Professional Socialization in Schools

Author(s):  
Asiye Toker Gökçe

Socialization is a process through which someone learns to become a member of society. Individuals learn how to perform their social roles, internalizing the norms and values of the community via socialization. Professional socialization is a type of adult socialization. It is a process through which newcomers internalize the norms, attitudes, and values of a profession. They receive instructions, and they learn the knowledge and skills necessary to satisfy professional expectations they are supposed to meet. Thus, they can adjust to the new circumstances and new roles of the profession. Individuals gain a professional identification and feel a commitment to a professional role during the process. In some way, the interpretation of newcomers, the agents of the profession, and the organization produce this. New teachers participate in the community of educators, and they learn how to be a member through the socialization process. They learn new skills, such as how to teach, and internalize new values, such as believing there will be cooperation among colleagues. They learn regulations and organizational contexts, while they develop a style of teaching. As a consequence, they construct a professional identity by internalizing values and norms of the profession and redefining it.This sometimes happens regardless of the school in their professional socialization process. Despite the many challenges inherent in the profession, new teachers are expected to be socialized while performing their duties. Thus, new teachers try to develop an identity and survive in the job through interaction and communication with other teachers. Some adjust easily, while others do not and leave the profession. Some use situational adjustments, while others prefer to strategically redefine the situation within the process. In addition to teachers, new school principals also need to be socialized in their roles in their first year. Becoming a school principal requires different procedures than teachers’ socialization. Nevertheless, models about the socialization of teachers and school principals explain professional socialization as happening through anticipatory, preservice, and in-service.

Author(s):  
Kyle Meyer ◽  
Patricia Hageman ◽  
Robert Fuchs ◽  
Amy Tyler ◽  
Gregory Karst

Background and Purpose: In developing a new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum, the faculty at a mid-west academic health sciences center decided to introduce course content historically placed near the end of the program’s Master of Physical Therapy curriculum at the beginning of the DPT curriculum. The new DPT curriculum was constructed to promote the value of three central themes; 1) evidence-based practice and 2) patient-centered care, both of which contribute to 3) sound clinical decision making. Faculty theorized that by explicitly expressing these themes in a first semester, introductory course, students would acquire a much needed framework for categorizing and integrating future knowledge, and would begin the professional socialization process earlier in the curriculum. The purpose of this report is to describe the new course and provide quantitative and qualitative data regarding the course outcomes.Methods: Quantitative data were gathered via a survey administered to 75 students, 37 who had completed all three years of the program and 38 who had completed the second year of the program. In addition, qualitative data were gathered from first year student essays summarizing the course and describing its influence on their perceptions of the field. Results: More than 80% of second and third year students agreed or strongly agreed that the course had met all of the primary objectives outlined by the faculty. Essays from first year students also supported many of the purposes envisioned in the development of the course. Conclusion: These outcomes suggest students can value and comprehend more advanced content early in allied health curricula and that the early introduction of such content may aid in organizing subsequent learning and professional socialization.


2021 ◽  
pp. 147490412110094
Author(s):  
Anki Bengtsson ◽  
Larissa Mickwitz

This article investigates the professional integration of a group of newly arrived teachers, mainly from Syria, who participated in the labour market Fast-track programme in Sweden, which aims at facilitating quicker pathways to teaching positions. Drawing on the institutional perspective, our analysis focuses on formal and informal institutional conditions that hinder or enable newly arrived teachers in their striving for legitimacy as professional teachers. Analysis of focus group interviews and observations show that despite their professional experiences there are limits to their prior professional skills and competences being recognized within the Swedish school. The main institutional challenges identified were acquiring Swedish, understanding and managing the pupil-centred curriculum and its associated communication skills and taking on the facilitator teacher role. Handling and negotiating these challenges are important for gaining recognition as professional teachers, which, it seems, influences their opportunities for employment. To afford them opportunities for professional socialization, it is important to enable them to become acquainted with, handle and negotiate institutional conditions within a new school culture. In contrast to the quick-fix view of European integration policy, our study shows that the professional integration process takes time and includes a socialization process.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig D. Kono

