| 2012 | vol.

1 | N1
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The Professional Role of a Teacher in the Era of Globalization on the Example of Poland
Eugeniusz Stanislaw witaa
Dauga pils !ni ersit" #at ia

$bstract% The globalisation process and the social changes associated with it demand the introduction of permanent changes and reforms in the educational s"stems& The teacher's new role is undisputable& (t is the challenge of modern times and social needs& (n their new role) teachers should support both the students and their parents& Teachers should act as guides for their students and direct them in their indi idual processes of de elopment) ta*ing into consideration the challenges of the globalisation process& (n m" article) ( would li*e to show how secondar" school teachers are prepared for their wor* in Poland& ( will also discuss the s"stem of professional preparation) with particular attention gi en to secondar" school teachers in Poland) to find an answer to the following +uestion , does the s"stem of teachers' professional preparation reall" exist- (n what wa") if at all) does it ta*e into account the specific character of wor* in a secondar" school- ( would also li*e to present the procedure of teachers' professional ad ancement in Poland and its influence on the standards and +ualit" of school wor*& ." intention is to discuss the issue of professional preparation of secondar" school teachers and to answer the +uestion of how such teachers should be prepared for wor* to be successful in coping with the challenges of modern school as well as the challenges from the societ"& $nother +uestion ( wish to answer is what *ind of support and from whom teachers should be gi en so that the" are able to fulfil their duties) particularl" those related to moti ating students to self/stud" and unassisted wor* and to coping with life in a global societ"& 0hat will be essential for m" considerations is the notion of a good teacher in the context of a social function that is expected from teachers these da"s&

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1& (ntroduction 0hat *ind of teacher does the modern societ") and) in particular) the modern school need- Does the s"stem of teacher education reall" meet the needs of the school) the societ" and the challenges of the modern world- (ssues li*e these are considered and anal"zed permanentl" regardless of the time when the" are put under discussion& 2ontemporar" teachers) particularl" in Poland) ha e difficulties in catching up with the challenges of the modern and fast de eloping world& The globalisation process coerces societies into ta*ing specific actions and introducing some changes , changes in the wa" of thin*ing and mentalit" in order to ad3ust to the changing realit"& These processes re+uire the societ" to introduce such mechanisms that will allow adaptation to the new situation in the best possible wa"& 4rom the social point of iew) the best and the simplest wa" to face such challenges is to in est in education and train teachers who will be able to meet the demands / teachers who will be genuine guides for the students and who will support the parents and the local communit") teachers who will manage the student's indi idual de elopment) who will ta*e into account the students' indi idual expectations) their potential) capabilities and predispositions&) teachers who understand the parents) who get them in ol ed into a direct cooperation with the school and) finall") teachers who pro ide the students not onl" with ph"sical) but first of all emotional and mental safet"& This article gi es an answer to the most important +uestions included in the text and describes the situation in Poland based on the obser ations of the author) who wor*ed for man" "ears in an institution that super ises and supports the functioning of schools and education

establishments& The article also presents the current legal pro isions in Poland concerning the organisation of teacher's wor*) in particular the procedure of teachers' professional ad ancement and the influence of this procedure on the impro ement of wor* +ualit" in schools and education establishments& The author also presents his own ision of the procedure of preparing teachers for wor*) particularl" in secondar" schools) ta*ing into consideration the expectations of the head of school) among others&

The professional role of a teacher in the era of globalization and its actual state in Poland The globalisation process is a process in which the mar*ets and economies of indi idual countries become more and more dependent on one another as a result of the continuous increase in the d"namics of goods) ser ices) capital and people exchange& (n a er" simplified wa") the globalisation process can be described as the process of creating one econom" and one mar*et on our globe& (ntegration within the framewor* of the European !nion is one of the stages of globalization& 5owe er) it is worth noting that some processes) li*e for instance regionalisation) are contradictor" to the globalization process& Similar reference can be made to the European econom" which in a peculiar wa" 6shuts itself' awa" from the economies outside the European !nion& $s emphasized b" Elizabeth 5elen Essar") globalisation has become a component of social public dialogue 7Essar") E&5& 899:;& That is the reason wh" it has a direct influence on the tas*s of school& The globalisation process re+uires the school to prepare students to pla" future social roles) and in particular for effecti e functioning in a modern democratic societ") with special

