The following essay will discuss the main characteristics of professionalism and how they apply to teaching. It will then go on to explain the differences between management and democratic professionalism with regards to their aims, discourses and context.
According to the parameters set out by SAIDE (2010), there are nine characteristics that can be used to make sense of professionalism: performing a crucial social function; being able to draw on a well-established, well-tested body of specialised knowledge; using considerable skill in non-routine, complex situations; having undergone a lengthy period of higher education; having strong professional values focused on client interests; taking a high level of responsibility for professional actions; professional obligations se down in an ethical code of conduct; having considerable professional
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As for having specialised knowledge that they can draw on, many feel that it is not as extensive as it would be for other ‘professions’ as there is a considerable amount of disagreement about theories of learning and teaching (SAIDE, 2010). The next characteristic that isn’t agreed upon fully is a teacher having considerable professional autonomy- while teachers may have some modicum of autonomy in terms of regulation and development and in their own classrooms; the control still lies with the department (SAIDE, 2010). Lastly, being controlled by a professional body- there isn’t one body that controls all factors concerned; there are various bodies that each handles a different aspect and responsibility (SAIDE,