collocates 1991-2003/2005. ............................................................................. 56 Changing images of teachers, 1991-93 to 2003/05 ....................................................................... 58 IV. PRODUCING EDUCATION COVERAGE ? A STUDY OF EDUCATION CORRESPONDENTS AND EDITORS IN THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRESS..............................................................................................67 News values/criteria and news selection routines in education coverage ..................................... 68 The relationship between journalists and their sources ................................................................ 70 Journalists' perceptions of the readers/target audience for education news ................................ 73 National/Regional focus and orientation of newspapers ............................................................... 74 The status of education news ......................................................................................................... 76 The role of education coverage ? and its perceived impact on the status of teachers...................79

CHAPTER 4: INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR STATUS AND THE STATUS OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION ................................................................................ 84

OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................... 84 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 85 SECTION I: SURVEY ADMINISTRATION, QUESTIONNAIRE STRUCTURE AND SAMPLE ......................... 86 SECTION II: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS AND THE TEACHING PROFESSION: TEACHER STATUS OVER THE YEARS ........................................................................................................................................... 91

To what extent do teachers perceive the teaching profession to be a high status profession?......92

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Teachers' perceptions of their status compared with the status of other occupations .................. 98 Responsibility and respect in teaching...........................................................................................99 Teachers' views of the respect they receive ................................................................................. 102 SECTION III: THE POTENTIAL OF EVENTS AND STRATEGIES TO RAISE THE STATUS OF TEACHERS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF RESPONSES IN 2003 AND 2006 ............................................................ 106 Current attitudes of teachers ? 2006 survey ................................................................................ 108 SECTION IV: TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM ..................................................................................... 116 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 116 Investigating professionalism ...................................................................................................... 117 Conclusions concerning teacher professionalism........................................................................125 SECTION V: THE LONGITUDINAL SURVEY 2003-2006 .................................................................... 127 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 127 Status scales ................................................................................................................................. 127 Status change ............................................................................................................................... 128 Status over the years .................................................................................................................... 129 Teacher professionalism .............................................................................................................. 129 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 131

CHAPTER 5: PROXIMAL PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHER STATUS: THE VIEWS OF TRAINEE TEACHERS, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, PARENTS AND GOVERNORS............132

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 132 INTRODUCTION AND METHODS .......................................................................................................... 134 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 137

Associated groups' perceptions of the characteristics of a high status profession ..................... 137 Associated groups' perceptions of the status of teachers over the years.....................................139 Associated groups' perceptions of the comparative status of teachers ....................................... 143 Associated groups' perceptions of teacher professionalism ........................................................ 144 Status Change: Improving the status of teachers.........................................................................147 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 151 THE SURVEYS OF TRAINEE TEACHERS................................................................................................151 Background Context.....................................................................................................................151 To what extent is teaching a high status profession? Trainee teachers' views ........................... 154 Reasons for becoming a teacher .................................................................................................. 158 Status change: improving the status of teachers..........................................................................161 The longitudinal study: how do newly qualified teachers' views on status change in their first two years as teachers .......................................................................................................................... 163

PART TWO: SCHOOL-BASED CASE STUDIES I: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS IN ORDINARY/TYPICAL SCHOOLS..................................................................................................165

CHAPTER 6: INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY AND SCHOOLS IN PART II................166

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 166 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 166 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 168 CASE STUDY INTERVIEWS AND ANALYSIS..........................................................................................169 THE SCHOOLS .................................................................................................................................... 170

CHAPTER 7: TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN STATUS..................................172

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 172 THE EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................................. 173

How do teachers feel about themselves and their profession and where does teachers' personal sense of status come from?...........................................................................................................173 How do teachers feel they are publicly perceived, both now, in the past, and in comparison to other professions? ........................................................................................................................ 175 How does differentiation within the teaching body impact on different teachers' status?..........178 Summary....................................................................................................................................... 181

CHAPTER 8: INTERNAL SCHOOL RELATIONS AND TEACHER STATUS........................183

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 183 THE EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................................. 184

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How have case study schools moved towards improving teachers' workloads and what impacts has this had on their status? ........................................................................................................ 184 Do teachers feel that teachers' pay and performance management will enhance their status? . 188 What influence do participants think the implementation of such reforms might have on teacher status? .......................................................................................................................................... 191 Summary....................................................................................................................................... 192

CHAPTER 9: TEACHING AND LEARNING ................................................................................ 193

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 193 THE EVIDENCE ................................................................................................................................... 194