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emphasis on effecti e functioning on the labour mar*et& The point is to ma*e them able to compete for a position with other potential candidates) not onl" from their own countr") but from an" countr"& $ccording to <ang 7899=; the school should e+uip students with suitable *nowledge and s*ills that must be percei ed as understanding the realit" through personal experience and emotionalreactionswiththe surrounding world of ob3ects and specific situations& Such *nowledge should be preceded b" appropriatel" designed and organised learning process , learning that brings about substantial changes in the perspecti e of indi idual ision and perception of the world 7>'Sulli an) 899?;& @earing the abo e in mind) one can indicate the most important tas*s faced b" teachers in the era of globalization& These tas*s are directl" related to teacher's identit"& Referring to and adapting the approach of Graham and Pelps 7899A; to the issue of teacher's role in the modern world) the teacher's most important tas*s include% 71; !nderstanding and wor*ing in a defined school s"stemB 78; De eloping s*ills as well as the applied strategies and methodsB 7A; Teaching in the context of extended existing programmeB 7=; (ntegrating theor" with practice) 7C; Responding to social demands and problemsB 7D; 2reating an atmosphere that facilitates learningB 7:; 0or*ing in a group as a team memberB 7?; $ssessing and forming lifelong learning habits&

5ow do teachers and the Polish education s"stem respond to the challenges(n accordance with the Polish law) the right to exercise the profession of a teacher) both in primar" and secondar" school) is granted to a person who has a

master's degree in the taught sub3ect or a sub3ect that is related to it& Exceptions are made for teachers of ocational sub3ects in basic ocational schools who ma" ha e the title of an engineer and teachers of foreign languages who must ha e at least a bachelor's degree& E er" teacher is obliged to ha e pedagogical training ac+uired either during higher education studies or in the form of postgraduate studies) or in the form of a special +ualification course organized b" schools of higher education or in/ser ice teacher training centres& (n 8999) a special procedure of teachers' professional ad ancement was introduced in Poland) which defines four categories of teachers% /Trainee teacher& /2ontract teacher& /$ppointed teacher& /2ertified teacher& $part from that) outstanding teachers ma" be awarded the title of honorar" school education professor& (n order to get to the next stage of promotion) teachers ha e to complete a specified traineeship and fulfil the tas*s that are strictl" defined in the ordinance of the .inister of Eational Education& 5a ing completed the traineeship period for each degree of promotion and ha ing filed all the re+uired documentation) the teacher must ta*e an examination 7or come to an inter iew; before% i; the principal) a committee appointed b" the local education authorit"B or ii; in the case of the highest degree before a committee appointed b" the school superintendent& 2onsidering the length of traineeship periods and the obligator" brea*s between achie ing a degree and beginning a traineeship period for the next one) the teacher can be awarded the degree of certified teacher after ele en "ears of ser ice at the earliest& Theprocedureofprofessional ad ancement is highl" formalised and

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bureaucratic , conse+uentl") the main emphasis is put on meeting the formal bureaucratic re+uirements and not on the actual +ualit" of teacher's wor*& This procedure turned out to be 3ust another path of teachers' professional ad ancement) ha ing no influence on the impro ement of the +ualit" of wor* in indi idual schools and education establishments& Data and experience gained b" the school superintendent's offices 7responsible for the +ualit" of wor* in schools and education establishments; indicate that there is no correlation between the number of certified teachers in a school and the +ualit" of wor* in this school& (t is true that one of the re+uirements of this procedure is in/ser ice teacher training) but it does not translate into an impro ement of the +ualit" of school wor*& The forms of in/ser ice teacher training are usuall" based on programs which are not inno ati e or creati e enough and the expected results fail to be achie ed&

Preparation to wor* as a Secondar" School 1 teacherB is there an" special wa" of preparing teachers to wor* in secondar" schools5ow should a teacher be prepared to effecti el" fulfil all the roles and tas*s mentioned abo e- (s there a s"stem of teacher training followed b" in/ser ice teacher training that wor*s efficientl" and fulfils all the re+uirementsThe teacher) as an element 7an important lin*; of a specific school s"stem) understands the structure of the school s"stem and the mutual connections and mechanisms go erning the s"stem& 0ithin the s"stem) the teacher should be aware of the tas*s that heFshe is supposed to fulfil depending on the

