Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Purpose of Education, and of Teachers

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Challenging the Deprofessionalisation of Teaching and Teachers

  • 607 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter sets out some of the nobler aims of teaching. It is anticipated that the chapter may provide inspiration to aspirant teachers, and reinvigoration to current teachers, about education, its contributions and its capacity for value-adding to individuals’ lives—including teachers themselves—and to the societies they serve. It intertwines discussions of the demands of teaching, and on teachers, and teacher morale and retention/attrition, informed by related literature. More specifically, it introduces some ways in which teacher education authorities have set out to ensure that teachers and aspirant teachers embody qualities commensurate with the professional and personal demands assumed of them, and some potential-associated pitfalls. It includes some autobiographical illustrations and some personal testimonials (to which the reader might bring their own) illustrating the benefits of education, direct and indirect. The chapter presents implications for teacher education and teacher professional development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Or she.

  2. 2.

    I have no reason to believe that mothers, any less than fathers, want what is best for their children, even though some parents appear to favour their sons over their daughters, education-wise.

  3. 3.

    Nevertheless, I recall having to learn the vocative case of the noun “Jupiter” in Latin, so they must have anticipated interplanetary travel?

  4. 4.

    For those who are interested, 10120 is 10 with 119 zeroes after it, and looks like this if my maths is correct: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Happy counting.

  5. 5.

    Nevertheless, I required a minimum matriculation mark for entry into my undergraduate degree and subsequent teacher education programme. This perhaps speaks to the standard needed for such entry.

  6. 6.

    Kindergarten/year one teachers, there’s a good chance you know some of your ex-students’ passwords. Just saying.

References

  • ACARA. (n.d.). General capabilities. Retrieved from https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/curriculum-connections/portfolios/food-and-wellbeing/general-capabilities/.

  • Australian Curriculum. (n.d.). Home. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.

  • AITSL. (2017c). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5bKyiK_N3gIVyIyPCh0UhAYvEAAYASAAEgIpX_D_BwE.

  • Alismail, H., & McGuire, P. (2015). 21st Century standards and curriculum: Current research and practice. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(6), 150–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Government. (2012). Schools workforce: Productivity Commission research report. Melbourne: Productivity Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahr, N., & Ferreira, J. (2018). Seven reasons people no longer want to be teachers. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-16/seven-reasons-people-no-longer-want-to-be-teachers/9661878.

  • Buchanan, J., Harb, G., & Fitzgerald, T. Lessons unlearnt? Accepted by the Australian Journal of Teacher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2016). Preparing a ‘classroom ready’ teacher: The challenge for teacher educators. In I. Gibbs (Ed.), Teacher education assessment, impact and social perspectives (pp. 1–22). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J. (2017). How do the standards stand up? Applying quality teacher frameworks to the Australian Professional Standards. In J. Nuttall, A. Kostogriz, M. Jones, & J. Martin (Eds.), Teacher education policy and practice: Evidence of impact, impact of evidence (pp. 115–128). Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J. (2011). Teacher dis/appointments: Transitions into and out of teaching. Curriculum Perspectives, 31(1), 12–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J., Prescott, A., Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Burke, P., & Louviere, J. (2013). Teachers and attrition: Views of early career teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(3), article 8. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol38/iss3/8/.

  • Churchward, P., & Willis, J. (2019). The pursuit of teacher quality: Identifying some of the multiple discourses of quality that impact he work of teacher educators. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 47(3), 251–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clandinin, J., Long, J., Schaefer, L., Downey, C., Steeves, P., Pinnegar, E., et al. (2015). Early career teacher attrition: Intentions of teachers beginning. Teaching Education, 26(1), 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conners-Burrow, N. A., Patrick, T., Kyzer, A., & McKelvey, L. (2017). Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(2), 187–199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0781-2.

  • Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Assessing teacher education: The usefulness of multiple measures for assessing teacher outcomes. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(2), 120–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher education around the world: What can we learn from international practice? European Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 291–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, C., & Hong, J. (2016). Influences on the capacities for emotional resilience of teachers in schools serving disadvantaged communities: Challenges of living on the edge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 115–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eguchi, A. (2016). RoboCupJunior for promoting STEM education, 21st Century skills, and technological advancement through robotics competition. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 75(B), 692–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.05.013.

  • Goldhaber, D., Lavery, L., & Theobold, R. (2017). Uneven playing field? Assessing the teacher quality gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students.Educational Researcher, 44(5), 293–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenblatt, D. (2018). TPA – Taking Power Away. 103–134. In Education in a Democracy: A Journal of the NNER, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, A. (2019). [Prime Minister] Scott Morrison announces Liberal election promise to cap Australia’s annual refugee intake. ABC News. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-27/coalition-election-pledge-to-cap-australia-annual-refugee-intake/11051932.

