Notes on The Teaching Profession: Knowledge of Subject Matter, Teaching Skills and Personality Traits

Abstract

• Profession is described as a phenomenon of vital activity created by division of labor that social, economical and technological factors require.
• Teaching profession originated from social and economical changes in societies and can be described as “a professional occupational group of education sector possessing social, cultural, economical, scientific and technological dimensions.”
• Teaching profession is based on: specialization in a field, teaching skills, didactics, and certain personal characteristics the profession requires.
• There is a close relation between: knowledge of subject matter, teaching skills, and suitable personality traits, and whether the mission attributed to teaching is successfully fulfilled.
• Keywords: Profession; teaching; expertise; teaching skills; personality traits.

Introduction

• Teachers enable interaction among the main elements of the educational system: student, educational program, teacher and environment (Posner, 1995).
• Teachers have a distinctive place and importance within these main elements.
• Teaching profession developed with the emergence of education as a field of profession and vocation.
• Debate on whether teaching is a profession; it has been argued and it was eventually agreed that teaching is a distinctive profession with qualities of a profession.
• Teaching profession described as “a professional occupational group of education sector possessing social, cultural, economical, scientific and technological dimensions.” (Haçioğlu, 1997; as cited in Erden, 2007).
• Criteria for classifying an occupational group as professional: it provides services in a determined field, involves formal training offering expert knowledge, possesses professional culture, has admission control, possesses professional ethics, owns professional establishments, and is regarded as a profession by society (Erden, 2007; Tezcan, 1996).

2. Teacher’s knowledge of the subject matter

• For a vocational field to be classified as professional, practitioners must possess specific knowledge and skills.
• Teachers with comprehensive knowledge of their subject matter enable active student participation and are aware of problems learners encounter; they are ready for questions and provide clear, non-evasive answers (Woolfolk, 1998).
• Subject-matter knowledge requires formal training period; in Turkey this period is 4 ext{ years} for all kinds of expertise, and is similar in nearly all other countries.
• In today’s context, knowledge is produced and consumed rapidly; the information conveyed to students should be up-to-date and reflect the latest scientific facts.
• Career development should not end at graduation; ongoing updating of information is necessary due to rapid knowledge production.

3. Teaching skills of the teacher

• A teacher cannot succeed solely with subject matter competence; teaching skills are essential for effective instruction (Erden, 2007; Tezcan, 1996).

• Teachers control learning and teaching processes via planning and carrying out lessons, evaluating students, maintaining classroom order, and ensuring student participation.

• Teaching skills are acquired through vocational courses and practices included in teacher education programs.

• Clifford (1997) identifies basic qualities for effective teaching, cited by Ün Açıkgöz (2004):

  • expertise on the subject matter,
  • motivating for learning,
  • awareness of student differences,
  • planning the teaching process,
  • knowing and using teaching-learning strategies,
  • designing learning environment,
  • effective communication,
  • objective evaluation.

• In this chapter, teaching skills discussed include: planning the teaching process, offering variety, using instruction time effectively, creating a participatory learning environment, monitoring student development, and ensuring students’ self-control.

  1) Planning the teaching process

  • Planning involves creating learning experiences to reach prespecified goals, determining teaching methods and techniques, and practices and evaluation activities.
  • Burden and Byrd (1994): annual plans are significant; semester, unit, weekly and daily plans serve as a route guide for teaching sequences.
  • Teachers must design and prepare learning activities considering each student’s unique way of thinking and different interests (Cangelosi, 2000).
  • Morrison, Ross and Kemp (2004): planning should determine how long it takes students to acquire knowledge, where the teaching will take place, and how learning achievement will be evaluated.
  • Planning occupies a dominant place in the teaching process and is a teacher’s most significant responsibility (Gözütok, 2004).
  • Moyles (1992): most disciplinary problems arise when teachers cannot begin their lesson as planned; thus high-quality plans are crucial for success (Senemoğlu, 2007).

  2) Offering variety

  • Monotony is a major factor leading to boredom and disciplinary problems in the classroom.
  • To prevent monotony, teachers should diversify teaching approaches, class formations, and types of assignments, utilizing verbal communication and body language (nonverbal communication).
  • Teachers should both clearly convey messages and be effective receivers of students’ messages; active receiving fosters emotional security (Barker, 1982; Nelsen et al., 2000).

  3) Using the instruction time effectively

  • Montague (1987): one of the most important aims of classroom management is to use instruction time efficiently; more direct teaching can increase learning.
  • Cipani (2008): teachers should have a behavior modification program for unexpected student behavior to use time effectively.
  • Students should achieve lesson aims within the prespecified time; time allocated should be sufficient.
  • Without the skill to use instruction time effectively, other skills may be undermined; good classroom management saves teachers from many difficulties (Macrae, 1998; Jones, 2000).

