An investigation of the professional behaviour, status, career and identities of teachers in Malta

ABSTRACT

Given the current shortage of teachers and the diminishing attraction of the teaching profession, it is important to have analytic and systematic studies of teachers’ lives and careers, and to locate teachers’ lives within a wider contextual understanding. The rationale for this educational research paper is to study Maltese teachers’ professional behaviour and how they define themselves as teachers, particularly in a period of time where teachers in Malta were experiencing reform fatigue. The authors’ aims were to explore the factors which motivate people to enter and remain into teaching, and to identify the routes they take throughout their career. Data were collected through an empirical research consisting of an online questionnaire with open-ended questions with teachers (n = 755). One of the findings shows that the majority of teachers enter the profession for altruistic motives, however, if given the opportunity, they would move into another role or profession.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers
• professional lives
• careers
• teaching profession
• teachers’ identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The questionnaire can be accessed through this link: https://issuu.com/um49/docs/teacher_lives_and_careers_questionn

2. Official communication with Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability, Ministry for Education and Employment (Malta) on 18.10.2018.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle Attard Tonna

Michelle Attard Tonna B.Ed (Hons.), DIP LIS, MACEMES, PhD is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. She is Head of Department of Leadership for Learning and Innovation and Deputy Dean. Her specialisation is teacher professional learning.

James Calleja

James Calleja B.Ed(Hons.) M.Ed. (Melit.) PhD (Nottingham, UK) is a lecturer in the Department of Leadership for Learning and Innovation at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. His research interests include teacher learning, lesson study and the design of continuing professional development.