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- Title
FORCES STEERING IRANIAN LANGUAGE TEACHERS' WORK: A GROUNDED THEORY.
- Authors
Namaghi, Seyyed Ali Ostovar
- Abstract
More often than not language teachers working in public high schools in Iran complain about their work conditions. The purpose of this study is to develop a systematic explanatory theory of the macro-structures that steer language teachers' work. This grounded theory is based on a volunteer and theoretical sample of 5 experienced language teachers' contributions. The findings were triangulated against a theoretical sample of official documents. The iterative process of data collection and analysis yielded 'forces steering teachers' work' as the core category. This core category pulled together three other categories representing macro-structures, which are beyond language teachers' control. These categories shape teachers' pedagogic practice. The 'mandated national curriculum' controls input. The 'mandated national testing scheme' controls output. The circle of control is tightened by 'make the grade pressure'. In the face of these macro-structures and as a coping strategy, teachers consciously choose to follow an instrumental approach. Being a pure implementer of externally imposed initiatives and schemes, teachers' practice is deprofessionalised.
- Subjects
IRAN; LANGUAGE teachers; HIGH schools; PUBLIC schools; SECONDARY education
- Publication
Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 2006, Vol 6, Issue 2, p90
- ISSN
1533-242X
- Publication type
Article