Teachers'identity and the Spiritual Dimension.A paradigm for Career Guidance Course (CGC)

Author(s):

Elisabeth DeMartino

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

PRE_C3, Preconference; Paper Session C3

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-08

13:15-14:45

Room:

C E38

Chair:

Michael Hansen

Contribution

Viewing education as transformation (Kazanjian, 2000), this paper proposes a model for the improvement of the Career Guidance Course (CGC) ,within the Hellenic Secondary Education System based on the findings of an investigation conducted among a small sample of female teachers. Although CGC it is a course that not all European Countries have integrated in their curricula, due to the growing transnational mobility, a transnational vocational guidance scheme is developing in order to enhance the career guidance among Europe citizens (Plant, 1992).CGC was integrated in the curriculum of the Hellenic Secondary Education (HSE) since 1975-1977. It may be defined as extra-curriculum course since it is not a graded course. This course status allows the instructor to be flexible and to use any technique he/she considers as the best applying. The recent years there were several workshops conducted concerning the training of HSE teachers regarding the "how to" teach this course. In the past years individuals were trained solely to give information concerning the work place, according to a model known as the conventional training model which appears to be inadequate for the contemporary needs of the students. The recent years there were several workshops conducted, concerning the training of HSE teachers in how to teach this course. Moreover the Hellenic Ministry of Educational Affairs has established the necessary structures in order that the teachers be trained towards a more effectivel teaching of the course. Their training is competency-based-training , or skills oriented training (Repetto,1992). This paper focuses on the spiritual dimension of the female teachers of secondary education who teach CGC. It takes into consideration the parameters of a)the spiritual dimension of education (Palmer, 1993),b)identity issues (self-destructive thoughts among students, pessimistic view about the future, teachers’ reactions to students’ behaviors during the course) and professional development (Erikson 1968, Herr & Cramer 1996, & Meijers, 2002) and c) transformative learning (Mezirow et al.,2000, Tolliver & Tisdell ,2002). Assuming the counseling aspect of the CGC, one would expect that the spiritual dimension of the teacher’s identity is significant factor. In this perspective, the teacher may facilitate the student’s career decision making concerning a productive professional life and positively contribute towards the adoption of an optimistic view about the future (Hansen 1997, Hansen & Houg, 2003). In this case the course becomes a therapeutic encounter for both sides which are teacher and student. The investigation includes the following qualitative tools: narratives of the instructors (Keltchtermans, 1993b, 1999), and structured interviews based on a questionnaire on spiritual quest (Nino, 2000). The findings reinforce the notion that the teacher’s spiritual dimension plays a key role in the whole process.

Method

Pilot study includes a small sample of 8 female teachers of Hellenic Secondary Education (HSE) with 15 years of experience, teaching different subjects in the main school curriculum. Among the research instruments are structured interviews and narratives during three consecutive meetings for each participant.

Expected Outcomes

The data show a tendency that the teacher's spiritual dimension plays a key role.

References

Erikson,E (1968) .Identity, Youth and Crisis .New York:Norton Hansen, L.S(1997). Integrative Life Planning: Critical tasks for career development and changing life patterns (ILP).San Fransisco:Jossey- Bass Hansen,L.S & Houg,B.(2003). Study guide of integrative career/life planning. Minneapolis, MN:College of Continuing Education for Distance Learning Course for Adult Learners. University of Minnesota. Herr, E.L & Cramer,S.H (1996). Career Guidance and Counseling Through The LifeSpan. Systematic Approaches. (5th ed)Longman. Kazanjian,Jr.V.H.,& Laurence, P.L (2000). Education as Transformation. Religious Pluralism,Spirituality,& a New Vision for Higher Education in America.LANG Keltchtermans, G. (1993b). Teachers and Their Career Story. A Biographical Perspective on Professional Development.In C.Day.,J.Calderhead & P.Denicolo (Eds). Research on Teacher Thinking:Towards Understanding Professional Development (pp.198- 220). London-Washington :Falmer Keltchtermans,G. (1999) . Narrative-Biographical Research on Teachers’ Professional Development:Exempifying a Methodological Procedure. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Montreal, Quebec, Canada April 19-23,1999). Meijers, F (2002). Career learning in a changing world: The role of emotions.International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling (24)pp 142-167. Mezirow,J & Associates (Ed). (2000). Learning as Transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in process. San Fransisco:Jossey- Bass. Nino,A.G (2000). Spiritual Quest among Youn Adults.InV.HKazanjian,Jr..,& P.LLaurence(Eds )EducationasTransformation.Religious Pluralism,Spirituality,& a New Vision for Higher Education in America. ,pp 45 57 : LANG Palmer, P (1993) To Know As We Are Known. Education as a spiritual journey.San Fransisco:Harper Plant,P (2002). Transnational Vocational Guidance in the European Community. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 15, 69-77 Repetto,E (1992). Staff Training for Educational and Vocational Guidance in the European Community. Summary ,FEDORA, New Letter. Tolliver , D & Tisdell, E.J (2002) . Bridging Across Disciplines: Understanding the Connections Between Cultural Identity, Spirituality and Sociopolitical Development in Teaching for Transformation. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Adult Education Research Conference (43rd,Raleigh,NC,May 24-26).

Author Information

Elisabeth DeMartino

University of Patras, Greece

Educational Science and Early Childhood Education

Patras

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