indi idual le els and stages of education& That is wh" the s"stem of education and the tas*s to be fulfilled at different stages should be clear so that all teachers can understand them& Teachers should *now their rights and) first of all) their obligations& $t present) in Poland schools of 5igher Education training students to become teachers pa" no attention to this aspect of the teaching profession& @" anal"zing the curricula of different teacher education faculties in different uni ersities) one ma" draw a conclusion% in this respect) teachers ha e no preparation for wor*& The" do not *now and do not understand their tas*s and responsibilities& The" are usuall" not able to define the re+uirements the" should pa" attention to at their stage of education in the context of the re+uirements of further stages& The" do not understand or *now the tas*s related to indi idual stages of education& Teachers are also not prepared from the ps"chological point of iew to pla" such an important role& The" do not *now or understand the guidelines of the educational polic" of their own countr"& The" ha e no idea of the teaching profession in other countries or the functioning of other educational s"stems in Europe or in the world& Teachers who create new strategies and methods of teaching and who continue to impro e their methodological s*ills are almost non/existent& .ost teachers simpl" come to the school with er" poor methodological preparation and low s*ills of using the technological teaching resources& The placement the" ha e in schools during their studies at uni ersit" does not correlate with the needs of future teachers& (t often happens that) during such training) a teacher/to/be is left on his own) with no assistance from the school of higher education) which is against the idea of training& The onl" help such a trainee is sometimes offered is the help

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of the teacher who agreed to ha e the trainee teacher under his super ision& 5owe er) such help is not pro ided b" an actual master in the profession) but 3ust 6one of the practising teachers'& >ne can hardl" tal* about de eloping teacher's s*ills and abilities in such circumstances as the teacher is not e en full" aware of his own le el of methodological wor* and needs in this respect& Teachers are often not able to cope with the basic school documentation 7class register) grades records) etc&; and there are still man" more complex procedures to learn to perform the profession of a teacher& Teachers) in particular the "oung ones) ha e no idea of their obligations in this respect as the uni ersit" curricula do not include such courses& $ er" important element of training and impro ing a teacher's attitude is a wide) holistic approach to the issues included in the followed curriculum or core curriculum& Teachers should see their sub3ects on the le el of metacontent and set the tas*s and organize the t"pe of acti ities related to their sub3ects starting from this perspecti e& The realit" is) howe er) different , teachers) particularl" in secondar" schools) are specialists in their sub3ects understood as an academic discipline& >nl" after man" "ears of wor*) do the" understand the place and meaning of their sub3ects in the holistic comprehensi e de elopment of their students& The" start to understand the significance of the correlation among different sub3ects and the need to cooperate with other teachers& >nl" after man" "ears of wor*) do teachers start to notice the possibilities and possess specific s*ills to correlate and combine the theor" with practice& Those with poor methodological preparation do not see the need or rather the possibilit" to combine theor" with practice& (t is more comfortable for them to teach the theor") often unrealistic) within the

scope of their scientific discipline& (t is especiall" noticeable in the case of teachers of foreign languages& Eot *nowing the general principles of the educational s"stem or the tas*s related to their sub3ects and following onl" the guidelines and re+uirements for the final 6matura' examination 7published in Poland b" the 2entral Examination @oard that is responsible for the organisation and administration of final examinations in secondar" schools;& The teachers are not able to get students interested or to moti ate them to learn& Eot to mention showing the beaut" of the language) which absolutel" exceeds their capabilities& $ll this results from the inabilit" to use authentic materials and the teaching aids which are a ailable in the school& (t also results from the fact that preparing an interesting and inspiring lesson ta*es time) and teachers in contemporar" schools) Polish ones in particular) do not feel li*e that as the" do not understand their tas*s and obligations arising out of the general principles of the educational s"stem& Teachers' financial situation) remuneration or the wor* conditions ha e no influence on such attitude) which has been pro ed b" the negati e experience of non/public 7pri ate; schools in this respect& 5ow close and important social problems are to the teachers is reflected b" the wa" the" fulfill their pastoral duties and how the" manage as form tutors& Teachers are not prepared for this *ind of wor* at all& The" ha e absolutel" no preparation for it) particularl" in the earl" stages of their emplo"ment& Teachers are supposed to recognise and identif" the dangers of the modern world so as to counteract them and the" lac* basic *nowledge in this respect& Teachers cannot name the s"mptoms of ta*ing drugs and other abusi e substances) so how the"