1) How have different criteria or mechanisms for evaluating teaching and learning impacted on teacher status or self-esteem? ...................................................................................................... 194 2) In what ways do teachers' autonomy and accountability in their classroom practice impact on their sense of status? .................................................................................................................... 195 3) Does CPD have an impact on teachers' sense of status? ........................................................ 198

CHAPTER 10: EXTERNAL SCHOOL RELATIONS ................................................................... 200

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 200 THE EVIDENCE ................................................................................................................................... 201

1) How far have schools advanced towards inclusiveness, in which stakeholders and communities are involved in school issues?......................................................................................................201 2) What are the impacts on teachers' working lives when they accommodate collaboration with other professionals and what implications are there for teacher status?....................................203 3) How do teaching and support staff perceive/predict stakeholder involvement has/might impact on their status and/or the status of the profession? ..................................................................... 205

PART THREE: SCHOOL-BASED CASE STUDIES II: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS IN CLASSIFIED CASE STUDY REPORTS ......................................................................................... 208

CHAPTER 11: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 208

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 208 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 208 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 210

CHAPTER 12: SPECIALIST SCHOOLS: A) TRAINING, SPECIALIST (SUBJECT) AND BEACON SCHOOLS AND B) ACADEMIES..................................................................................212

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 212 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 213 AI) TRAINING SCHOOLS AND II) SPECIALIST (SUBJECT) AND BEACON SCHOOLS ......... 213

Personal/school status: impact of funding and resources on teacher status ............................... 213 Personal/school status: evaluations i) external ........................................................................... 216 Personal/school status: evaluations ii) within the teaching profession.......................................219 INTERNAL WORKING RELATIONS: LEADERSHIP, COLLABORATION AND TRUST .................................. 220 Internal work relations: recruitment and retention ..................................................................... 221 Teaching and learning: inspections, systems and CPD...............................................................222 External relations: networks with other schools and universities ............................................... 225 External relations: parents, community and media perceptions ................................................. 226 B) ACADEMIES .............................................................................................................................. 228 Personal/school status: impact of funding and resources on teacher status ............................... 228 Personal/school status: evaluations i) pride................................................................................229 Personal/school status: evaluations ii) within the teaching profession.......................................230 Internal working relations: leadership, collaboration and trust ................................................. 231 Internal work relations: recruitment and retention ..................................................................... 232 Teaching and learning: training and CPD .................................................................................. 233 External relations: networks with other schools and universities ............................................... 234 External relations: parents, community and media perceptions ................................................. 234 C) CONCLUSIONS: COMMON ISSUES FOR POSITIVELY ACHIEVING SCHOOLS.............236

CHAPTER 13: POORLY PERFORMING SCHOOLS: CAUSE FOR CONCERN, SERIOUS WEAKNESS AND SPECIAL MEASURES ..................................................................................... 238

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OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 238 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 239

Personal/school status: impact of funding and resources on teacher status ............................... 239 Personal/school status: evaluations i) external ........................................................................... 240 Personal/school status: evaluations ii) within the teaching profession.......................................243 Internal work relationships: leadership, collaboration and trust................................................244 Internal work relationships: recruitment and retention .............................................................. 245 Teaching and learning: professionalism and CPD......................................................................246 External relations: networks with other schools and universities ............................................... 248 External relations: parents, community and media perceptions ................................................. 249 CONCLUSIONS: COMMON ISSUES FOR POORLY ACHIEVING SCHOOLS ................................................. 252

PART FOUR: CASE STUDIES III: TEACHERS AND PUPILS: MINORITY ETHNIC TEACHERS, TEACHERS IN SPECIALISED ROLES OR SETTINGS, AND PUPILS' VIEWS ............................................................................................................................................................... 254

CHAPTER 14: THE STATUS OF MINORITY ETHNIC TEACHERS.......................................255

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................ 255 THE EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................................. 256

Background .................................................................................................................................. 256 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 257 WHAT IS THE STATUS OF TEACHERS FROM MINORITY ETHNIC GROUPS WITHIN THE PROFESSION? .... 258

Meritocratic advancement for all? .............................................................................................. 258 Attitudes to government ............................................................................................................... 264 Ethnic monitoring ........................................................................................................................ 266 WHAT FACTORS ENCOURAGE TEACHERS FROM MINORITY ETHNIC GROUPS TO REMAIN OR LEAVE THE PROFESSION? ..................................................................................................................................... 268 Stereotyping minority ethnic teachers..........................................................................................269 Gaining respect from pupils and parents.....................................................................................270 Gaining respect from colleagues ................................................................................................. 272 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 275

