The measurement of meaning

https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A2728601/view

Reconsidering research on teachers' professional identity

A central construct within the positive psychology literature is life satisfaction. Whereas adult life satisfaction has been studied extensively, the life satisfaction of children and adolescents has only received attention more recently. This article provides a review of the extant research on youth life satisfaction. Empirical studies (n = 141) on life satisfaction among youth are reviewed. The review details how life satisfaction among youth relates to various other important emotional, social, and behavioural constructs. Evidenced by the review are the conditions that foster positive life satisfaction and the implications of positive life satisfaction among youth. Future directions in life satisfaction research among youth are briefly discussed.

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Youth Life Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature

Summary This paper reviews studies on teacher stress and burnout conducted over the past decade. The range of studies considered indicates that this topic is now of major international concern. Such studies have led to a much clearer understanding of teacher stress and burnout. Priority now could usefully be given to exploring how such understanding can foster the reduction of stress levels in schools.

Teacher Stress and Burnout: An International Review.

This paper presents a brief review of the existing research on student written evaluations of the teaching performance of college and university instructors. First, a short historical background is given. Next, arguments are presented which have been advanced for and against the use of student written evaluations as a valid indicator of teaching effectiveness, followed by a discussion of various background characteristics which have been thought to influence student ratings. Student and faculty reaction to the use of student ratings is discussed, and finally suggestions for further investigation are given.

Student Evaluation of College Teaching Effectiveness: a brief review

Members of the faculties of Engineering and Sciences were surveyed at the Israel Institute of Technology (N = 247) and Tel Aviv University (N = 112) as to identification with, criticism of, and feelings about their respective institutions, as well as recommendations for possible improvement. Findings showed that a strong professional identity coexists with a pronounced critical stance. Findings are consistent with Herzberg's two-factor theory of work motivation that views higherorder “motivators”, such as the professional identity here assessed, as relatively independent of lower-order “hygiene” needs, mainly working conditions. The strong professional identity of engineering and science faculties would seem to minimize the likelihood of a massive exodus to industry.

Professional identity in institutions of higher learning in Israel

The problem of teacher bum-out is a matter of deep concern to educational policymakers and administrators because of the vast resources invested in teacher education and in-service training. It is claimed that one out of every four teachers eventually leaves teaching (Charters, 1970; Mark and Anderson, 1978). Several possibilities have been suggested to explain this state of affairs: the low status of teaching, higher salaries in other occupations, stress and burn-out. Stress, found to be prevalent in the human service professions (Applebaum, 1981; Cherniss, 1980), is particularly widespread among teachers and may have far-reaching consequences for the entire educational system (Kryacou and Sutcliffe, 1977). An attempt has been made to distinguish between various kinds of stress and their influence on the individual. Pettegrew and Wolf (1982), looking for situational variables, identified task-based, role-related, and work-event stress and investigated their impact on bum-out. The present authors, focusing on role-related stress, found professional identity to be a statistically significant predictor of jobleaving inclination (Hofman and Kremer, 1981). This study is a further attempt to clarify the notion of professional identity and demonstrate its relevance to burnout, a component of job-leaving inclination.

Teachers’ professional identity and burn-out:

The conflict between Arabs and Jews is complicated by the fact that it takes place at two distinct levels, between countries and within countries. For example relations between the two peoples in Israel are affected by the struggle between Israel and the Arab states, but should not be considered totally dependent on the outcome of that struggle. Even in the hoped-for peace, the tension between Arab and Jewish citizens is likely to continue and may even mount for a time, as the transition to a peace economy sharpens economic rivalry. A relaxation of security will encourage minority groups to voice grievances and make it more difficult for the majority to justify a reluctance to deal with them. After all intergroup conflict exists in many places throughout the world, even where the minority is in no way enemy-affiliated. Hence it is certainly not too early to focus attention on relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel. While the political and economic aspects of such relations have received some treatment (i.e., Harkabi, 1967, 1968; Jiryis, 1968; Landau, 1969), little attention has been paid to day-to-day social relations. Critical surveys are few (Peres, 1971; Rosen, 1970; Stock, 1968) and empirical studies are even fewer (Lakin, 1968; Peres and Yuval-Davis, 1969). Beit-Hallahmi (1971) has recently reviewed some available literature on sociopsychological issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict, between Israel and the Arab states and within Israel. However nothing appears to have been done about Jews in Arab countries or about their relations with Arabs. The stage is set for social relations in Israel. The steady modernization of the Arab village (Yalan et al., 1971), the integration of Arab labor and capital into the Israeli economy, the impact of a state-supervised Arab school system (Peres and Yuval-Davis, 1968), growing bilingualism in the Arab community (Hofman and Fisherman, 1971) -all these developments make for increased contact. Contact in turn mediates change in intergroup attitudes, hopefully for the better, possibly for the worse. Amir (1969), following Harding et al. (1968), but emphasizing the Israeli scene, has summarized the literature on the "contact hypothesis" in group relations and concluded that contact indeed affects attitudes. The direction of change is contingent on the conditions under which contact has taken place, and much of his summary deals with the specification of these conditions. The present study inquires into one such condition, namely the readiness to have social relations with members of the other national group. Readiness is akin to the action component of attitudes and to the social distance

John E. Hofman

Papers

Professional identity in institutions of higher learning in Israel

Teachers’ professional identity and burn-out:

Readiness for social relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel

The meaning of being a Jew in Israel: an analysis of ethnic identity.

Attitudes toward Higher Education and Course Evaluation.