This research project is the third in a series of research projects conducted for the purpose of assisting rural school principals create comprehensive first-year teacher induction programs. This project promotes the use of comprehensive teacher induction programs that meet both the needs of school principals, but also the social, personal, and family needs of new teachers starting their education careers in rural schools in South Dakota. The data was collected from previous teacher skills and school traits studies involving school principals and first-year teachers from across South Dakota. This report was created through the Northern State University Teacher Induction Program, a follow-up support and data collection program intended for new teachers entering education upon graduation from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The data collected documents trends and issues and is reported annually to Northern State University School of Education.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Craig D. Kono

The purpose of this research was to survey new and aspiring teachers from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and ask them to identify a set of school traits that they believe are most important when they first seek employment in new schools as teachers upon graduating from college. The participants were forty-three new and aspiring teachers participating in the Northern State University Teacher Induction Program who are ready to begin their teaching careers in elementary and secondary education. The new teachers were asked to identify a specific set of environmental, professional, school location, and career longevity factors that they consider important when choosing a new school. The NSU Teacher Induction Program is a follow-up support and data collection program for new teachers who are entering education after they graduate from Northern State University and starting their first year of teaching. The data collected documents trends and issues and is reported to Northern State University School of Education.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Debbie MacLellan ◽  
Jacqui Gingras ◽  
Daphne Lordly ◽  
Jennifer Brady

This paper explores beginning dietetic practitioners’ perspectives on the process of becoming dietetics professionals through the use of vignettes to illuminate the complex process of professional socialization.  Embedded in these vignettes are three themes related to the socialization process that occurs in the early years of dietetic practice: congruence, resilience, and relationships.  Our findings indicate that new dietitians struggle to develop their dietitian identity.  They feel unprepared for the relational and practice realities of the workplace and find the transition from dietetic intern to dietitian challenging.  They seek many ways to cope including seeking support from others and planning for the future but some consider leaving the profession.  It is important to understand the professional socialization and identity formation processes that occur during the early years of practice to ensure that dietitians feel prepared and supported as they begin their careers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 532-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Christianne M. Eason ◽  
Stephanie Clines ◽  
William A. Pitney

Context The graduate assistant athletic trainer (AT) position often serves as one's first experience working independently as an AT and is also an important aspect of the professional socialization process. The socialization experiences of graduate assistant ATs have yet to be fully explored. Objective To understand the socialization process for graduate assistant ATs during their graduate experience. Design Qualitative study. Setting We conducted phone interviews with all participants. Patients or Other Participants A total of 25 graduate assistant ATs (20 women, 5 men) studying in 1 of 3 academic tracks: (1) accredited postprofessional athletic training program (n = 8), (2) postprofessional athletic training program (n = 11), or (3) a nonathletic training degree program (n = 6). The average age was 25 ± 5 years, and the median age was 24 years. Participants were certified by the Board of Certification for an average of 2 ± 0.4 years. Data Collection and Analysis We analyzed the data using a general inductive approach. Peer review, field notes, and intercoder reliability established trustworthiness. Data saturation guided participant recruitment. Results The ability to gain clinical independence as a practitioner was an important socialization process. Having the chance to develop a relationship with a mentor, who provided support, guidance, and more of a hierarchical relationship, was an important socializing agent for the graduate assistant AT. Participants used the orientation session as a means to understand the expectations and role of the graduate-assistant position. Academic coursework was a way to achieve better inductance into the role via the opportunity to apply classroom skills during their clinical practice. Conclusions Socializing the graduate assistant blends formal and informal processes. Transition to practice is a critical aspect of the profession; thus, supporting autonomous practice with directed mentoring can promote professional maturity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agrippa Madoda Dwangu ◽  
Vimbi Petrus Mahlangu