  4) Creating a participatory learning environment

  • Students must participate actively in the teaching–learning process for meaningful learning to occur.
  • Democratic classroom management supports the healthy development of personality in line with democratic life (Hotaman, 2004).
  • In a democratic classroom, teachers involve students in the lesson and also involve them in decisions about what to study; students’ participation in rule setting and planning is encouraged (Edwards, 1997).

  5) Monitoring the development of the students

  • An effective teacher monitors students’ understanding and grasp of new information, identifies gaps, and corrects mistakes.
  • Evaluation provides feedback on student development; feedback functions include guiding, motivating and reinforcing (Sönmez, 2007).
  • Acknowledges that students of the same age may differ in pace, interests, ability and needs; developmental delays may lead to different behaviors; ridiculing such differences harms self-confidence and learning (Çakmaklı, 1998).

  6) Ensuring the students’ self-control

  • Students require three sources for self-control: positive emotions toward themselves and others, ability to distinguish right from wrong, and alternative problem-solving strategies.
  • Some strategies are preventive, some remedial, and some for modification; all contribute to positive disciplinary approaches for parents.
  • Self-control helps learners plan for their careers and future, and to guide and monitor themselves (Eaton, 1997; Gordon, 1998).

4. The personality traits of the teacher

• Some arguments claim that teacher personality is the most important variable in the classroom (Sönmez, 2007; Gürkan, 1993; Oktay, 2001).

• Many studies show that a teacher with a suitable personality positively affects students, whereas an unsuitable persona can alienate them from school or learning (Gürkan, 1993).

• Getzels and Jackson (1965) claim that the educational features of a teacher are more about who he really is than what he does (as cited in Gürkan, 1993).

• Küçükahmet (1987) emphasizes that teacher personality has many effects on learners; a positive classroom atmosphere persists beyond the classroom.

• Research indicates that friendly, flexible, tolerant, and humorous teachers positively influence students’ learning and attitudes compared to teachers lacking these traits (Hamachek, 1972).

• Direct, self-confident teachers who are at peace with themselves, open to different opinions, and encourage participation create more favorable learning environments; anxious and insecure teachers worry about students’ emotions toward themselves.

• Teachers with such personality traits provide emotional support and tend to have students who are more inclined toward scientific subjects and creativity (Erden, 2007).

• In this chapter, the following personality traits are highlighted: tolerance and patience; being open-minded, flexible and adaptive; being affectionate, understanding and humorous; high success expectancy; being encouraging and supportive; and a democratic personality.

  1) Tolerance and being patient

  • Children may display negative behavior as they test boundaries; teachers should be tolerant and patient to modify behavior (Erden, 2007).
  • Tolerant and patient teachers can tolerate unexpected, unusual and contradictory opinions (Hamachek, 1972).

  2) Being open-minded, flexible and adaptive

  • In fast-changing societies, teachers must be open-minded, flexible and adaptive to improve themselves and their students.
  • Teachers with these traits understand that their ideas and emotions may differ from others and can see situations from others’ perspectives; they can adapt to unexpected situations alongside planned activities (Erden, 2007).

  3) Being affectionate, understanding and humorous

  • Affection fosters positive attitudes toward school and learning and helps students develop self-confidence and social skills; affectionate teachers build positive, supportive relationships.
  • Humor creates a friendly atmosphere, reduces distance between teacher and students, and makes lessons more enjoyable (Erden, 2007; Duke, 1984).
  • Sincerity, understanding, and patience lead to positive student thinking; insincerity or impatience can have negative consequences.

  4) High success expectancy

  • Teacher expectations are closely linked to student success; high expectations prompt teachers to invest time and attention, and students may develop a positive academic self-concept as they believe they will succeed.
  • Studies show that teachers’ expectancy effects influence student achievement; students who rely on teachers to review notes and methods may be more likely to pursue teaching (Henson & Eller, 1999).

  5) Being encouraging and supportive

  • Encouragement helps students learn independently and develop self-confidence; supportive teachers contribute to positive academic self-concept.
  • Encouragement and support not only enhance achievement but can reduce disruptive behavior (Henson & Eller, 1999).

  6) A Democratic personality

  • Modern societies demand educated individuals in environments characterized by freedom, democracy, confidence and responsibility; teachers bear responsibility for fostering these in schools.
  • The teacher should believe in human rights and accept differences; classroom rules and practices should be established with student participation in planning, practice, monitoring and evaluation (Demirpolat, 1999).
  • Dewey’s view: schools should be institutions of simplification, transparency and balance that empower learners to change their environment through open and democratic interaction (Gutek, 2001).

5. Conclusion

• Knowledge of subject matter, teaching skills, and personality traits define both the artistic and scientific aspects of the teaching profession.
• A teacher should be able to act as a scientist while designing the learning environment with scientific rigor, and as an artist adding beauty, elegance, understanding, tolerance and affection to that environment (Bilen, 1999).
• Teachers carry a great responsibility to possess and improve professional knowledge and skills and to decide how to apply them.
• Teacher training should be a field where important knowledge and learning–teaching practices are applied directly, with ongoing questions, analyses and experiments (Loughran, 2006).

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