Active and Passive – Stages in the Careers of Teachers in the Context of Small Rural Schools
Vol.13,No.1(2008)
School and Location
The purpose of this research is to determine the critical characteristics, events or turning points which have significant meaning for the teacher’s professional activity at the different stages of his/her career. In addition, the aim is to find out how the location of school is related to teachers’ work, professional activity and development. The target group consisted of nineteen teachers from twelve small rural schools in North Karelia in Finland. The data was analyzed with the use of interpretative framework of the teacher’s professional self. The results showed that in the context of small rural schools primary teachers’ professional development is not necessarily identical with traditional career stage theories. The teacher’s career seems to be nonlinear with active or passive career stages which vary from one teacher to another. In addition, the school – location interrelationship significantly regulates teachers’ professional learning process and career in the rural school context.
keywords: Professional development of a teacher, developmental paths in the teacher’s career, active and passive stages, small schools with composite classes
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