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms employed in financial management practices of school principals in the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Education. The strengths and weaknesses of the systems and mechanisms of the processes to hold school principals accountable are explored in detail in this study. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that accountability of the school principal to the school governing body (SGB) does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal takes part in financial mismanagement in schools.Design/methodology/approachData collection was made through semi-structured interviews whose purpose was to draw experiences from SGBs, particularly the finance committees who are in fact the sub-committees of the SGBs; as well as literature review. The finance committee is made up of the chairperson of the SGB, the secretary of the SGB, the treasurer of the SGB, and the financial officer who is a clerk responsible for the keeping and the management of financial records of the school. The process started with semi-structured interviews, then transcribing, coding, developing themes, making meaning of the themes and subsequently developing a principle.FindingsMechanisms employed by schools and the Department of Education to hold principals accountable for their financial management practices fail to make them fully accountable and effectively face the consequences of acts on their part that are illegal and unlawful. The mechanisms need a great deal of overhauling. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that this account of the school principal to the SGB does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal easily gets away with a crime when financial mismanagement occurs in the school.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants could possibly not be comfortable and willing, to tell the truth as it is. Participants might have the fear that telling the truth could land them in trouble with the law. Whilst participants were assured by the researchers of their anonymity and the confidentiality of the information given by them, there was no guarantee that the fear of being exposed would subdue completely. There was also a possibility that some participants would not be willing to say the truth as it is for fear of being victimised by other participants for exposing the status quo in their schools.Practical implicationsThe findings and recommendations from this study may be used by the Department of Basic Education as a source of information for policymakers and stakeholders to understand the effectiveness of their mechanisms to ensure the accountability of school principals on issues of financial management. On the basis of this study, policymakers will then be able to revisit their policies for the purpose of strengthening them. The principal is therefore responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of school funds because of this mandatory delegation. However, when things go wrong, it is the SGB that is held liable.Social implicationsSchool principals hold dual accountability in terms of which they are accountable to the employer only in so far as their professional responsibilities are concerned on financial management in the first instance. They are by no means accounting officers in schools. In the second instance, they are fully accountable to the SGB for issues relating to financial management. Section 16A of SASA lists the functions and responsibilities for which the principal as an employee of the Department of Basic Education, and in his official capacity as contemplated in Sections 23(1) and 24(1) (j) of the same Act, is accountable to the head of department (HOD).Originality/valueThe study provides a theoretical and empirical contribution to the existing literature on the effectiveness of the mechanisms employed to ensure the accountability of school principals in their financial management practices in schools. It offers practical recommendations putting in place mechanisms that effectively hold school principals wholly accountable for their financial management practices in schools. Most of the time, it is easy for the principal to get away with a crime even in instances where he or she is called upon to account for alleged financial mismanagement.


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Rousmaniere

Of the many organizational changes that took place in public education in North America at the turn of the last century, few had greater impact on the school than the development of the principal. The creation of the principal's office revolutionized the internal organization of the school from a group of students supervised by one teacher to a collection of teachers managed by one administrator. In its very conception, the appointment of a school-based administrator who was authorized to supervise other teachers significantly restructured power relations in schools, realigning the source of authority from the classroom to the principal's office. Just as significant was the role that the principal played as a school based representative of the central educational office.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achmad Krisbiyanto

The school principal sued the school is able to make changes not only in teaching methods and curriculum, but also management and organization. The school principal is required to create a conducive environment and planned changes in schools as outlined in the School Development Plan (RPS), implementing, controlling, monitoring, and evaluate them effectively and efficiently. The principal duties and position is not light, because the position and role of school principals will greatly affect (determine) the progress of the school. Therefore, a school principal should be able to perform activities related to managerial ability to effectively utilize personnel. The school principal is obliged to move the personnel to willingly and earnestly perform their duties through administrative include planning, directing, coordination and supervision. Seeing the principal’s duties and functions of such complexity, then the role of principals that can be categorized into different types of roles depending on the angle of view that ultimately can create a climate, a good school.


Author(s):  
Al Farsi Hakam S.H. ◽  
Juma N. ◽  
Issan S.

The study aims at identifying the reality of communication practices between school principals and supervisors in basic education in the Sultanate of Oman. It aims also at identifying the reality of communication between the school principal and the supervisor at Basic Education schools in the Sultanate of Oman, and identifying differences according to job position, gender, academic qualifications, years of experience, educational district, the number of schools the educational supervisor supervises, the size of the school, and the number of head teachers in the school. Finally, the study aims at reaching recommended processes to activate the communication between school principals and supervisors in basic education. The most significant findings of the field study are as follows the estimates of the responses of the study sample regarding the four aspects of the activation of communication between school principal and educational supervisor in Basic of Education schools in the Sultanate of Oman, varied between high and low. In the light of the study findings; the researcher has reached a number of proposed procedures to activate the communication between school principals and educational supervisors in the Basic Education schools in the Sultanate of Oman. A number of further research studies have also been proposed.


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