Development of Research on Teachers and their Professional Activities before and after the ‘Fall of Iron Curtain’

Author(s):

Dana Hanesova

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

17. Histories of Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

17 SES 11, Teacher Professional and Training (Part 2) / Presentation of the Vienna Schoolbook and School Reports Collection

Paper Session. Continued from 17 SES 07 A

Time:

2009-09-30

16:45-18:15

Room:

HG, HS 34

Chair:

Angelo Van Gorp

Contribution

The phrase of the ‘Fall of Iron Curtain’ in the title should indicate a twofold purpose of our presentation: 1. As it divides historical continuum into what was before and what appeared after it, it expresses our quest after the evidence of historical changes that have been claimed as happening in education in the former Eastern Bloc countries after the fall of Iron Curtain in 1989. We are specifically interested in the differences in the status and professionalism of teachers before and after 1989. What changed in the teaching profession, in the framework of the teachers’ professional activities focused a) on the pupils; b) on the educational process; c) on themselves? What changed from the point of view of the state theory of education? Has there been any research evidences of changes in professional competences, skills and activities emerging in the reality of education of post-communist countries, comparing with their past? 2. ‘Iron Curtain’ divided Europe politically into two groups of states: Could there be any research evidences found of this division in the expectations from teachers and their responsibilities, their workload, their daily practice of teachers on both – Eastern and Western - sides of the ‘Iron Curtain’? What are the evidenced from Cold War times? Are there still any residuals of this division today? Our research is based on the on the knowledge and comprehension of the following starting points: 1. Basic distinctive features of education in Eastern European Bloc countries after the World War II till the fall of totalitarian regimes: its educational aims, contents, teaching principles, teaching methods, the position of the child and the role of the teacher. 2. The philosophy of changes in teaching profession during transition period and reforms in Central and Eastern Europe education since 1989: from teaching facts using indoctrinating, Herbartian encyclopaedic approaches to developing humanistic, constructive, reflective ways of teaching to think. 3. General European trends towards teachers’ professionalism, historically from the point of view of a) the pre-graduate preparation of teachers, its contents and graduate’ profile; b) specific context of educational situations; c) the teachers as autonomous subjects; d) the key competences being the expression of the requirements created by the society (family, region, state, Europe, EU) 4. The framework of key competencies of teachers in EU and on national level (Slovak Republic) that should be reflected in professional activities of teachers: diagnosing, decision making, acting (intervention, communication, relations), evaluation.

Method

1. Contents analysis of the documentation (written texts) of accepted theory of education implemented in teacher education during communist times (governmental educational plans, textbooks for faculties of education): qualitative comparison of definitions, characteristics, emphasis of the main educational theory categories (educational aims, contents, teaching principles, teaching methods, the position of the child and the role of the teacher). The resources used: Slovak, Czech and Russian documents. 2.Divergent and convergent critical thinking skills while internet searching for data on the past and present research on teachers both in the former Eastern and Western Bloc; synthesis – production of a bibliography of resources. 3.Critical study of all sources and documents acquired: theoretical analysis and synthesis, elaboration of the key explication concepts, comparison of the researches on teachers in Eastern Bloc before and after the democratic changes as well as with the trends in the Western countries.

Expected Outcomes

Comparison of theory and evidence of teaching professionalism in two historical periods in previous Eastern Bloc - accomplished so far - seems to show that both periods set very high ideals, but their actual practice was/has not been well scientifically proved. The analysis of the communist education texts shows all signs of indoctrination instead of research evidence. It seems that today there are subtle residual symptoms of previous ideology left that can be still attractive by a) easy-comprehensible ideas causing impoverishment of inner life, anti-intellectualism, incapability to discuss; b) negative influence of passive dependence upon the state; as well as negative emotions towards people from other parties, etc.; c) the morals subdued to the political explanation of the scientifically discovered truth, the truth of leaders, paradoxically not counting with critical thinking. There is still a vast difference between Eastern and Western quantity and quality of research on teachers and their professionalism.

References

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Author Information

Dana Hanesova

University of Matej Bel

Faculty of Education

Banska Bystrica

191

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