  • HarperCollins. (1999). Proclaim. Collins English Dictionary. Glasgow: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelentrić, M., Helland, K., & Arstorp, A. (2018). Professional digital competence framework for teachers. The Norwegian Centre for ICT in education, 2017. Retrieved from https://edudoc.ch/record/131449/files/pfdk_framework.pdf.

  • Kincheloe, J. (2003). Teachers as researchers: Qualitative inquiry as a path to empowerment. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK)? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lonsdale, M., & Ingvarson, L. (2003). Initiatives to address teacher shortage. ACEReSearch, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandinach, E., & Gummer, E. (2016). What does it mean for teachers to be data literate: Laying out the skills, knowledge and dispositions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 366–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed, Z., Valcke, M., & De Wever, B. (2016). Are they ready to teach? Student teachers’ readiness for the job with reference to teacher competence frameworks. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(2), 151–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • NESA. (n.d.b). Languages stage 6. Retrieved from https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-languages.

  • NSW Department of Education. (2017). Key skills for the 21st Century: An evidence-based review. New South Wales: NSW Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2019). Schools for 21st-Century learners: Strong leaders, confident teachers, innovative approaches. OECD iLibrary. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/schools-for-21st-century-learners_9789264231191-en.

  • Palmer, P. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qian, M., & Clark, K. (2016). Game-based learning and 21st Century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, M. & Buchanan, J. (in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinnema, C., Meyer, F., & Aitken, G. (2017). Capturing the complex, situated, and active nature of teaching through inquiry-oriented standards for teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 68(1), 9–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, P. (2017). These are the jobs most at risk of automation according to Oxford University: Is yours one of them? Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/27/jobs-risk-automation-according-oxford-university-one/.

  • Shannon, C. (1988). Programming a computer for playing chess. In D. Levy (Ed.), Computer chess compendium. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skaalvik, E., & Skaalvik, S. (2016). Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy as predictors of engagement, emotional exhaustion, and motivation to leave the teaching profession. Creative Education, 7, 1785–1799.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sleeter, C. (2017). Critical race theory and the whiteness of teacher education. Urban Education, 52(2), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085916668957.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sleeter, C. (2016). Wrestling with problematics of whiteness in teacher education. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 29(8), 1065–1068. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2016.1174904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J. (2019). Australia to cut immigration intake by 15 per cent. Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/d583f376-4ad4-11e9-bbc9-6917dce3dc62.

  • Snyder, J. (2009). Taking stock of performance assessments in teaching. Journal of Issues in Teacher Education, 18(1), 7–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soulé, H., & Warrick, T. (2015). Defining 21st Century readiness for all students: What we know and how to get there. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 9(2), 178–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stacey, M., Talbot, D., Buchanan, J., & Mayer, D. (2019). The development of an Australian teacher performance assessment: Lessons from the international literature. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stronge, D. (2018). Qualities of effective teachers (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroud, G. (2018). Teacher: One woman’s struggle to keep the heart in teaching. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in teaching? Teacher supply, demand and shortages in the U.S. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/coming-crisis-teaching-brief.

  • Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., & Russell, T. (2012). Becoming a teacher: Stories from the classroom. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teach NSW. (n.d.b). Attending a GRP interview. Retrieved from https://teach.nsw.edu.au/becomeateacher/graduate-recruitment-program/the-application-process/attending-an-interview.

  • Thompson, R. (2018). Creating conditions for growth: Fostering teacher efficacy for student success. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • University of Technology Sydney. (n.d.). Get ref.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Laar, E., van Deursen, A., van Dijk, J., & de Haan, J. (2018). 21st-Century skills instrument aimed at working professionals: Conceptual development and empirical validation. Telematics and Informatics, 35, 2184–2200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahl, R. (2017). What can be known and how people grow: The philosophical stakes of the assessment debate. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 36(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-016-9525-4.

  • Walliams, D., & Lucas, M. (2003). Little Britain. British Broadcasting Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton, J., Priest, N., Kowal, E., White, F., Fox, B., & Paradies, Y. (2018). Whiteness and national identity: Teacher discourses in Australian primary schools. Race Ethnicity and Education, 21(1), 132–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2016.1195357.

  • Weldon, P. (2015). The Teacher workforce in Australia: Supply, demand and data issues. Policy Insights, Issue 2. Melbourne: ACER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wikipedia. (2019). Shannon number. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_number.

  • World Economic Forum. (2016). The future of jobs. Employment, skills and workforce strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Economic Forum. (2018). Here’s how vulnerable to automation your job is. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/here-s-how-vulnerable-to-automation-your-job-is/.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia

    John Buchanan

Authors
  1. John Buchanan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Buchanan .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Buchanan, J. (2020). The Purpose of Education, and of Teachers. In: Challenging the Deprofessionalisation of Teaching and Teachers. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8538-8_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8538-8_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-8537-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-8538-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation