The School Teacher in England and the United States

The School Teacher in England and the United States: The Findings of Empirical Research presents the results of empirical studies that look into what makes school teachers distinct from other people in England and the United States. This book examines a number of critical questions, such as the teachers' family backgrounds, their motives for becoming teachers, or how they ought to behave in and out of school as oppose to how other sections of the community want them to, or anticipate that they will behave. This monograph is comprised of 10 chapters and begins by comparing the educational settings in England and America. The discussion then turns to the role that society is assumed to expect teachers to fulfill in terms of emancipation, achievement, societal values and norms, role commitment, cognitive or technical skills, role responsibility, manpower selection and allocation, and home-school liaison. The empirical evidence on society's view of what role the teachers should play is then presented, along with a typology of incompatibilities inherent in teacher role. The remaining chapters explore the teachers' expressed motivation in career choice; the stages at which people choose teaching; teacher effectiveness and career satisfaction; and the teachers' professional status. The final chapter outlines some policy alternatives for addressing the training and supply of teachers. This text will be of interest to teachers, school administrators, and educational policymakers.