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counteract them- To what extent can the" identif" with social problems the" do not understand as the" *now nothing about them- Teachers whose ps"chological and pedagogical *nowledge is er" limited tr" to understand their students' problems) but in fact the" do it without real in ol ement and belief in their success and) as a result) the success of their students& Their decisions and actions are often based on intuition which is not supported b" sound *nowledge or abilities& The result of such actions is often inade+uate to the in ol ement and time spent on sol ing a gi en problem& Teachers' own s*ills and tools) usuall" de eloped hastil") allow them to meet the re+uirements of the modern teaching and education process to a minimum extent& Teachers seldom arrange the space so that it can facilitate the achie ement of better results& The" mechanicall" pass on the theoretical *nowledge and too often forget about de eloping s*ills& The" are often unaware of their responsibilit" and the need to liaise with the other members of the staff& The" are afraid that the share of influence will be unfair& The" do not see the importance of team wor*& The" do not belie e that the success of the student is the success of the whole staff& (t is a conse+uence of a t"pical class/lesson s"stem of teaching which totall" eliminates the elements of direct liaising with other teachers& (n such circumstances) teachers' continuous assessment of their own de elopment as well as the de elopment of indi idual students seems highl" unreal unless teachers are pro ided with proper assistance b" rele ant institutions or peopleresponsibleforteacher's de elopment& Does that mean the end of the era of traditional education) education within the framewor* of a school s"stem) education with the participation of a

teacher who is a master in his sub3ect area2ontemporar" teachers face the dilemma) teach or learn- 5owe er) a solution to the dilemma) which seems to be thoroughl" philosophical or a *ind of categor" of academic discourse) can be found& Eowada"s teachers should be the guides in the process of transforming student's *nowledge) s*ills and abilities to a higher le el and their wor* should be based on their own *nowledge and experience and on the *nowledge and experience of the students who ta*e part in the learning process& Teachers should also be critical practitioners who are able to draw conclusions from their own wor* and anal"se the school realit"& This wa") the" will learn and teach others at the same time& Esson78998;definesteachers' professional de elopment as an extremel" important factor and the possibilit" to de elop as an essential element to enable sol ing problems related to the teaching profession and to meet the challenges this profession faces& 5arpe G Radloff 71HHH; suggest) referring to Graham and Pelps 7899A;) that the future teacher will be a teacher who is an efficient participant in both the teaching and learning process& Ta*ing the abo e into consideration) it can be concluded that) in Poland) an efficient s"stem of teacher education) including Secondar" School teachers) is non/existent& Teachers ha e to cope with man" different problems) actuall" without an" institutional support from those responsible for the organization of the teacher education process as well as the process of teacher in/ser ice training and de elopment&

5ow should the process of teacher education and teacher professional de elopment proceed-

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The situation described abo e should stimulate those responsible for teacher education to change the methods and the s"stem of teacher education) and in the case of those alread" in ser ice) the s"stem of teacher in/ser ice training and professional de elopment& (t is essential for the education and the didactic process to be based on alues education& 4uture teachers must be shown the actual role of education) both in the process of indi idual de elopment and the process of sustainable social de elopment& (t is er" important to genuinel" combine the process of education with school practice and obligator" forms of teacher placements before the right to exercise the profession is granted& Programs of studies should be changed and ad3usted to the needs of a gi en t"pe of school) with special emphasis on a bloc* of sub3ects in ps"cholog" and pedagog"& (n the course of studies students should stud" a bloc* of sub3ects related to general and detailed didactics of a gi en sub3ect 7academic sub3ect area; that is ad3usted to the t"pe and le el of a school& The differences in methodological approaches to teach the same sub3ect in primar" and secondar" schools should be ta*en into account& The course should include general didactics and detailed methodolog" of a gi en sub3ect& The program should also include a bloc* of acti ities during which the students 7teachers/to/be; would ha e an opportunit" to get familiar with the basic school documentation& Such a bloc* should be combined with practical classes 7properl" organized placements; in schools of a gi en t"pe& @efore the future teachers are awarded their uni ersit" diplomas) the" should definitel" complete at least a one/"ear placement in a school) followed b" assessment and onl" then be awarded the title) the diploma and the right to

exercise the profession& Teachers who are alread" in ser ice must change their idea and philosoph" of being a teacher , not an infallible expert in his field) but an expert in the teaching and learning process& The" should act) according to Graham and Pelps 7899A; as a learning expert) in the meaning defined b" Ertmer and Eewb" 71HHD;) who *nows and is able to act) who plans) obser es and e aluates his own actions& (n this context) according to @eattie 71HHC; and as emphasised b" Graham and Pelps 7899A;) the continuing de elopment of teacher's *nowledge and s*ills) both in the form of organised training and self/directed training) which aims at impro ing teacher's practical s*ills and abilities is extremel" important& The present situation re+uires an appropriate reforms in the s"stem of teacher in/ser ice training that would ta*e the communit" needs into account& $fter starting wor* in a school) the newl" +ualified teachers should be assigned super ising teachers who would be responsible for their induction into wor* in the school& $ super ising teacher should also offer actual assistance in situations which are too difficult for the newl" +ualified teacher to cope with& The .inistr" of Eational Education should be responsible for additional institutionalised assistance and methodological consultanc"&

