Teachers' Feelings About the Status of the Teaching Profession and Associated Factors in Tanzania

Abstract

This study explored secondary school teachers' feelings about their teaching profession and the factors responsible for their feelings. This phenomenology study draws its findings from the lived experience of secondary school teachers with varying working experience levels. Informed by the qualitative inquiry, the paper is mainly empirical and employs interviews and focus group discussions in the data collection process. Findings reveal that teachers and the teaching profession have lower status nowadays than before and after independence, which makes teachers feel bad about their profession. Society regards the teaching profession as the last choice for those who have no other choice and poor living and working conditions. The findings further revealed that low salaries, rare or no teacher professional development, misconduct of teachers and lack of board are factors responsible for negative feelings in the teaching profession. Hence, the revival of the lost status of the teaching profession remains in the hands of educational authorities and education stakeholders. Future studies should focus on the impact of teachers' feelings on their professional well-being and its influence on teaching practices.

Keywords

• Tanzania
• feelings
• teachers
• teaching profession
• teacher motivation

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