Abstract
This chapter deals with the continuous professional development required in the teaching profession with a focus on the European Union, embracing the education sector as a whole socio-anthropological structure with similar needs and expectations. In particular, the topic of professional networking and mobilities, analyzed under the effect of the Erasmus Plus program, emphasizes the need for a new perspective. Social network analysis improves the understanding of particular behavioral patterns promoted by the implementation of European education policies in public education networking. The chapter contributes to policymakers in the field of education and training in the education sector.
TopAbout Teachers’ Awareness Of Their Social Role In The Eu
Worldwide, only 26% of teachers in OECD countries and economies that participate in TALIS surveys (OECD, 2020) think their profession is valued by society. Moreover, senior teachers are more likely than their younger colleagues to perceive their profession as undervalued, suggesting a gradual degree of professional disillusionment throughout their careers: “14% of teachers aged 50 years or less express a desire to leave teaching within the next five years, i.e., well before they reach retirement age” (OECD, 2020, p. 13).
Despite the need for improving the awareness of their social role, there are some encouraging signs of a growing attitude toward sharing and mutual collaboration, as the TALIS report declares:
Teachers in OECD countries and economies in TALIS are quite likely to employ basic collaborative practices like discussing the development of specific students with colleagues (61% of teachers on average do this) and, to a lesser extent, exchanging teaching materials with colleagues (47%). However, far fewer teachers engage in the deeper forms of professional collaboration… with only 9% of teachers saying they provide observation-based feedback to colleagues, and 21% engaging in collaborative professional learning at least once a month. (OECD, 2020, p. 14)
Concerning public school policies in the European Union, notwithstanding the common frameworks and strategies aiming to harmonize the socio-economic and educational discrepancies among all member states (Commission of the European Communities, 2000; European Commission 2013; 2020; European Council, 2010, 2017; Redecker & Punie, 2017), the EU national education system is still a mosaic with profound differentiations (European Commission/Eurydice, 2018a, 2018b, 2018c). In addition, the European Commission surveys show that the teaching profession is going through a problematic stage since it does not always receive high social recognition in many EU countries, and salaries are not rewarding according to the level of responsibility and work efforts. Thus, “the teaching profession is becoming less attractive as a career choice” (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2018a, p. 17). Also, the notorious annual report Global Teacher Status Index provides a view showing EU countries not ranking at the top of the list for teachers’ recognition and social reputation, and the surveys performed explicitly reveal that “in the majority of countries, actual teacher wages were lower than what was perceived to be fair by respondents” (Dolton et al., 2018, p. 79).
Key Terms in this Chapter
E-Twinning: Refers to the major European educational network of teachers, schools, and students; all main users must be permanent or temporary staff employed in a public school (or recognized as such).
ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; it is a framework for organizing information on education, and it helps to define education grades internationally to improve an immediate comparison among different national school systems.
Knowledge Management (KM): Refers to a set of good practices to deal with the process of selection, analysis, combination, storing, and retrieval of information and data that represent individual or collective knowledge. As a final step, the KM process generally aims at innovating the original knowledge encountered at the initial phase or during the process.
EU Frameworks: A set of European schemes and guidelines oriented at harmonizing specific professional and social dimensions of the member states.
EDGE: In a graphic representation of a social network, it is the visible link between two nodes.
OER (Open Educational Resources): Any type of educational support or material publicly shared with an open license.
Education Networking: Refers to when a teacher creates networks with other peers by professional social platforms or social networks, pursuing peer-to-peer exchange, and sharing experiences and materials.
Mobility: Refers to the physical exchange of school staff and/or students between two or more educational institutions; it may last a week or several months, and offer opportunities for job shadowing, research, and/or training.
Key Action 2: The specific approach of the European program, Erasmus Plus, that promotes cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices among partner organizations, with a particular focus on schools in the EU.
Knowledge Society: A term to describe societies that are economically and culturally dependent on their capacity to create, innovate, and share different forms of knowledge.
Erasmus Plus: A flagship program of the EU for the education sector that funds partnerships, collaboration projects, exchange of staff and students across the EU, and other bordering countries.