“A contribution to my country”

Professional lives of teachers in Timor-Leste

Bibliographic Data

ID21484872
AuthorsMarie Quinn (0000-0002-1518-2623, University of Technology Sydney, corresponding author), John Buchanan (0000-0001-6454-2296, University of Technology Sydney)
Year2022
Volume42
Issue3
Pages497-512
Publication date2022-07-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsia Pacific Journal of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0218-8791 • E-ISSN: 1742-6855
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02188791.2021.1880370
OpenAlexW3134895854
LanguageEN
References cited31

International attention to improving learning outcomes has increasingly focused on the impact of teachers, those that directly implement national education goals. For small, resource-poor countries where communities have minimal schooling experience, the role of the teacher in building academic knowledge and skills is even more valued, to both support that community and the nation as a whole. Yet governments and other stakeholders may not know much about their teachers’ lives: why they teach, what keeps them motivated and what makes the education system vulnerable to teacher attrition. This paper seeks to understand the lives of the teachers, in this case, in Timor-Leste. This paper reports on the findings from a recent survey of Timorese primary school teachers, finding while the challenges are many, there is a strong sense of personal contribution to the nation’s development evident in teachers’ work, something that the local education ministry might consider in supporting the work of its teachers

Attrition · Economic growth · Pedagogy · Political science · Professional development · Public relations · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Timor leste · Education Practices and Challenges · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Global Education and Multiculturalism

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