CHAPTER 15: THE STATUS OF EARLY YEARS TEACHERS ................................................ 278

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 278 THE EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................................. 279

Developments in early years education in England.....................................................................279 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 281

Teaching: a high status profession? ............................................................................................ 282 Occupational Status ..................................................................................................................... 285 Policy developments and their impact on teacher status ............................................................. 288 Status, care and relationships ...................................................................................................... 290 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 291

CHAPTER 16: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ................................................................................................................... 292

OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 292 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 293 BACKGROUND AND POLICY CONTEXT................................................................................................293 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 296 THE EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................................. 297

Special needs teachers' identities ................................................................................................ 297 The working environment.............................................................................................................299 The nature of their work...............................................................................................................301 Being a trusted professional ........................................................................................................ 302 The children they teach ................................................................................................................ 304 Career opportunities .................................................................................................................... 305 The perceptions of others about SEN teachers ............................................................................ 305 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 306

CHAPTER 17: THE STATUS OF TEACHERS WORKING IN PUPIL REFERRAL UNITS . 307

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OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 307 AN INTRODUCTION TO PRUS ............................................................................................................. 308

Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 309 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 309

Teachers' perceptions of their status ........................................................................................... 310 Status as reflected by the working environment...........................................................................311 Status through teaching and learning .......................................................................................... 313 Status through external relationships: LAs, the government, other schools, agencies and the public............................................................................................................................................ 316 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 318 CHAPTER 18: THE STATUS OF SUPPLY TEACHERS ............................................................. 319 OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 319 AN INTRODUCTION TO SUPPLY TEACHING ......................................................................................... 320 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 321 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 321 The heightened importance of pupil respect for supply teachers' status.....................................321 The influence of other teachers on supply teachers' professional and personal esteem ............. 323 The influence of organisational contexts of supply teaching for supply teachers' status............326 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 327 CHAPTER 19: TEACHERS ENGAGED IN CPD AND RESEARCH..........................................329 OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 329 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 330 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 332 THE EVIDENCE ................................................................................................................................... 333 Benefits of CPD and research......................................................................................................333 Institutional benefits of CPD, and more ...................................................................................... 335 The value of different kinds of CPD/Research.............................................................................337 Links between CPD/research and the idea of teacher professionalism.......................................338 The impact of CPD/action research on teacher status ................................................................ 339 Conclusions and implications ...................................................................................................... 342 CHAPTER 20: PUPILS' VIEWS OF THE STATUS OF TEACHERS ........................................ 344 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 344 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 345 EVIDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 346 What do teachers do?...................................................................................................................346 What is good/attractive about a teacher's job? What is difficult? .............................................. 347 Becoming a teacher......................................................................................................................350 Comparative Status ...................................................................................................................... 352 Summary....................................................................................................................................... 355 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 356 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... 364 APPENDIX 1 ? THE QUESTIONNAIRES ..................................................................................... 364

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TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Older men's and women's views of teaching as an attractive career .........12 Figure 2.2: Pay as a reason for opinion about the attractiveness of a teaching career.14 Figure 2.3a: Reasons for seeing teaching as an attractive career, by age group..........15 Figure 2.3b : Reasons for seeing teaching as an unattractive career, by age-group ....15 Figure 2.4: Strength of feeling about the attractiveness of a teaching career, by age

group ....................................................................................................................17 Figure 4.1a: Teacher status over the years: all respondents' rating..............................91 Figure 4.1b: Decline in ratings of teacher status by all teachers compared with those

who were teaching in 1967 ..................................................................................92 Figure 4.2: Teachers' views of the status characteristics of the teaching profession in

2003 and 2006......................................................................................................94 Figure 4.3: Primary and secondary teachers' ratings of the status characteristics of the

teaching profession ..............................................................................................94 Figure 4.4: Comparison of younger and older teachers' views of reward and respect in

a high status profession and the teaching profession ...........................................95 Figure 4.5: Differences between a high status profession and the teaching profession

according to year of entry to the profession.........................................................95 Figure 4.6: The impact of length of service on factors ..............................................111 Figure 4.7 The impact of teachers' age on factors.....................................................111 Figure 4.8 The impact of teachers' decisions to remain in or leave the profession...113 Figure 5.1 Teaching Assistants', parents' and governors' rating of the characteristics of

a high status profession and the teaching profession .........................................138 Figure 5.2 The status of teachers over the years - the views of all respondents .......140 Figure 5.3 The status of teachers of the years: the views of experienced respondents