0hich philosophical approach is the most ade+uate in the case of teacher trainingDefinitel") the most essential is the phenomenological understanding of the nature of educational processes) and as such) this approach should be highl" important in the process of teacher education& The perception of the

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world 7here the school realit"; as it is) without unnecessar" interpretations and e aluations) allows authentic definition of its problems as well as finding the right solutions to the problems related to a gi en realit"& (t is also important for the educational process to be understood as a whole) without separating an" of its part , important or less important& $nother ital approach is constructi ism) which first of all puts emphasis on students' autonom" in the education process and their own initiati e within the process& (n the context of constructi ism) the teacher must lead to situations of students' autonomic acti it" and stimulate their independent thin*ing and acting& 0hat is of great importance is de eloping students' abilit" to formulate problems and problem/sol ing teaching& Education must be combined with experienceB the student should experience specific situations or phenomena& The holistic approach to a gi en phenomenon and the process of its interpretation are extremel" important in this context&

experts in their academic fields) but also excellent ps"chologists and the" should ha e managerial and organisational s*ills& Secondar" school teachers should also ha e appropriate s*ills to maintain cooperation and run international exchange programs& (t is essential to bear in mind the fact that the European !nion adopted the organisation of cooperation and exchange programs) such as Socrates or in present edition the #ifelong #earning Program) as one of the elements of cooperation among schools from member states& $ctuall") it is the onl" element of common E! educational polic"& >ther educational issues ha e been left at the disposal of indi idual member states& 4or this reason) the command of foreign languages is extremel" important and ser es as a selection criterion) as it is absolutel" necessar" to run educational pro3ects within the abo e mentioned programs& (n order to meet the re+uirements imposed b" the surrounding realit" and the societ") the teacher should also be a perfect organiser of the teaching and learning process) an authentic expert in his field&

5ow should the secondar" teachers' selection process proceed in schools$fter completing appropriatel" organised studies) including courses which allow students to get familiar with the re+uirements of secondar" school) and after being granted the right to exercise the profession) the teacher should be definitel" under the obligation to get ac+uainted with the school wor*) starting from the lowest t"pe of school& That would allow the teacher to get to *now the place and role of this t"pe of school in the education s"stem& Teachers' personalit" and their s*ills are also extremel" important& 0or* in a secondar" school re+uires the teachers to ha e appropriate predispositions& Secondar" school teachers should be not onl" excellent teaching specialists and

8& 2onclusions% $nal"sing the theoretical assumptions and confronting them with practice and the actual state) one can sa" that no organised s"stem of teacher education for Secondar" School teachers exists in Poland& This situation is extremel" serious and alarming ta*ing into consideration the educational tas*s in the contemporar" world& Education of secondar" school teachers is an integral part of the s"stem of teacher education and it fails to include the specific character of wor* in a Secondar" School& The existing procedure of teachers'

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professional ad ancement needs to be changed so that it focuses on the factual assessment of teachers' wor* and their tools and s*ills) and not on the bureaucratic aspect& The situation demands immediate reaction from the authorities responsible for education and teacher education& The political changes which ta*e place e er" four "ears) according to the parliamentar" elections calendar) ma*e the situation e en more complicated& 2hanges in the go ernment lead to changes in the .inistr" of Education& Education) including education at a secondar" le el) calls for considerable financial outla"s as schools need new e+uipment) mainl" secondar" ocational schools& 5owe er difficult the situation of Polish education is and no matter what problems Polish schools face) we cannot forget the multitude of great Polish teachers who wor* hard and in the best possible wa" to *eep the Polish school at an appropriate le el and who stri e to pro ide their students with conditions for their indi idual de elopment and satisfaction from learning& .an" Polish teachers percei e their profession not onl" as an occupation) but as a social mission to carr" out& 4or man") despite all this) a teacher sounds proud& This profession ma" be extremel" rewarding and it is held in high esteem b" the wise members of the communit" who loo* into the future&

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Theor" and (mplications for 5uman Resource De elopment) $d ances in De eloping 5uman Resources) D) 8=1& S$GE) online ersion% http%FFadh&sagepub&comFcgiFcont entFabstractFDF8F8=1

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