............................................................................................................................ 141 Figure 5.4 Teaching assistants' and governors' perceptions of the status of teachers

over the years .....................................................................................................142 Figure 5.5 Teaching assistants' perceptions of teacher professionalism...................146 Figure 5.6 Governors' perceptions of teacher professionalism .................................146 Figure 5.7 Differing views of teachers and associated groups on three items..........148 Figure 5.8 The views of teaching assistants and governors on the status change scales

............................................................................................................................ 150 Figure 5.9 Trainee teachers' comparisons between a high status profession and the

teaching profession in 2003 and 2005................................................................156 Figure 5.10 Primary and Secondary trainees' rating of the status of the teaching

profession ...........................................................................................................157 Figure 15.1a Status characteristics of a high status profession..................................283 Figure 15.1b Characteristics of the Teaching Profession ..........................................283 Figure 15.2a Perceived respect from inside school: pupils, teachers,........................287 Figure 15.2b Perceived respect from `school associates' (parents, governors, local

community) ........................................................................................................287 Figure 15.3 `Working with children' as a reason for becoming a teacher.................291

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TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1.1 The Teacher Status Project research activities.............................................7 Table 2.1a: Reasons given for viewing teaching positively.........................................13 Table 2.1b: Reasons given for viewing teaching negatively .......................................13 Table 2.2: Changes in strengths of feeling from 2003 to 2006....................................16 Table 2.3: Occupations most similar in status to teaching...........................................18 Table 2.4: Reasons given for selecting a social worker as most similar in status to a

teacher ..................................................................................................................19 Table 2.5: Primary and secondary status compared: gender difference ......................20 Table 2.6: Primary and secondary status compared: reasons for answer.....................20 Table 2.7: Occupation most similar in status to headteacher.......................................21 Table 2.8: Reasons for selecting management consultant as most similar in status to

headteacher ........................................................................................................... 22 Table 2.9: Activities associated with teaching.............................................................23 Table 3.1: Teacher/education relevance by newspaper type........................................28 Table 3.2: Teacher or education relevance by newspaper type ...................................28 Table 3.3: Article type by newspaper type ..................................................................29 Table 3.4: Article type by year.....................................................................................30 Table 3.4: Main thematic focus by newspaper type.....................................................31 Table 3.6 Common collocations of 'status' ..................................................................33 Table 3.7: Thematic focus by Regional newspapers....................................................36 Table 3.8: Main thematic focus by 2003 and 2006......................................................37 Table 3.9: Actors quoted directly by newspaper type..................................................39 Table 3.10: Actors quoted directly by year..................................................................40 Table 3.11: Teacher/education relevance by year-cluster............................................42 Table 3.12 Teacher or education relevance by year - cluster.......................................44 Table 3.13: Article type by year cluster.......................................................................45 Table 3.14: 'Status' and relevant uses of 'Status' by year-cluster .................................46 Table 3.15: Main thematic focus by year-cluster.........................................................51 Table 3.16: Actors quoted directly by year cluster ......................................................53 Table 3.17: 'Teacher(s)' - headlines by year-cluster (1991-2002) and by type of

newspaper (2003/5)..............................................................................................55 Table 3.18: Collocations of TEACHER and TEACHERS in all headlines (significant

words within 2 words either side of Teacher or Teachers) ..................................57 Table 3.16: Number of full-text references to selected professions in the retrospective

sample (1991-93, 1996-98 and 2001-02).............................................................58 Table 4.1: Respondents' school phases and corresponding national proportions ........88 Table 4.2: Participants' qualifying routes.....................................................................89 Table 4.3: Major subject specialisms in 2006 compared with 2003............................89 Table 4.4: Teachers' ratings of the status of members of various occupations in 2003

and 2006...............................................................................................................98 Table 4.5: Degree of responsibility to various groups (3 point scale) .......................100 Table 4.6: Factors in teachers' sense of their responsibility to others........................101 Table 4.7: Teachers' responsibility ratings in 2003 and 2006....................................102 Table 4.8: Sources of perceived respect in 2006 .......................................................103 Table 4.9: Ratings of perceived respect from composite sources..............................104 Table 4.10: Factors formed from 36 items rated by teachers in the 2003 and 2006

surveys ...............................................................................................................106 Table 4.11: Items contributing to the 'job awareness' factor......................................107

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